by Nick Lillitos

They own the Grand National favourite - but a Kent banker and his wife were left disappointed after today's big race.

Aptly-named Rich and Susannah Ricci stood to pocket a cool £550,000 prize money if their nag The Midnight Club came home, but they watched it trail in sixth place.

Ballabriggs, ridden by Jason Maguire, romped home in first.

Mr Ricci, who's one of Britain's richest bankers, and his wife live in Borough Green.

Earlier this month media shy Mr Ricci hit the headlines after pocketing a nice little earner - £44 million in pay, bonuses and shares.

The couple live in a sumptous £1 million 18th century mansion, a 5,000 sq ft property in the heart of Borough Green.

Mr Ricci, 47, is co-chief executive of Barclays Capital. He made his name with the bank after taking over the integration of Lehman Brother's North American business in the wake of that bank filing for bankruptcy.

The American born banker has a degree in finance which he gained in Nebraska before going to work at Bank of Boston, and the Bank of England.

A source who knows him has described him as being a "very low key man who guards his privacy".

In Borough Green, he and his wife live in a mansion that has five reception rooms, seven bedrooms, an outdoor swimming pool and two games rooms.

He is said to prefer watching the race alone on the track as a way of calming his nerves.