TWO-TIME Grand National winner Tiger Roll will only run twice this season before bidding to become the first horse in history to win the £1m race for a third consecutive year.

Trainer Gordon Elliott confirmed that the nine-year-old Tiger Roll is being aimed at the prestigious Aintree event on Saturday, April 4, 2020 with top jockey Davy Russell named as the man who will partner him again.

In an interview with Aintree Racecourse, Elliott said: "It is great to see him back, doing a bit of work again. He has had a nice couple of months of summer holidays.

"He went back to Gigginstown obviously.

"He was probably out there and had about 10-12 weeks out on grass. He hasn't had a saddle on him since Aintree and the National but he has done a few parades and had a few good days out, which is great.

"I have seen him a couple of times during the summer at Gigginstown and he was good and strong, and I have seen him when he was here for a while before he went off to do his flat work and he looked good.

"He will probably do three or four weeks of flat work before he comes back to us in the main yard here.

"Obviously he won't be that busy this year. We are going to have to mind him now and pick and choose where we go.

"He will probably have one run over hurdles, maybe something like the Boyne Hurdle (Navan, February) again. He will go back to Cheltenham (March) for the Cross Country race and then we'll go for the Randox Health Grand National."

In April, Tiger Roll emulated the legendary Red Rum to win the world's greatest steeplechase back-to-back but will now not set foot on a racecourse until the New Year.

Elliott explained: "You don't really realise how much the horse meant to everyone. You see all the kids and all the different people who came to the yard.

"You don't really appreciate it when you are in the bubble yourself.

"You don't realise how much of a thing there is about this horse, you know? It's only after when you sit back and you watch the videos and read all the paper clippings, people have really got to like him.

"You know, he has got a great name, Tiger Roll, and he's got a great heart. He has obviously won at four Cheltenham Festivals and to win two Randox Health Grand Nationals has been unbelievable.

"Everyone who comes into the yard, there's only one horse they want to see and that is Tiger Roll. He's a people's horse now and we are very lucky to have him.

"Red Rum was before my time but you've seen the videos and heard all about him.

"He was an amazing horse and to be in the same league as him is unbelievable."

Elliott believes Tiger Roll has improved as a horse and says he could have a fantastic chance to make history.

He added: "I suppose last year (2018) we thought he would hose up until the last 50 yards and he just nearly got caught.

"I was still confident when he had got past the line last year that he had won but, until they call the result, you never know.

"This year was probably easier to watch.

"He travelled and jumped and did everything right. You know, it's a funny thing to say but he was arguably a better horse this year than he was last year.

"I think the build up to the English National this season is going to be unbelievable.

"The hype - people are talking about him already. Whether he wins, loses or draws if he gets back there to have a go at three in a row it's going to be great. The hype is going to be brilliant."

Tickets for the 2020 Randox Health Grand National are available to buy now via https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/aintree/events-tickets/grand-national/