THEY may train deep in the Cheshire countryside but the McCain’s heart will always be at Aintree.

And at Bankhouse stables yesterday trainer Donald McCain continued preparations for Cloudy Lane’s third bid for John Smith’s Grand National glory.

As dad Ginger received a plaque as one of the inaugural Grand National Legends for Red Rum and his exploits at Aintree, son Donald was overseeing training on the gallops at his Cholmondeley base.

The Trevor Hemmings-owned Cloudy Lane was among several horses working along with Smithy The Horse – the sponsors’ latest venture owned by 250,000 John Smith’s drinkers.

All the horses looked well especially the Aintree-bound Cloudy Lane.

He has finished sixth and unseated big-race jockey Jason Maguire at the 15th fence in the last two Nationals.

But the 10-year-old’s season has been geared around a return to Aintree.

And McCain feels he has got Cloudy Lane, who is a best-priced 50-1 chance with most bookmakers, in the ideal shape to do himself justice a week tomorrow.

Donald said: “As we stand at the moment he is fit and he is well. We just have to keep him that way until a week on Saturday. He galloped yesterday and just did a couple of canters today. That is standard stuff. We will keep working him. We have a routine and we will keep to that.

“We might back off him a little bit a couple of days before Aintree, but we would do that for any race just to freshen him up.

“We have three more gallops to get into him before Aintree, two proper ones and a little sharpener. It is a case of keeping all the wheels on.”

He added: “It is one of the fine lines you have to thread. There is no point going there three parts ready. You have to 100% and you have to work them as if there won’t be any problems and if there are you hope to have understanding owners which we have with Mr Hemmings who knows the job inside out. If you are trying to get a horse fit to win a Grand National they have got to be ready for it.”

Cloudy Lane was sent off the 7-1 co-favourite two years ago and finished a respectable sixth behind Comply Or Die McCain, though was more disappointed about last year’s mishap.

He said: “He was favourite two years ago and went back last year but unseated at the Chair.

“It was bad luck last year. It was pleasing the way he travelled last year. When he was favourite he never travelled with the same zest and never jumped as well as he can. He was barely out of the novice stage so whether that had something to do with it I am not sure.

“Last year he was travelling like a different horse and was a different horse going down to the Chair. He has had a good preparation and he will be going back there with a really good each-way squeak.

“Things can happen at Aintree. It is more than likely you won’t get things to happen your way and that is part and parcel of the race. But on the day when things go well and you get a bit of luck if you have got the right horse there you can run a massive race.”

He believes he has the right horse in Cloudy Lane, who has won 10 times in 30 career starts including big wins at Cheltenham and Haydock.

He hasn’t got his head in front since landing the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock 18 months ago but he finished fourth in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster last time. McCain feels he is as good as ever, saying: “His form is the same as last year. He has not done anything different, I just think the handicapper’s got him.

“I thought he ran a screamer in the Grimthorpe the other week. He jumped beautifully, travelled well and galloped all the way to the line, which is important. He wasn’t stopping, he was finishing and finishing well. They went a hell of a gallop. I think the winner had 10st and we had top weight. He ran a massive race. A great Grand National trial.

“His run over hurdles at Haydock showed he still has loads of ability. This season has been geared completely about going back to Aintree and we are thoroughly looking forward to it.”

McCain has a seasonal best total of 75 winners so far including two at Cheltenham and he added: “The year has been fantastic. We beat last year’s total and had a couple of Cheltenham winners plus a couple of Grade Twos. So to win a Grand National would be unbelievable. Things can’t go that well, can they?”

McCain used to get nervous ahead of the Grand National, but now he has horses of better quality and quantity he is a bit more relaxed.

He said: “I am not nervous now. When Amberleigh House went we had one good horse. Our whole season was geared around one day. I am not being flippant but we have got some really nice horses now and it has been a good year.

“We have got a couple of Cheltenham winners. It takes a bit of the pressure off. Not that we are trying any less to win a Grand National, but at the time of Amberleigh House we were relying on one horse on one day. It didn’t mean more it just put us under more pressure.”

McCain expects to have a team of half a dozen, but as well Cloudy Lane his two Cheltenham winners – the exciting Peddlers Cross and Ballabriggs – could spearhead it.

McCain said: “Peddlers Cross goes for the two and a half miler.

“As we stand at the moment Ballabriggs is a possible in the Topham. Nothing is certain with him yet. He had a hard race at Cheltenham and we will see how he is. Always Bold will go in the one of the handicaps, Predictive will run in either the three-mile Novice or the handicap. There is a handful that will go there with good each-way chances.”