'I hate the National, I don't want to be part of it. But I might have to be now'

Trainer David Bridgwater speaks to Sam Hendry about his big hope The Conditional

It's not necessarily how you'd want an interview looking ahead to the Grand National to start. “I wouldn’t be in love with the Grand National, in fact I f****** hate the race,” says trainer David Bridgwater.

By his own admission, Bridgwater is as straightforward and honest as they come, as exemplified by his polite refusal to conduct this interview over Zoom (“I’m not into all that rubbish”), and he certainly doesn’t mince his words when it comes to the most famous jumps race in the world.