O'Sullivan and Walsh aim to create National history

There have been a few examples in Grand National history of fathers and sons teaming up for glory but a husband and wife combination has yet to strike gold in the Aintree feature.

Forest Gunner was an excellent fifth to Hedegehunter for Richard and Carrie Ford back in 2005 but trainer Ross O'Sullivan and his wife Katie Walsh will break new ground if Baie Des Iles comes home first in the Randox Health-sponsored feature.

Walsh's family needs little introduction. Indeed her father, Ted, and brother, Ruby, combined to win the 2000 race with Papillon in the days before Walsh was regarded as the best of his generation.

Katie came close to history herself when third on her father's Seabass in 2012, the best position obtained to date by a female rider, and O'Sullivan is viewing her experiences as a positive.

"This might be my first runner in the race but Katie has had plenty of rides over the fences and obviously came agonisingly close on Seabass a few years back," said O'Sullivan.

"She's a regular at Aintree, she's an ambassador for the course and is doing a preview there on the Wednesday night and will hopefully pick up a ride in the Foxhunters'.

"It helps that she's used to all the build-up. Hopefully she can keep me calm!"

Baie Des Iles might be among the outsiders, but the recent Irish Grand National has given O'Sullivan and Walsh hope they have a better chance than the bookmakers believe.

Last time out their grey mare finished third in a trial for the Irish National behind Isleofhopendreams and Folsom Blue, who were both placed at Fairyhouse.

"She ran a decent race at Punchestown and the extra distance at Aintree will really be in her favour," said O'Sullivan.

"Seeing the other two fighting out the finish the other day gave that form a boost and we've trained her all season for Aintree.

"We know she's best fresh so we've tried to follow a similar sort of path to last year's winner One For Arthur, who won the race on his fourth run.

"This will be her fourth run. One For Arthur ran at the end of January and we ran early February, so that has been our thinking all along.

"She's only seven, which is young for a National horse, but she ran in the Irish National (finished sixth) as a five-year-old and was jumping and winning around Auteuil at three so she has plenty of experience.

"The hope is if she takes to it we could go back there a few more times. She'll be going to the Curragh to school over some special National fences that Aintree provide.

"It's quite a call training a soft-ground horse for a race in April, but at least it looks as if the ground will be in her favour - it won't be fast, that's for sure.

"Watching all the other races she could have run in was hard but we decided some time back this was what we wanted to do."

Baie Des Iles is one of just two horses O'Sullivan trains for Zorka Wentworth and the other, Call It Magic, finished a creditable seventh in the Irish National.

"As well as riding, Katie is a bloodstock agent and sold Caspar Netscher to Zorka's husband, Charles, and he went on to win the Gimcrack," explained O'Sullivan.

"We've always kept in touch since then but Charles is a pure Flat man while Zorka loves her jumpers and when I started training she was keen to support me.

"She came to watch the Irish National, but was already talking about Aintree and how excited she was. She's very knowledgeable and patient, which is crucial in an owner - when they are like that you really want to do well for them."

For Walsh she is just delighted to be involved in the race once more.

"It is so hard to get a horse into the Grand National - no matter how much money you have it does not mean you are going to be able to have one - that is the beauty of it, so when you do have one, you really appreciate it," she said.

"Every runner has a chance of winning - you just do not know what is going to happen. There is great excitement around Baie Des Iles and it will be great to be a part of the race again. I am really looking forward to it.

"A lot of her form is on soft to heavy ground. I don't think she wants it as soft as people think but she does like a bit of cut in the ground.

"There is so much luck involved in a Grand National. It can depend on where you've been positioned throughout the race or whether you're behind a horse who doesn't jump well. There are a lot of variables involved."

One thing is for sure, there will be quite a celebration in the O'Sullivan/Walsh household if Baie Des Iles creates Grand National history.