'I used to eat absolutely zero' - Davy Russell reveals how boiled eggs propelled him to two Grand Nationals

It sounds like the set-up for a joke: 'What can you achieve on two boiled eggs and a cup of tea?'

Well, if you're Davy Russell, winning two Grand Nationals!

The former legend of the saddle and three-time champion jump jockey of Ireland gave an interview to BBC Radio 4 to promote his new book, titled My Autobiography, and discussed his constant battle with the scales.

For much of his career Russell would not eat at all until he finished racing. He said: "It was kind of like cold turkey. When my weight was allotted for the race then it was no food, sweat it out. Whether I was running, doing it in the bath or the sauna, anything from six to eight pounds.

"The problem with me was, once the races were over, I'd stop at McDonald's on the way home or have a bar of chocolate. I never sat down and ate what I should do."

Eventually Russell discovered a breakfast of two boiled eggs, and felt transformed.

"Later in my career it got an awful lot easier as I started eating breakfast, I started eating eggs and they were a huge part of my weight balancing out.

"A couple of boiled eggs in the morning compared to nothing, I used to eat absolutely zero from when I woke up in the morning until I finished riding. I'd very little energy in my system, I was getting cranky and fighting with different people. That was just bad management on my part and I'd have no-one else to blame but myself."

Davy Russell riding Tiger Roll (left) clear the last to win the Grand NationalCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Asked if that was all he consumed on those two biggest days of his career at Aintree, he responded: "Oh yeah, I had a couple of boiled eggs that morning and maybe a cup of tea when I got to the races, and then that's it. Maybe you'd have a little square of chocolate just to give you that little sugar kick when going out."

BBC Radio 4 then played Russell the audio of John Hunt's commentary of the closing stages of the two races and Russell added: "John plays such a role in the way he commentates on it and it's very emotional to listen back to it, it's hard to believe I was lucky enough to come across a horse like Tiger Roll and win two Grand Nationals.

"It's hard to separate them, they were both unbelievable feelings. The first had a lot going on with the tight finish, I tried to empty my mind of any thought as there was a lot of negativity in my head that I could have just thrown away the Grand National. What I was trying to do was empty my mind and be patient enough to wait for the result.

"I couldn't remember what number I was so the only way you know if you're the winner is you have to look down at your number. Everyone around me was telling me I'd held on, but I couldn't build myself up to feel like I'd won it to get that emptiness if I didn't, so I was just trying to keep in the middle somewhere."

Tiger Roll and Davy Russell beat Pleasant Company in a photo-finish for the 2018 Grand NationalCredit: Edward Whitaker

Russell also spoke about his most famous partner, upon whom he is pictured celebrating at Cheltenham on the book's front cover. He added: "He kind of knows when he's the centre of attention, he's a very intelligent horse.

"He'd bite you or he'd kick you, he may not kick you but he'd threaten to and if you stayed in that position for long enough he'd let you know you were in the wrong place. But then I could get my young lad Finn when he was three or four and throw him up on his back and he'd relax in and let Finn ride him around the place. I've some marvellous photos of Finn riding him around when he was a baby.

"He knows he's a celebrity but he's looked after like a king. And rightly so."

Read these next:

Find out who's in contention to run in the Paddy Power Gold Cup as well as the Greatwood Hurdle and Coral Gold Cup 

Odds-on Gerri Colombe could take on six including supplemented Hewick in Grade 1 Champion Chase on Saturday 

'Nico said he felt fantastic' - Nicky Henderson delighted as Constitution Hill enjoys morning gallop at Newbury 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.