SYNCHRONISED will aim to become the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to win both the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in a single season tomorrow.
The nine-year-old gelding, ridden by 16-time champion jockey Tony McCoy, upset the odds at Cheltenham, beating a strong field which was headed by Long Run and Kauto Star.
But, this time, the roles are reversed with Synchronised set to go off as 6/1 favourite in the 4.15pm at Aintree.
McCoy, who won the National for the first time in 2010 at the 15th attempt on Don't Push It, will also hope to achieve a double after being beaten last year by Jason Maguire on Ballabriggs.
The defending champion is back, priced at 12/1, as trainer Donald McCain looks to extend his family's outstanding legacy in this contest.
Ballabriggs' victory was the McCains's fifth after Donald's father Ginger had three famous wins with Red Rum in the 1970s and another with Amberleigh House in 2004.
Sadly, Ginger will not be at Aintree this year after he died in September two days before his 81st birthday.
However, his eternal association with the Grand National was confirmed yesterday by the unveiling of a specially-commissioned bronze bust overlooking the parade ring.
That is not the only modification to have been made at Aintree in the last year but, unfortunately, the other changes have happened out of necessity rather than anything else.
After all, none of the racing authorities wish to see a repeat of 12 months ago when, in an unprecedented move, fences were omitted on the second circuit after the fatal falls of Ornais and Dooneys Gate on the first circuit.
Dooneys Gate's death occurred at the tallest obstacle Becher's Brook and, consequently, the area where horses land after jumping that one has been levelled out.
This has also happened at the first fence which the horses usually approach at great speed while the fourth fence has been lowered by a couple of inches.
Unfortunately, the course improvements still do not deal with surely one of the most hazardous aspects of the race.
For, with as many as 40 entries starting again this year, it is inevitable that there will still be pile-ups whatever alterations are made.
As such, it is no wonder that the National is generally considered to be little more than a lottery - and that argument was further reinforced by Mon Mome's stunning win in 2009 at a price of 100/1.
The 12-year-old French horse runs again this year, at the slightly shorter price of 33/1, but the chance element of the race will encourage punters to bet on horses for a myriad of reasons.
Horses with people's names are always well-backed and it is indeed this factor which has naturally attracted me towards According To Pete, also 33/1.
Other entries which meet this criterion include the much-fancied Junior (9/1) and Giles Cross (12/1) as well as Weird Al (40/1), Rare Bob (40/1), Vic Venturi (40/1) and Swing Bill (50/1).
Alternatively, a cursory glance at the record books will often provoke a flutter. For example, as noted by this blog, last year marked the 50th anniversary since a grey horse won the National.
But, despite the presence of four chances, the curse of the greys continued and that particular stat has now reached a 51st year.
Now Neptune Collonges (25/1) has been joined by Chicago Grey (14/1), Alpha Beat (33/1) and the aforementioned Swing Bill as another four bid to end the hoodoo this year.
Perhaps a better bet would be on a female jockey winning for the first time. Nina Carberry is on Organisedconfusion (20/1) while Ruby Walsh's sister Katie will be aboard Seabass (14/1).
Of course, Ruby could make headlines himself if he wins his third National on On His Own (10/1) after previous victories on Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter in 2005.
And BBC television, in particular, will be looking for a spectacular finish having confirmed within the last month that this will be the last Grand National on their channel for the forseeable future.
In fact, with Channel 4 taking over this meeting as well as the Derby at Epsom and Royal Ascot, the BBC will be left without any horse racing at all next year.
But, as astonishing as that sounds, it has been coming. After all, the BBC's coverage of the sport in recent years has amounted to just a few days per year on the big events.
As Greg Wood in the Guardian noted: "The BBC cut back from 29 days of racing to 13 from 2010, with all its main events squeezed between early April and mid-June. For the other 10 months of the year, there is precious little BBC racing to miss."
By contrast, Channel 4 now has an extensive portfolio and broadcasts major races from Newmarket, Sandown Park, York, Goodwood and Haydock Park.
Channel 4 has also been commended for sprucing up coverage of the four-day Cheltenham Festival, and no doubt there will be a similar freshening up of the whole Grand National weekend.
There are fears, though, that the National's move from the BBC may well cause its status as an event on the national sporting calendar to slip.
And, as the Daily Telegraph appositely pointed out at the time of the announcement: what exactly is a public-service broadcaster like the BBC for, if not the Grand National?
Odds from Ladbrokes.com, subject to change. Compare Grand National odds at all major bookmakers at Oddschecker.
GRAND NATIONAL 2012: RUNNERS AND RIDERS
Aintree 4m 4f. Maximum 40 run.
KEY
Number), Form, NAME (breeding), Age-Weight, Owner, Trainer/Jockey
1) 13-P0311 SYNCHRONISED (IRE) 9-11-10 J P McManus, Jonjo O'Neill/A P McCoy
2) 11/1121-4 BALLABRIGGS (IRE) 11-11-09 Trevor Hemmings, Donald McCain/Jason Maguire
3) 1/10P-13P WEIRD AL (IRE) 9-11-08 Brannon, Dennis, Dick, Holden, Donald McCain/Timmy Murphy
4) 106-P422 NEPTUNE COLLONGES (FR) 11-11-06 John Hales, Paul Nicholls/Daryl Jacob
5) 2F-0511 CALGARY BAY (IRE) 9-11-06 Camilla Radford, Henrietta Knight/Dominic Elsworth
6) F-6041UP ALFA BEAT (IRE) 8-11-05 Irvin Naylor, John Hanlon IRE/Davy Russell
7) F01/35-23 PLANET OF SOUND 10-11-05 Charles Lloyd-Baker, Philip Hobbs/ Richard Johnson
8) 51U/022/2 BLACK APALACHI (IRE) 13-11-03 Teresa Burke, Dessie Hughes IRE/Denis O'Regan
9) 6/3U34-1F DEEP PURPLE 11-11-03 Paul Green, Evan Williams/Jamie Moore
10) 131/321-02 JUNIOR 9-11-02 Middleham Park Racing LI, David Pipe/Tom Scudamore
11) 10-U3032 CHICAGO GREY (IRE) 9-10-13 John Earls, Gordon Elliott IRE/Paul Carberry
12) 3100-015 TATENEN (FR) 8-10-13 The Stewart Family, Richard Rowe/Andy Thornton
13) F11/-1111 SEABASS (IRE) 9-10-12 Gunners Syndicate, Ted Walsh IRE/Ms Katie Walsh
14) 000-1122 SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM (IRE) 8-10-12 Liam Breslin, Nicky Henderson/Barry Geraghty
15) 11PB-P1 WEST END ROCKER (IRE) 10-10-12 Barry Winfield & Tim Leadbeater, Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson
16) 22-30112 ACCORDING TO PETE 11-10-12 Peter Nelson, Malcolm Jefferson/Harry Haynes
17) 14P1-B1 ON HIS OWN (IRE) 8-10-11 Andrea & Graham Wylie, Willie Mullins IRE/Ruby Walsh
18) 2113-1PP ALWAYS RIGHT (IRE) 10-10-10 John Wade, John Wade/James Reveley
19) 3F2P/-133 CAPPA BLEU (IRE) 10-10-10 William & Angela Rucker, Evan Williams/Paul Moloney
20) PU-345053 RARE BOB (IRE) 10-10-09 D A Syndicate, Dessie Hughes IRE/Bryan Cooper
21) 12-133F5 ORGANISEDCONFUSION (IRE) 7-10-08 Grace Dunlop, Arthur Moore IRE/Miss Nina Carberry
22) P/P-51423 TREACLE (IRE) 11-10-08 Bjorn Nielsen, Tom Taaffe IRE/Andrew Lynch
23) 3/216-B430 THE MIDNIGHT CLUB (IRE) 11-10-08 Susannah Ricci, Willie Mullins IRE/Paul Townend
24) 63F/-52PP0 MON MOME (FR) 12-10-08 Vida Bingham, Venetia Williams/Aidan Coleman
25) 0P2F-60 ARBOR SUPREME (IRE) 10-10-07 J P McManus, Jonjo O'Neill/MP Walsh
26) 03F-30P01 SUNNYHILLBOY (IRE) 9-10-05 J P McManus, Jonjo O'Neill/Richie McLernon
27) F-030341 KILLYGLEN (IRE) 10-10-04 David McCammon, Stuart Crawford IRE/Robert Power
28) 2F-4010 QUISCOVER FONTAINE (FR) 8-10-04 J P McManus, Willie Mullins IRE/David Casey
29) 4-P13000 THARAWAAT (IRE) 7-10-04 Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott IRE/Brian O'Connell
30) 42F-63F22 BECAUSEICOULDNTSEE (IRE) 9-10-03 Noel Glynn, Noel Glynn IRE/Davy Condon
31) 144/P3/4- STATE OF PLAY 12-10-03 William & Angela Rucker, Evan Williams/Noel Fehily
32) 2313P20 SWING BILL (FR) 11-10-03 David Johnson, David Pipe/Conor O'Farrell
33) FP-26611 POSTMASTER 10-10-02 The Bill & Ben Partnership, Tim Vaughan/Dougie Costello
34) 3/P22-121 GILES CROSS (IRE) 10-10-01 KCMS Partnership, Victor Dartnall/Paddy Brennan
35) 21/10P-16 MIDNIGHT HAZE 10-10-00 Kim Bailey Racing Partnership, Kim Bailey/Sean Quinlan
36) 0044B-20 VIC VENTURI (IRE) 12-10-00 Seamus Dunne, Dessie Hughes IRE/Harry Skelton
37) 431U0-P3 IN COMPLIANCE (IRE) 12-10-00 Dessie Hughes, Dessie Hughes IRE/Niall Madden
38) 00-143P5 VIKING BLOND (FR) 7-10-00 Caroline Mould, Nigel Twiston-Davies/Brian Hughes
39) PP-5U654 HELLO BUD (IRE) 14-10-00 Seamus Murphy, Nigel Twiston-Davies/Sam Twiston-Davies
40) 0-315045 NEPTUNE EQUESTER 9-9-09 Koo's Racing Club, Brian Ellison/Felix De Giles
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