LAMBOURN trainer Jamie Snowden admits he is dreaming of Grand National Glory with Hogan’s Height ahead of the biggest event in horse racing on Saturday evening.

The 2021 Grand National marks the first time Snowden has ever had a runner in the four-and-a-half-mile race, and the trainer revealed he has been looking forward to little else in the racing calendar as much as this one.

Owned by a syndicate of 20 people for Foxtrot Racing, Hogan’s Height comes into Aintree having won six of his first 19 races – including the Grand Sefton Chase over the same fences back in late 2019 – and generated almost £70,000 in profit since his £26,000 purchase in 2016.

But for Snowden, the seven-figure prize pot up for grabs this year is immaterial. The trainer simply wants the feeling of having trained a successful Grand National horse.

He said: “I’m excited. From a small boy, we all dream of Grand National glory, and to have glory you need to have runners in the race. This race is what it’s all about.

“Hogan’s Height has won over these fences before – that was in the Grand Sefton Chase in December 2019. He took to those fences really well and he won by 16 lengths, which was an incredible performance really.

“On the back of winning that, we had aimed for the National last season, but that obviously never materialised.

“The National this year was always going to be the one and only aim. We’ve taken in a couple of races on route to this, but they weren’t D-Day. D-Day, for us, is Saturday.”

Although Snowden is very much looking forward to the 2021 version, the Lambourn-based trainer conceded his stooge may have had an even better chance of tasting victory had the coronavirus pandemic not caused the 2020 version to be cancelled and run virtually.

But as most who have experience of this old race know, anything can happen over the 30 testing fences at Aintree.

Snowden is therefore keeping his fingers crossed for a safe and successful finish for Hogan’s Height.

He said: “Having won the Grand Sefton in 2019, the Grand National in 2020 would have been perfect for him.

“It’s a great shame that it was off because he’s another year older now and he was in the form of life this time last year.

“We’ve had to change a few things, keep our patience, and hopefully he performs well on Saturday.

“I think a top-10 finish would be great, a top-six finish would be amazing, and if we were to place or even better, that’s what you hope and dream of.”

The Randox Grand National starts at 5.15pm on Saturday, April 10.