When Numbersixvalverde won the Irish Grand National in 2005 he ensured his place in history, not only as a winner of that famous race, but also as the horse that gave Ruby Walsh the distinction of being the only jockey to capture the Fairyhouse contest in the same season as the John Smith’s Grand National and Coral Welsh National. Named after his owner’s holiday home in the Algarve, Portugal, he made his racecourse debut at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting in 2001, finishing 20 lengths second to Alexander Milenium, and ran a further three times in bumpers that term without success. He made his hurdling bow at Fairyhouse in November, 2002, finishing second and was runner-up on his next start too - his sixth such finish in his first eight outings - before opening his account in a heavy-ground maiden hurdle at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve. He was again second, this time to the smart Florida Coast, at Fairyhouse in January, before running third to Jack High a month later. He did not race again until February, 2004, and in five starts that spring, failed to add to his solitary success. A switch to fences at the beginning of the 2004/2005 season failed to bring immediate rewards. He was last of eight in a Grade Three at Tipperary in October but improved when a second to Cane Brake in a beginners’ chase at Galway three weeks later, and was then third to Keepatem in November. Stepped up to three miles at Navan in December, Numbersixvalverde gained a deserved and overdue second victory. Fifth in the Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle was followed by another winning effort in the Thyestes Chase in January, and the following month he was a close third to Point Barrow in the Grade Three Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan. That effort preceded his famous defeat of Jack High in the Irish Grand National and he rounded off the 2004/05 campaign at the Punchestown Festival where he was fifth to Pay It Forward in the Betfair.com Handicap Chase. Last season began back over hurdles at Navan, running eighth behind Nicanor on November 13. He was fourth in a Fairyhouse handicap hurdle the following month, and was then brought down when in contention five out in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown on December 27. He returned to that track on January 15 for the Pierse Leopardstown Handicap Chase and was a staying-on fourth to What A Native. He then had two warm-up races over hurdles before recording the greatest victory of his career with an impressive six-length defeat of Hedgehunter in the 2007 John Smith’s Grand National. This season, he has followed a similar path to last season. After a couple of outings over hurdles, he warmed up for a second crack at the John Smith’s Grand National with a staying-on fourth in the Grade Two Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on February 24. He is aiming to be the first horse to successfully defend his Aintree crown since Red Rum in 1974.

Race Record: Starts: 35; Wins: 5; 2nd: 8; 3rd: 5; Win & Place Prize Money: £580,674

Bernard Carroll
Born on March 15, 1945, in Ennis, County Clare, where his late father Tommy Carroll was prominent in local business circles, Bernard Carroll, a qualified civil engineer, has made his name as a Dublin property developer through his company Carroll Estates Ltd. Carroll had his first horse in 1975, using a £1,500 car loan for a half-share in the Christy Grassick-trained Melody Music. He has had horses with trainer Martin Brassil since the Curragh handler began training in the mid-90s and the pair enjoyed their first success together when Section Seven won a Leopardstown bumper under Tony Martin in March, 1995. He named his most famous horse, Numbersixvalverde, after his holiday home on the Algarve, Portugal. He was in Portugal at the time of the horse’s triumph in the 2005 Irish Grand National, having booked his vacation some months previously, and believing that any alteration to his plans could tempt ill-fate. He was, however, in attendance when the horse scored his biggest success in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree last year and truly enjoyed the victory. He also has horses with County Louth trainer Harry Rogers and John Brassil.

John Smith’s Grand National Record: 2006 Numbersixvalverde (WON)

Martin Brassil IRE
Martin Brassil, who hails from the village of Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare - named by Lord Inchiquin after the racecourse in England - started working with ponies at the age of 19. Currently based at Dunmurray near the Curragh in County Kildare, 50-year-old Brassil formerly worked for Mick O’Toole (1977-1986), where he looked after the the 1979 Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Dickens Hill, and at Neil McGrath’s Brownstown Stud before starting up on his own. Brassil also rode as an amateur rider, enjoying around 40 winners until an ankle injury ended his career in the saddle in 1981. He took out his first trainer’s licence in 1994, and his first winner came with Nordic Thorn in a maiden hurdle at Killarney in May that year. His first big success came in the 2005 Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park, where in a thrilling finish, Numbersixvalverde just got the better of Kymandjen by a short-head. Better was to follow, as he went on to take the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, edging home by three-quarters of a length from Jack High. It was a first runner in the race for the pair, and the victory meant that Numbersixvalverde became the first horse to win both the Thyestes Chase and the Irish Grand National in the same season since Brown Lad in 1976. Brassil enjoyed the greatest success of his career with Numbersixvalverde in the 2006 John Smith’s Grand National and he has enjoyed significant success with the crack two miler Nickname - a multiple winner in Graded contests in Ireland. Brassil is having his best season numbers wise this season. His brother John is also a trainer.

John Smith’s Grand National Record: 2006 Numbersixvalverde (WON)