Watch Murphy's interview - Grand National preview, BBC Two, 1930 BST, Friday

But the massive jumps he will tackle, including the legendary Chair, are nothing compared to what the 30-year-old Irishman has faced over the past few years.

In 2002 Murphy was handed a six-month jail sentence for indecent assault after an alcohol-fuelled incident on a plane.

He subsequently spent five weeks in the Priory clinic and is now teetotal, and has fought his way back to the top after a difficult time for both him and his family.

Murphy always wanted to be a jump jockey and admits he was never the most laid-back of characters.

"I did have a very short fuse," he told BBC Grandstand. "If things didn't go right I'd throw my toys out of the pram.

"I was a bit of a hot-head and I still am, to a point. I've learnt to control it a bit now and I suppose as you get older you get a bit wiser."

I spent the first three weeks in The Priory trying to convince them they were wrong and I was right Jump jockey Timmy Murphy

When drink was added to the mix Murphy became even more difficult and when he crossed the line and assaulted an air stewardess, he was jailed.

Murphy was given a six-month jail sentence for indecent assault and his mother says he came out of the experience a better person.

"I suppose it was the worst time of our lives really," she said.

"People say he did three months or whatever, but I know he did 91 nights and I cried for those 91 nights.

"I marked the calendar in the morning with an x - a day had gone.

"It was a very rough time. I thought it was the end of the world for me, and for him too.

"But I think he just hung on to that bit of advice I always gave him: 'When you're told you're going to die, don't lie down and die'.

"He wrote to me every week and he never wrote to me before. I said 'God, it has taken this for you to write me a letter'.

"I couldn't see any light at the end of it when it happened. But now, looking back at it, it was the making of him."

Murphy admitted he felt ashamed of how he had behaved, but even then it took him some time to see that he had a problem.

"I know now that with alcohol it's a way of hiding your problems and it's only a short fix that actually makes it worse," he said.

Jockey profile: Timmy Murphy

"There's a lot of problems that come with it, especially when it grabs a hold of you.

"I went down to the Priory (Clinic) for five weeks. I was only supposed to be there for four and I spent the first three weeks trying to convince them they were wrong and I was right.

"I spent another two weeks before I actually got the message.

"I was getting a lot of messages down there that I was so lucky and I couldn't get this 'so lucky stuff'.

"It was all the older guys telling me and I was saying 'why, why am I so lucky?' and they said because you're in here now, not 20 years down the line when you've done 20 years more damage to yourself and to other people."

The Famous Five: Timmy Murphy joins fellow top Irish jockeys Tony McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Paul Carberry and Barry Geraghty in conversation with BBC presenter Clare Balding on BBC Two, Friday (1930 BST).

She also speaks to relatives of the riders for a unique insight into their world.