Jamie Robertson, the guitar teacher from Henfield, has been chosen as one of ten riders for the Aintree People's Race on Grand National Day next week.

From a shortlist of 15, whittled down from the original 3,500 applicants, Robertson travelled to Doncaster last weekend for the final selection process.

He said: "I'm relieved to have made the cut, having worked so hard and disciplined myself with a sportsman's diet for six weeks. I would have been mortified to be dropped at the last moment."

Robertson will ride six-year-old Super Sensation, trained at Woodingdean by Gary Moore, in the nine-furlong flat race which is the prelude to next Saturday's Grand National.

He went to Moore's yard near Brighton Racecourse this week to meet Super Sensation, a German-bred gelding who finished third over hurdles at Plumpton at the end of February.

He said: "He is the perfect horse for me and I had a very positive morning.

"Super Sensation has a bit of spark about him and it was an interesting experience to ride on gallops that undulate.

"Also, Gary's horses don't wear martingales so that balance becomes more crucial.

"Gary's daughter, Hayley, who is an experienced amateur, looked after me and she will sort out a saddle for the race. I'm feeling very positive about things as we go into the final build-up to Aintree."

Robertson, 28, who enjoyed Pony Club gymkhanas as a child, has never ridden competitively as an adult.

That is one of the conditions for next Saturday's riders but he has been riding out regularly during the past six weeks for Findon trainer Nick Gifford.

Gifford said: "Jamie is a very able rider. At first he was quite rusty and, being six-foot tall, not too tidy, but he has come on in leaps and bounds and now he doesn't look at all out of place in the string in comparison with the other lads and girls."

Robertson has been riding Give Me A Dime, who runs in the Aldaniti colours of Nick and Valda Embericos.

He said: "Give Me A Dime has been a super schoolmaster for me and I have been riding with short stirrup leathers on quite a small saddle so that when it comes to the day I will feel comfortable."

Robertson's commitment has been 100 per cent. He has reduced his weight from over 12st by more than 14lb and been doing core exercises for his back and stomach muscles every day for more than a month.

"I'm totally absorbed in this. I am not going to Aintree for a jolly hack round, to wave at people in the grandstand. I'm going there to ride a serious race and to win if I can."

Robertson and his mum, Tilly, who runs a livery stable, will fly to Liverpool on Friday and walk the course of the race which will be run on the hurdle track.

He said: "I'll also have an opportunity to walk round the Grand National course and see the famous fences as well - luckily there are no obstacles in our race and there is a good long run before we get to the first turn."

John Smith's, a division of Scottish and Newcastle breweries, who also sponsor the £3,500 Brighton Mile on April 29, are paying all expenses for the runners and riders and will make a substantial donation to the charity of each jockey's choice.

"I have chosen the Harefield Hospital in Middlesex where heart transplants were pioneered in the UK," Robertson said. "My stepdad was given an extra ten years of life by the surgeons at Harefield and it's marvellous to be able to make a contribution to the cause."