Maggs O’toole

Bloodstock agent

An ex-flat horse who had only had one run over hurdles would not really be the sort of horse Gigginstown would go for, but it was a season when they did not have a three-year-old hurdler for the Triumph, and that is why he fell into the basket.

He also was not a typical Gigginstown horse in that he is quite small, which has been well documented, but he had won his only start, he jumped well and had no mileage on the clock. He was a

very good-looking horse with a great action and that is the sort Eddie O’leary [Gigginstown racing manager] would always head for.

We never thought at the time: “Why don’t we buy him, he’ll be a National horse one day.” Hindsight is a very precise science isn’t it? He has looked after everybody all his life, that little horse.

Nigel Hawke bought him for 10 and took 80 that night, and that is a pretty good return for any horse. We bought him for 80 and when he won the Triumph we thought he had repaid us 10 times over doing that, not knowing we were really only just starting out with him. I adore him – how could you not? He is a feisty little fellow. I would not be around the yard a lot but he lets you know when he is in good humour or not because he will kick out or put his ears back.

There is a good bit of fight in him, you could see that at the end of last year’s National. I think in the Cross-country last year he thought: “These fences are different,” and when he got to Aintree I think he thought: “This is good fun.” He is a marvellous, marvellous horse.