There's no way Crazy Horse can lose at Aintree

Hughes had surgery for a brain tumour after collapsing at home in August last year and has since had an extensive course of chemotherapy.

Things looked grim for a while, yet Hughes reports that what he calls his "little problem" has taken a marked turn for the better of late.

"The last few sets of results I've had from my doctors have been absolutely superb and that's the best news I could possibly have," he said. "I'm really looking forward to going back to Aintree. It's a real Liverpool day out, and the crack you get from the Scousers is like nowhere else in the world."

Hughes was busy on an after-dinner speaking date at Old Trafford of all places when Mantles Prince ran in last year's National.

"He was a 200-1 shot, but ran really well for a long way until he unseated Ollie McPhail six fences from home," he added. "There's no way he would have troubled the leaders, but Ollie said there was a little bit of petrol left in the tank and it was a tremendous effort considering he hadn't run for almost a year."

The man responsible for preparing Mantles Prince for Saturday isn't going to Aintree with the intention of making up the numbers.

Alan Juckes, the former jump jockey who now trains a dozen horses in Worcestershire, believes the 10-year-old is "in great form".

"He was a very good horse during his days in Ireland and surprised a lot of people with the way he took to jumping those huge Aintree fences last year," he said.

"Our horses were sick during the winter and it's been hard to find the right races for him since they came right, but Mantles Prince knows what's needed round Aintree now. He only needs a couple more horses to drop out to be sure of a run and Emlyn and the rest of the owners are mad keen to go for the big one."

Hughes picked up medals aplenty during his playing days, with five championships and two European Cups accompanied by the Footballer of the Year award in 1977 and an OBE in 1980.

A long stint as a team captain on A Question of Sport followed, but racing has been a constant thread in his life ever since his early days at Anfield.

"I suppose I must have been involved in owning between 15 and 20 horses altogether, including a decent horse called Wayward Scot, who was running a blinder in the National one year until he fell at the first," he joked.

"I was playing in an FA Cup semifinal at Maine Road that day and could not go to Aintree, but I'll be there on Saturday. I'm not being stupid enough to think that our lad can win it, but he does have loads of ability and let's hope he can give us a great day out."

A great day out, maybe, but winning the world's most famous steeplechase with a suspect stayer who was last seen finishing tailed off in a lowly allweather handicap at Wolverhampton?

At first glance, it's a crazy plan from Crazy Horse. Logic and those hard hearted bookies suggest it can't possibly come off. Then again, Hughes has already beaten the odds once - and when did logic and bookies have the final say in the National?