Confidence in Apalachi 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 belated first runner in the race 12 months ago - but he only got as far as the second fence. "He ran down to the first two fences too free and paid the penalty last year," Hughes recalled. "He was my first runner last year, but we have high hopes this time. We do have a chance and his preparation's been good." 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. "He won the Becher there and it was great to see him jump well," Hughes went on. The trainer has taken a softly-softly approach with Black Apalachi since then to gear him up to fever-pitch for the John Smith's sponsored-prize. Since winning the Becher, Black Apalachi has had only the two races. After finishing fifth over hurdles at Punchestown on February 1, he landed the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse three weeks later. "He won the Bobbyjo, which was the perfect warm-up. He won't do too much now before the National," Hughes remarked. 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 over the last two decades. His undoubted highlights so far were the Champion Hurdle victories of his stable stalwart Hardy Eustace in 2004 and 2005. He also saddled Timbera to win the 2003 Irish Grand National, while his son, Richard, has been one of the top Flat jockeys in England for several years. 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, now based in England as retained jockey to Howard Johnson, was booked to take the big-race mount a while ago. 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. "It's going to be hard with the weights having gone up, but he's a big horse and I think he'll carry it OK," said O'Regan. "He gave me a brilliant ride in the Becher and it's a race I very much want to win. "I was fifth on Bewleys Berry last year and, please God, I can go a few places better this time. "I'm having a fantastic season. I've got plenty of winners on the board. It's great to be riding for Mr Wylie and Mr Johnson. "I couldn't get anybody better. They've got a great team of horses and everything's going well."
