Dessie Hughes believes he has his best ever chance of winning the Grand National with Black Apalachi.

The gelding was the County Kildare handler’s first runner in the race 12 months ago - but he only got to the second fence.

Black Apalachi made up for his early exit last April with a super clear round to take the Becher Chase over three and a quarter miles of the National course in November.

Making most of the running, he fairly trotted up - turning what should have been a competitive race into a procession.

The trainer has taken a softly-softly approach with Black Apalachi since winning the Becher with just two races.

Hughes enjoyed a highly-successful career as a jockey, with victories on Davy Lad in the 1977 Cheltenham Gold Cup and Monksfield in the 1979 Champion Hurdle, before becoming one of the leading National Hunt trainers in Ireland.

His undoubted highlights so far were the Champion Hurdle victories of his stable stalwart Hardy Eustace in 2004 and 2005.

The National, though, was never Dessie Hughes’ lucky race as a jockey.

“I didn’t ride in the race many times, but I never got round,” the trainer remembered.

“I rode Davy Lad the year he won the Gold Cup (1977), but he fell at the first open ditch. Persian Helen (1970) refused and War Bonnet fell the year Red Rum (1977) won his third National.

“It’s a race we all want to win. It’s a great race and we do have a chance this year.”

Roger Loughran has been Black Apalachi’s regular partner in Ireland but Denis O’Regan is booked for the big-race.

O’Regan recently hurt his back at Ayr but no real damage was done and the jockey is looking forward to the big day.

Although Hughes is not unduly concerned about the rise in the weights, O’Regan feels it does make the horse’s task slightly more difficult.

“He gave me a brilliant ride in the Becher and it’s a race I very much want to win,” said O’Regan.