Angel wings in for Morris after year of tragedy
FRONT-RUNNING Rogue Angel dug deep to land an emotional Irish National victory for trainer Mouse Morris at Fairyhouse yesterday.
Morris, who also trained fourth home Folsom Blue, won the race as a jockey on board Billycan in 1977 and trained his first winner of the race in 2008 with Hear The Echo.
But the County Tipperary trainer said the short-head victory of Ger Fox- ridden Rogue Angel, who looked sure to be swallowed up by Ruby Walsh on Bless The Wings, topped the lot after the 12 months he has endured.
In June, Morris’s son Christopher, known as Tiffer, died while travelling i n South America in a case of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. Twelve month earlier, Morris had just missed out in the Irish National when his runners Rule The World and Band Of Blood were second and fourth respectively behind winner Thunder And Roses, who was pulled up yesterday.
Morris said: ‘This is better because of the year it has been. It’s unbelievable.
‘Tiffer was looking down on me. He helped me there. That’s just special. Last year I had two in it jumping the last and didn’t win it. I thought, “Here we go again”.
‘I gave Ger no instructions. He knew the horse as he won a Kerry National on him, so t here was no need f or instructions.’
Rogue Angel had led from the third fence and produced a fine round of jumping with Fox kicking him three lengths clear off the home turn.
All the time, Walsh was closing on Gordon Elliott-trained Bless The Wings. He looked to have timed his run to perfec- tion as the pair jumped to the front at the final fence.
But rather than give way, Fox conjured one last thrust from eight-year- old Rogue Angel, who unseated Nina Carberry in last year’s Irish National.
Elsewhere there was British success, with Dan Skelton-trained Value At Risk, ridden by brother Harry, the lengthand-a-half winner of the Grade Two Keelings Irish Strawberry Hurdle, while Kim Baileytrained Emily Gray landed the John and Chich Fowler Memorial Mares’ Chase.