ELLIOTT’S LUCKY 13
Less fancied of Gordon’s runners hits jackpot
GORDON ELLIOTT enjoyed another landmark afternoon in his training career as General Principle gave him a first Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on the same day he notched up his 200th winner of the season at Cork.
Elliott enjoyed a stellar Cheltenham Festival last month, winning no fewer than eight races, and 20-1 shot General Principle kept up the good work as he emerged best of the handler’s 13 runners in a dramatic race.
AMID the mudspattered silks, the rising breath of man and beast, there was uncertainty and nerves beyond the finishing post at Fairyhouse.
‘Who won?’ asked Davy Russell on Dounikos. ‘Was it Willie’s or Gordon’s?’
No one could say with conviction for the longest of Irish Grand Nationals, spanning more than nine minutes, had ended in the tightest of finishes involving five horses — a triumph for the handicapper.
A horse’s blanket would have covered the quintet, two of which were involved in the photo to decide the €270,000 first prize, General Principle (20/1) and Isleofhopendreams (16/1).
As the public address crackled into life, JJ Slevin on General Principle, double-checked his soiled number-cloth. He was on 18 — and his number came up, he’d won by a head.
A few yards away, Gordon Elliott punched both arms to the leaden skies and let rip with a wail of joy and relief for the National is one race he has coveted more than any other.
The County Meath trainer aimed 13 arrows at the bull yesterday, aware that strength-sapping conditions would eliminate most of the field, which it did.
Over three miles and five furlongs, this war of attrition whittled away at the weak and left only eight standing. Of those, any one of six were in contention jumping the last.
Perhaps ‘jumping’ was overstating it, for some of them were so shattered they barely clambered over the birch.
The front-running Bellshill, magnificent under 11st 6lbs, staggered sideways at the fence like a drunkard trying to negotiate the garden wall after a late night.
He blocked Arkwrisht who in turn, impeded the luckless Folsom Blue, carrying the euro of An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.
From somewhere, Bellshill was galvanised by David Mullins for one last effort but on his inside, cousin Danny slipped through on Isleofhopendreams to snatch what seemed a decisive lead.
For a few yards, it seemed as if Willie Mullins would top a Grade Two treble with a National breakthrough but then, from the gathering gloom, a red-capped Gigginstown House runner appeared under a driving Slevin surging between Isleofhopendreams and Bellshill. It was General Principle, fifth last year, running the race of his life.
On the outside, Forever Gold was staying on dourly, and alongside him, Folsom Blue had picked up again under Robbie Power and was going the fastest of all.
‘But for the interference at the last, I’d have won or been beaten a short head,’ said Power after Folsom Blue was bumped up to fourth and Bellshill relegated to fifth following a stewards’ inquiry.
The fab five chargers sluiced past the post in a blur, separated by less than a length and a half — there hadn’t been a finish like it at Fairyhouse in years.
Slevin, a 25-year-old from Enniscorthy, had to pinch himself afterwards. Asked at what point he thought he might have won, he grinned. ‘At the line, not once before.’
‘When Arkwrisht passed me down the back, he was going so well I thought he’d win. I was riding my fellow to finish the race and didn’t go for him until the back of the last fence. This is unbelievable.’
This was the fourth National win in 10 years for Gigginstown House, and one of the most improbable. ‘JJ gave him a great ride because he [General Principle] had no chance,’ said Eddie O’Leary.
For Elliott, this was his latest head-bobber over Mullins following their Cheltenham Festival scrap last month. This huge prize was his 199th of the season — he finished the day on 201— and will help his quest for a first Irish trainer’s title.
‘I was at the last [fence] and could see Folsom Blue coming but he got mowed out if it. Then I saw a red cap coming fast to the line. I didn’t know he got there. ‘This is great for the owners, the yard, for JJ, for me, as there was a lot of pressure coming here. It’s a big relief,’ he said.