Racing: The Grand National-winning trainer Ginger McCain has already written off the chances of leading Aintree hope Forest Gunner - due to the fact that he will be ridden by a woman.

Carrie Ford, wife of the trainer Richard, will ride the 11-year-old after only recently reapplying for her licence.

Mrs Ford won the Fox Hunters' Chase over the National fences on Forest Gunner last year just 10 weeks after giving birth to daughter Hannah. She planned to retire after that, but was tempted back into the saddle by the prospect of a ride in the world-famous race on April 9th.

However, McCain, who took the race three times with Red Rum in the 1970s and won again with Amberleigh House last year, does not think Mrs Ford will be able to cut the mustard against professionals.

"Horses do not win Grand Nationals ridden by women, that's a fact," he said. "Good luck to her, and they have a very good horse, there's no question of that, but to go four and a half miles around Aintree you have to be a top-class professional. Going around in hunter chases and hurdle races is no comparison. So we will discount Forest Gunner."

Rosemary Henderson was the last women to ride in the National when she finished fifth on 100 to 1 outsider Fiddlers Pike in 1994.

Mrs Ford took McCain's comments on the chin. She said with a smile: "Anything is possible - I just hope he is wrong. I appreciate it has never been done, but in life, anything is possible. The only thing certain in life is death."