TIGER ROLL, THE smallest horse in the field, was described as having the “heart of a lion” after winning the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday in a thrilling finish.
Tiger Roll — giving jockey Davy Russell his first win in 14 attempts — had to hold off an unbelievable late surge from fellow Irish raider Pleasant Company to take victory.
Tiger Roll, owned by Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary, gave trainer Gordon Elliott his second win in the race having won it in 2007 with Silver Birch.
Russell, who was once sacked by O’Leary, lost his mother recently but his thoughts were for champion flat jockey Pat Smullen, who has been diagnosed with a tumour.
“This one’s for Pat Smullen,” said 38-year-old Russell. “He’s tough as nails.”
O’Leary won the Grand National with Rule The World in 2016 in equally emotional circumstances after trainer Mouse Morris had lost his son earlier that year.
“This horse is small but he has the heart of a lion,” said O’Leary. “He is extraordinary but he has a master trainer in Gordon.”
Elliott also trained third-place Bless The Wings, while the Irish completed a cleansweep of the top four with Anibale Fly.
There was to be no historic win for any of the three women jockeys in the race, the more fancied Katie Walsh on Baie des Iles never really featured while Bryony Frost finished fifth on Milansbar.
Race favourite Total Recall made a shocking error at the third and again later on the first circuit to lose any chance of winning leaving it to his unfancied Willie Mullins’ stablemate Pleasant Company to nearly pull off a remarkable victory.
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