RACING legend Ginger McCain was thrust firmly back into limelight after becoming only the second trainer in history to secure four Grand National victories.

At 73, the grandfather-of-four looked the picture of health yesterday morning at a champagne reception to honour race winner Amberleigh House at McCain's Bank House home, in Cholmondeley, near Malpas, in Cheshire.

Recalling the race he told reporters: "It was just so very, very satisfying", then laughed as the guest of honour stood on his foot.

Friends and family gathered to welcome the winner home and congratulate the trainer, almost three decades after his famous third Grand National win with Red Rum in 1977.

A sign handpainted by a neighbour's daughter on the gate to the estate, owned by the Marquis of Cholmondeley, read: "Welcome home champion Amberleigh. I love you, Charlotte."

Also at the gathering was the horse's triumphant owner, John Halewood, managing director of Huyton drinks firm Halewood International, who told the Daily Post: "It just doesn't get any better than this.

"I've owned horses for 20 years now and this is a dream come true for me. All I've ever wanted to do is win the National.

"I'm so proud that we've done it here, because Aintree is fantastic, and the people of Liverpool are fantastic.

"The National has come home to Liverpool, and we have won it - what a performance!"

The win marks the culmination of an ambitious project that began in 2000, when Halewood bought Amberleigh House on McCain's advice.

Yesterday, the former Southport trainer said he had always known the horse had Grand National winner potential and was confident of a top three placing on Saturday.

But he admitted he had not actually seen the horse reach the finish line - because a friend had pulled his hat over his eyes.

He told the Daily Post: "It was one of the greatest moments of my life, it was just like going to bed with my wife for the first time.

"Aintree is just magic, it's being a bit greedy to think we can go back there again.

"But if you are lucky enough, you can do it - I say luck, because if we had had the rain on Friday that we had last night, there is no way we would have won that race.

"I was always confident this horse could do it, but as they lined up to go I noticed how short he was - his backside was six inches lower than the other horses.

"I thought it's not fair to ask such a little horse to do such a big job, but he was very professional and he pulled it off."

Praising jockey Graham Lee, an Everton FC fanatic, the trainer said: "He gave it an absolutely sparkling ride, and an intelligent ride at that."

With the hint of a tear in his eye, he added: "I had a chat with Red Rum yesterday and I asked him what he thought of Amberleigh's performance.

"He told me, 'Let him do it twice more and then come back and I'll tell you'."

Despite the quality of Amberleigh's win, McCain said the horse would not be following in Red Rum's footsteps on a tour of local nightclubs.

"Amberleigh is very confident but Red Rum was unique in that sometimes he did things that you could never ask any other racehorse to do. He was a very exciting horse.

"I don't want to compare them in any way, shape or form, because they are two completely different horses and all four wins were wonderful days, and very special in their own right."

He vowed that he would not be retiring, and said: "There is no question about it, we'll definitely be back next year for the Becher and the National.

"At the end of the day I'm just an old taxi driver who's had some very lucky breaks."

Mr Halewood, who lives in Southport with wife Judy and four-year-old son Adam, owns around 20 horses - including Kelami, which also ran in this year's National.

As for Amberleigh House, he said: "I would have liked to have retired him now - but I think the trainer will have the last word on that one."

McCain, who won the National with Red Rum in 1973, 1974 and 1977, was in tears after the race on Saturday.

While he later went on to enjoy a quiet reception at his local pub - the Bickerton Poacher - Mr Halewood went to a party for 200 trainers, owners and jockeys, hosted by Liverpool City Council at the Radisson SAS hotel on Old Hall Street.

The party, also attended by Mr Halewood's friend and neighbour Kenny Dalglish, was the first time Liverpool has officially recognised the benefit the Grand National brings to the region.

McCain's wife, Beryl, told the Daily Post the win proved those who doubted her husband's abilities wrong.

She said: "Since Red Rum, everybody comes and asks our advice about training, but people haven't brought the right horses to us.

"Of course we knew Donald was capable of training another National winner, but he can only do it if he's given the quality material. You have to have the right horse with the right attitude. They have got to love the competition, and Amberleigh loves it - he's a very 'big' little horse."

McCain's daughter, Joanne Mitchell, was at the house with her two young children as the party gathered to watch a re-run of the race on a portable television set up on a chair in the garden.

She told the Daily Post: "It's just been an absolutely fantastic weekend. My brother Donald (Ginger's son and assistant trainer) just couldn't stop crying yesterday."

Mr Halewood's wife, Judy, who once trained horses for a living but now helps run the family drinks firm, said: "We are absolutely over the moon. All John has ever wanted to do is win the National and now he has, it's just fantastic.

"John has been on the phone to Ginger every day and they'll talk for hours - he rings him up at the most peculiar times, so it has been quite stressful. But he told me in the car on the way here - whatever Ginger wants, I'll let him do."