RACEHORSE owner Fergus Wilson has turned down a £1m offer for his Grand National entrants.

The offer came from Hong Kong, but millionaire Wilson, of Boughton Monchelsea, did not even contemplate it. He will now have five runners in the big race after buying Wild Tempo, another French-bred horse.

Wild Tempo has won 14 times and amassed a total of £300,000 in prize money. He has a distinctive white face and four white legs.

Although the 152 entries will be reduced to 40 by the time of the race at Aintree on April 9, retired maths teacher Wilson is confident all five will run. "All are in the handicap," he said.

No French horse has ever won the race, but their chances should not be taken lightly.

Five times winner Solarius is the best priced of Wilson’s runners at 66-1 with the others all around the 100-1 mark, but the odds are sure to come down as the race approaches.

Wilson has had runners in the National in "some shape or form" since 1998, the best placed of which was Back Bar, who was 13th in 1999.

Wilson could complete a Grand National double for his Maidstone Monarch won the pigeon version in 1974. The pigeon event takes place at Pau in France and this year it is on July 1.

Wilson was a prop with Maidstone Rugby Club 30 years ago and all five will run in the red, white and black colours of the town club, whom he sponsors.

There could be another celebration for Wilson as four of the horses, Astonville, Solarius, Turnium and Present Bleu, are entered for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Blue Riband event of National Hunt racing, in March.

All five are trained by Michael and former champion jockey Peter Scudamore in the west country.