Two Galway horses are leading contenders for the Aintree Grand National on Saturday

By JIM CARNEY ITâ€â„¢S that time of year again! The excitement is building to fever pitch in the build-up to the greatest horse-race in the world, the John Smithâ€â„¢s Grand National at Aintree, Liverpool. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is considered to be the blue riband event in steeplechasing but in National Hunt racing the Aintree â€Å“Nationalâ€Â is the most famous race in the world, and the most spectacular. Jumping 30 fences and racing four-and-a-half miles, this great race, first run as far back as 1839 (when it was won by a horse called Lottery â€â€ what a name!), now has a worldwide television audience of 600 million people. Last year over eleven million people watched it in Britain alone.[private] It has total prizemoney of over £1 million but to the owners, trainers and jockeys involved in the battle to get their horseâ€â„¢s name onto the Aintree Grand National Roll of Honour itâ€â„¢s all about prestige, honour and glory. Just to have a horse good enough to run in the â€Å“Nationalâ€Â is the dream of many racing people. To have one good enough to be a leading contender is thrilling, and nerve-wracking. It carries a huge responsibility, with the eyes of the racing world and â€â€ for one day â€â€ the eyes of the non-racing world on the name of your horse. Most of the time, just the name, itâ€â„¢s enough for the man, woman and youngster putting down their two euro each way or five euro to win. For 80-to-90 per cent of those Grand National punters, they wonâ€â„¢t be in that bookieâ€â„¢s office again until this time next year. Remarkably, for the 2013 Grand National at 4.15 on Saturday next, two great Galway horses will be second and fourth in the betting: Seabass, Dunmore-owned, is fluctuating between 8/1 and 10/1 behind the 7/1 favourite, the Willie Mullins-trained, Ruby Walsh-ridden On His Own, followed by 11/1 two horses, Cappa Bleu and Colbert Station, and then the second Galway horse on 12/1, Chicago Grey, Killimordaly-owned. Close up in the market as we go to press (Tuesday night) are Imperial Commander and Sunnyhillboy, both on 16/1. Imperial Commanderâ€â„¢s mere presence in the race demonstrates its prestige; he was the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup as recently as 2010. And with his rider Paddy Brennan, a Galway man, a very promising hurler at under-age level for Adrahan, not available this time the Commander, set to carry top weight, will have a new man in the saddle: Sam Twiston-Davies riding for his trainer father Nigel. With Ruby Walsh on board the favourite in the 40-runner field, the ride on Seabass, trained by his father Ted, goes again to Rubyâ€â„¢s sister Katie who was a gallant third on the Dunmore horse in the big race last year. In a newspaper interview last weekend, with the Sunday Times, Katie said she accepted that she wouldnâ€â„¢t be riding Seabass next Saturday if her brother was available, but her father was quoted as saying he had complete faith and confidence in Katie to do the job and do it as well as anybody else. The horse is owned by the Gunners Syndicate, including well-known Dunmore and Tuam businessman Pat Gleeson who told Herald Sport yesterday that Seabass is in great form and theyâ€â„¢re all going over for the weekend with high hopes and keeping their fingers crossed for a trouble-free run â€Å“and after that, the race will take care of itself.â€Â Pat says he knew the full significance of last yearâ€â„¢s achievement when, as owners, they returned with their â€Å“bronze medalâ€Â to a brilliant reception by the people of Dunmore and a memorable party at Robbie Byrneâ€â„¢s pub; the former great goalkeeper with the MacHales is also a member of the syndicate. â€Å“The build-up this year is great again,â€Â says Pat Gleeson. â€Å“Itâ€â„¢s very exciting for us that Dunmore Soccer Club are going over for the weekend, specially to support Seabass, and the two Collins brothers from Castlerea, who are also in the syndicate, know from their work around Ireland with McHale Farm Machinery that heâ€â„¢s still a great favourite with hundreds of racegoers and theyâ€â„¢d love to see him race more. But heâ€â„¢s had injury and wind problems a few times so weâ€â„¢ve had to be patient. No matter what happens on Saturday, we love this horse; weâ€â„¢ve all been there right from the start with him and thereâ€â„¢s a lot more racing days left in him. Sure, he has more weight this year and itâ€â„¢s going to be fiercely competitive, maybe more so than ever, but weâ€â„¢re going there with a great chance, as the betting shows, and if we have luck in running we could do it.â€Â Pat, whose WERS Waste company is also an important GAA sponsor, supporting Galway under-age football, adds: â€Å“At a time likes this Iâ€â„¢d like to pay tribute to the many people whoâ€â„¢ve supported us in our involvement with this horse. Iâ€â„¢m thinking in particular of a man like Joe Conneely from The Castle, Dunmore, who was always there with a helping hand and that shows you what a great team effort it requires to cover every angle in such a high-level sport.â€Â Many racing experts believe the big race could come down to a battle to the line between brother and sister, Ruby and Katie Walsh. Chicago Grey, trained by Gordon Elliott, is owned by John Earls of the EasyFix Rubber Products company, Persse Park, Aughrim, Ballinasloe; they manufacture the hurdles in use at the Ballybrit course for the Galway Races. John is a member of a famous Killimordaly hurling family. Itâ€â„¢s interesting that while Seabass is highly regarded by the Racing Press, the Sunday Independent has gone for Chicago Grey as their big fancy to be going best of all jumping Becherâ€â„¢s Brook, Valentineâ€â„¢s and the Chair, and heading for home as the TV commentator utters those immortal words that are forever spine-tingling: â€Å“Theyâ€â„¢re crossing the Melling Road in the National!â€Â[/private]