Ah, Aintree Grand National day.

Like the TV close-ups of azaleas at the U.S Masters, it’s one of the sporting signs that spring has arrived, along with the inevitable collapse of Arsenal’s title hopes (like the swallows, that arrived a bit earlier this year).

The annual marathon horse race in Liverpool has long captured the imagination, not just of fans of the Sport of Kings, but of ordinary Joes like me who don’t bet on a horse from one year to the next.

Here in Cork, there is bound to be plenty of money lashed out on Lisgoold jockey Paul Townend today, as he seeks to become the first man to win back-to-back Nationals since... oh, that would be Youghal jockey Davy Russell back in 2019. (It’s a Cork thing, boy!).

And at this juncture, I would urge anyone looking for tips and guidance on who to back to seek out the experts on our sports pages.

However, if you want to know which horse in this year’s race has my heart a-flutter, then read on...

You see (lean in closer, I’m whispering conspiratorially), I have a theory about the Grand National, and I am going to share it with you.

I have used this tried-and-tested theory to come up with a few winners down the years - not that often, mind, I’m not quite up to Bertie Ahern’s lucky level on the gee-gees. But I’ve had some notable successes.

So, without further ado, the name of this year’s winner of the 4pm race at Aintree is...

Drum roll... (no, that’s not it).

My hunch is that Senior Chief will win today, at rather handsome odds of 25-1.

Why so?

Well, it’s all in the name...

First, a history lesson.

Did you know that the first ever winner of the........

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