LATE TO THE PARTY

It's a family affair for Gina as she attempts to land the ultimate prize

- JON LEES

THE GRAND NATIONAL’S reputation for fairytale endings could deliver yet again if Latenightpass lands the £1million race on Saturday.

A woman, Rachael Blackmore, and male amateurs, most recently Sam Waley-Cohen, have celebrated victory in the world-famous event at Aintree.

Gina Andrews will attempt to become the first female amateur jockey to win on a horse trained by her champion point-to-point trainer husband Tom Ellis, and owned by her mother-in-law.

The 32-year-old, who became a Cheltenham Festival winner in 2017, has already won around the Grand National course.

Two years ago she enjoyed the thrill of a lifetime when claiming the Aintree Foxhunters on Latenightpass, and they returned to finish fourth last year.

Yet despite such solid credentials for a tilt at the big one, it was only an afterthought to tackle the Grand National.