Hopes high Saphir Du Rheu can realise National dream for Andy Stewart

For a man more associated with Cheltenham Festival success through the great hurdler Big Buck's, owner Andy Stewart has a surprisingly long history with the Grand National.He may never have won the great race, the closest he has come is third with My Will in 2009, but that has certainly not stopped him from trying and he heads to Aintree this year with a live chance in Saphir Du Rheu.It was at the Merseyside track the grey looked a potential star when winning the Mildmay Novices' Chase by 15 lengths, emulating Big Buck's, but there had been little to cheer since then before a confidence-boosting win at Kelso set him up to run a blinder in the Gold Cup when fifth, beaten a little over six lengths.So, Stewart and his family will travel to Liverpool with one of the favourites, which is a long way from his early visits. "My mother, who was a top eye surgeon , took me to Aintree when I was a 12-year-old in 1963 to see Ayala, trained by Lester Piggott's father Keith, win," says Stewart. "She was very keen on racing and I remember watching it, on BBC2 in those days, with her most Saturday's and listening to Peter O'Sullevan, he wasn't Sir Peter in those days of course."Who would have guessed that years later I'd become great friends with Sir Peter and I still take an active part in his charity to this day."A few years later in 1967 when I was a bit more independent I hitch-hiked all the way to Aintree as I had no real money to speak of."However, I did manage to back Foinavon, who of course won at 100-1, and I was able to stay in a nice hotel that night and travel back in first class the next day!"Stewart may not have seen his white, red and black silks carried to victory yet in the most famous race of them all, but plenty of his friends and acquaintances have. "I used to play bridge with a lady called Vida Bingham and we were both at the Grand National weights lunch in 2009 as we both had runners."She came over to my table and I vividly remember her saying to me, 'I don't know why we're running Mon Mome as we can't beat My Will'."My recollections of that race are of Timmy Murphy, riding last year's winner Comply Or Die for my late great friend David Johnson, and Ruby Walsh on My Will looking at each other thinking they had it between them and then Mon Mome appeared and won easy at 100-1."That result is a testament to the race, results like Mon Mome, Foinavon, Auroras Encore - they add to the beauty of it."I'm still fascinated by the race, I know it has plenty of people ready to knock it and we lost Ornais there in 2011, but it was nothing to do with the Aintree fences. "One of my personal highlights was when Sir Stanley Clarke, who ran Northern Racing, persuaded my company Singer & Friedlander to sponsor the Midlands National. "We decided to offer a £100,000 bonus to anyone who could win that and at Aintree, and after Lord Gyllene was second in the Uttoxeter race I asked someone how much it cost to insure against someone winning the bonus."Of course, that had not been done and Lord Gyllene did win at Aintree - eventually, because it was the first Monday Grand National after the bomb scare - and who owned Lord Gyllene? Sir Stanley Clarke, you couldn't make it up. We narrowly averted a £100,000 payout. "Another year (2010) I was holidaying with JP McManus and AP McCoy among others when I asked AP what he was riding in the National. "He told me he hadn't decided but it wouldn't be Don't Push It as he didn't stay."I told him he had to ride Don't Push It as I remembered him beating a horse of mine called Phar Bleu as a novice, when he'd also been second to Denman that year, and since then he was second to Big Buck's."In his winning interview JP even said to Clare Balding that the thanks must go to his new racing manager, Mr Andy Stewart!"Stewart has got his hopes up that this could finally be his year and after his Gold Cup run that is understandable. "It's the most amazing race, 870 million people watch it over 140 countries. It is the most watched sporting event in the world, even ahead of the World Cup," he said. "To have a horse with a chance is great, Saphir is a few pounds well-in now, he wasn't beaten far in the Gold Cup and he's won a Grade One at Liverpool."After that Paul (Nicholls) said he was a Gold Cup horse but he'd been disappointing for a couple of years. The win up at Kelso did him the world of good and he must have a good chance."We expected him to be beaten about 20 lengths in the Gold Cup so to be only beaten six and a bit exceeded expectations."He's got a reasonable weight, these days 11st 4lb far from rules you out of it and he's come out of Cheltenham flying."I thought Rocky Creek was going to win it a few years ago but he didn't stay, but Sam (Twiston-Davies) and Paul say there's no worries on that score with him."The betting says he has a leading chance and we've aimed at the race, we aren't running just so Paul has a chance of being champion trainer."It's a national institution so to be going there with a good chance is why you get involved in racing."