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| |  Wednesday, 4 April, 2001, 01:22 GMT 02:22 UK Putting on the Fitz Fitzgerald is determined to grab more Aintree glory Mick Fitzgerald speaks to BBC Sport Online's Saj Chowdhury about his hopes for the Grand National and his famous "sex is an anti-climax" statement. British horseracing is going through the biggest crisis in its history. But with the Grand National fast approaching, there is one Irishman who is determined to put a smile back on everyone's face. He is widely regarded as one of the colourful characters in the sport. To those who know a little about him, he is notorious for two things - winning the 1996 National on Rough Quest and saying afterwards that "sex is an anti-climax". His name is Mick Fitzgerald. "I lived to regret that statement, and every year until the end of time it'll come up" he said. "I think the statement summed up what it meant for me to win the National. "When you become a National winner, you feel that you become a part of history. Fitzgerald, by his own reckoning, has had an "up and down season" and realises that missing any part of it can be costly, especially while there is one particular jockey still about. "I've missed 10 weeks due to injury. I broke my shoulder earlier this year and, in a separate incident, broke two ribs," he said.
"I'm lying fourth in the jockeys' championship. Ideally I'd like to be first, but Tony McCoy has been champion jockey for the last four or five years and while he is top of his game it will be hard." Fitzgerald will be riding one of Nicky Henderson's horses, Esprit de Cotte, at Aintree on Saturday, having had a rewarding time with the Lambourn trainer. And he is optimistic about the horse's prospects on the big day. "Preparations are going well. He schooled over Grand National-type fences at Lambourn and is jumping nicely," said Fitzgerald. "He ran a very big race last year and was lying third. He fell at Becher's second time round, which is very unusual. I'm hoping he can stay on his feet this year."
Fitzgerald, 30, is naturally upbeat about his own chances but says that if any punters fancy a flutter, then they could do worse than put their money on two of the favourites. "I think Mely Moss is the form horse. He's been a previous winner over the course in the Foxhunters," he said. "Beau is another one. He is going to have a lot of weight which doesn't help, but if he gets round I fancy him to be in the shake-up." Then there's outsider Addington Boy. "He finished fourth and fifth at two Nationals, and with Adrian Maguire riding him this year, you never know," said Fitzgerald. Mick Fitzgerald will appear on Question of Sport Grand National Special Friday 6 April 2010 BST | |
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