Nick Gifford will once again saddle the only Sussex horse in this year's Grand National.

Joly Bey will carry the hopes of Downs Stables, Findon, and at 25-1 is no outsider in the four-and-a-half mile marathon on April 9.

Last year Gifford, who had only just taken over from his father Josh, ran Skycab, ridden by Leighton Aspell, in the race.

He said: "He was going well down towards Bechers Brook when something ran right across in front of him. Skycab jumped virtually from a standstill and was brought down."

Joly Bey was a 21st birthday present from his parents to leading amateur rider David Dunsdon.

Originally trained in France by Guillaume Macaire, Joly Bey joined Somerset trainer Paul Nicholls as a four-year-old.

At the Doncaster bloodstock sales the following year, he cost the Dunsdons almost £250,000 and was bought with the Grand National as the long-term target.

Joly Bey is a quick and reliable jumper and, two seasons ago, he won five races from 11 starts and was unplaced only once.

Last season he won a hurdle at Newbury where he tackled the two-and-three-quarter mile Topham Trophy over the big fences. He was going very strongly in the lead when, uncharacteristically, he fell four fences from home.

Dunsdon said: "It was a silly fall, he just knuckled over on landing. But he is a stayer and I am quite certain he would have won but for that."

I have to agree with that assessment, and even the form book summary says that Joly Bey looked set to win in some style.

At the Savoy Hotel in London this week for the launch of the Grand National handicap weights, Gifford expressed himself delighted with the 10st 7lb allotted to his horse for the National.

He said: "David has promised me he will do the weight, although he may have to use a very small saddle which I am not keen on. But he is riding the horse and he will do what is best for both of them."

Preparation started with a hurdle at Chepstow in October, where Joly Bey finished fifth, and Dunsdon was fined £200 by the stewards for making insufficient effort in the straight. However, even if he had knocked spots off the horse, in my opinion he would not have been more than two lengths closer at the finish.

Next came a really promising fourth to one of Martin Pipe's top horses, Therealbandit at Cheltenham in November, a race which pleased both owner and trainer.

A month ago another fourth place, also at Cheltenham to Le Duc over two miles five furlongs, showed that Joly Bey is heading in the right direction.

Gifford said: "Last year we decided to miss Cheltenham but this time he will be entered there next month with a choice of the Kim Muir Chase, the William Hill Chase or the new Daily Telegraph-sponsored two-and-a-half mile Championship Race."

At home, Joly Bey is ridden every day by Melanie Baker, Gifford's head girl, unless the owner is available to ride out.

Gifford said: "He loves his work and is very straightforward to train and although he goes on any ground I hope it doesn't come up soft at Aintree because he is a long-striding good-actioned horse favoured by good going."

Although Joly Bey is blessed with a calm temperament, he will not be subjected to the charged atmosphere at Aintree until the morning of the race.

Gifford said: "He will travel up at leisure the day before and stable overnight at Haydock Park. There is hardly anyone there and it's only a few miles along the road to Aintree on Saturday morning."

There is plenty of time for things to go wrong in the next eight weeks but, if all goes well, Joly Bey surely has the best chance of becoming a Sussex-trained Grand National winner since Aldaniti, trained in the same stable, scored for Josh Gifford in 1981.