TIGER FEAT
Russell admits Grand National was the one he always wanted
DAVY RUSSELL continued a glorious autumn to his career by steering Tiger Roll to a thrilling victory in the Aintree Grand National.
The 38-year-old secured a narrow success in the world’s most famous steeplechase aboard Gordon Elliott’s Gigginstown-owned runner. Russell said: ‘I came here thinking I was just going to go down the middle and to hell with everyone else. This is the race.
‘As a kid, when you got the first cut of grass, we always used to gather the cuttings and pretend they were Grand National fences. It was the only time I liked collecting the cuttings, but all those people saying this is my first National – I’ve won it thousands of times in my head!’
THE Grand National, supposed to be the most unpredictable race in the world, ultimately ended with a predictable outcome — a winner trained in Ireland.
The pulsating final strides of the four-and-a-quarter-mile contest saw 10-1 shot Tiger Roll, his petrol tank perilously close to empty, clinging on for success by a head from Pleasant Company.
It was a result which was a microcosm of the current balance of power in European racing.
Ireland is the powerhouse of racing. It has dominated the last two Cheltenham Festivals thanks largely to two trainers, Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins, trainers of yesterday’s one-two.
Tiger Roll, who landed his third win at the Cheltenham Festival last month, was a second winner in the National for Elliott, who was successful in 2007 with Silver Birch, and also a second success in three years for owner Michael O’Leary, the boss of Ryanair who won with Rule The World in 2016.
Extending the Irish domination, in third was Elliott-trained Bless The Wing and fourth Anibale Fly, trained by his countryman Tony Martin. That left the Bryony Frostridden Milansbar, who was 32 lengths behind in fifth after racing prominently throughout, as the first British horse home. Seven of the first 10 were Irish trained.
Those are the bare facts of a result but the Grand National rarely ends with a clinical, unemotional outcome and it didn’t this time.
Because undoubtedly the star of yesterday’s show was jockey Davy Russell, the oldest rider in the race at 38.
Russell had dreamed of winning the Grand National as a child, being brought up in County Cork, and he finally managed to achieve his ambition a few weeks after the death of his mother Phyllis.
Russell, who briefly lost a stirrup at the 19th fence and said he feared he had hit the front too soon after leading two fences out, admitted: ‘Tiger Roll really did tire on me.
‘But he was so brave. I did have a big fear I had been beaten. That would have been heart-breaking. There would probably have been no consoling that one.
‘He winged the last and I didn’t really get stuck into him until after the Elbow. I just had enough to get home.
‘I was thinking of Pat Smullen [Russell’s Flat jockey colleague recently diagnosed with a tumour] and I was thinking of my mum, my family at home, the kids and all the times that dad used to cut the grass. ‘This was the only time of the year that I enjoyed picking it up because we would make our own Aintree fences around the garden. ‘I’ve won this race thousands of times but I’ve never won it like I have today. ‘You watch it on television from a very young age and you say “Wow, look at those men, they’re the best in the world”.’ That Russell could join them was, in part, down to a grounding on a £270 pony called Thunder, on whom Russell used to win those first childhood imaginary Nationals. The jockey added: ‘He was the worst in the world but taught me how to sit tight. He’d duck and dive and see a race out.’ Before yesterday’s race Russell, whose best previous placing was third on Saint Are last year, had had a reminder that time might be running out. The jockey, who won the 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Lord Windermere and was top jockey at this year’s Cheltenham Festival with four winners, explained: ‘I was walking to the start and the commentator said I was the oldest rider in the race. I was thinking jokingly, “Jeez, will this be my last time riding in it?” ’
Trainer Elliott, the 40-year-old whose rise through the Irish ranks in the last 10 years has been nothing short of remarkable, said winning second time around was better.
Elliott said: ‘I didn’t appreciate the first time. I’m definitely going to appreciate it now. Tiger Roll is an unbelievable horse.’
While owner O’Leary added: ‘It’s a great day for Davy and a great day for Gordon. Tiger Roll is extraordinary. I didn’t think he’d handle those fences because he’s so small but he has a master trainer.
‘It was pretty close at the finish. We were celebrating at the Elbow and then at the line we were panicking. It was pretty close.’
O’Leary was not the only one worried. The near six-length lead of Tiger Roll was all but eroded by the David Mullins-ridden Pleasant Company, who had made a bad mistake at Valentine’s last year when still going well.