HELPERBY trainer Jimmy Turner is hoping to make his first trip to Aintree a successful one.

Cattle farmer Turner, who has never entered a horse at the three-day festival previously, takes across 40-1 outsider Inn At The Top to Liverpool with hopes of snatching the Martell Grand National crown from under the noses of the likes of Martin Pipe, Jonjo O'Neil and Nicky Henderson.

And as the sun continues to shine, so do the hopes of Inn At The Top - who favours the firm, fast ground.

"We hope it goes all right," he told the Evening Press. "Anything can happen on the day and as luck would have it, it looks like the ground will be just right.

"We will go over tomorrow as he travels well."

The horse, owned by Mrs Sylvia Blakely, from Pennistone, will be ridden over the four-mile four-furlong trek by Adie Smith.

North Yorkshire has four other entrants in the big race -all from the Middleham stable of Ferdy Murphy.

He has Paris Pike, Streamstown, Birkdale and Ackzo all going to the post.

Smurfit Champion-Hurdle winning jockey Dean Gallagher will ride Ackzo while

Streamstown was a recent winner at Uttoxeter.

Paris Pike is expected to enjoy the good ground and has attracted plenty of support at bookmakers, being best-priced at 16-1.

Bookmakers are expecting a record £120million to be staked on the race this year - topping last year's £90m. Turnover has increased since tax-free betting was introduced in October.

Updated: 12:10 Friday, April 05, 2002