The Winner
Silver Birch
Silver Birch has won the world’s greatest steeplechase in very good style today.
He only made one mistake in his race today and that was at Bechers where he pecked on landing.
Silver Birch was kept in a good position in the race right up until 3 from home when his jockey got him to close on the leaders He stayed with the leader Slim Pickings until they got to the last where he jumped into the lead. He then opened up a good lead but in the closing stages he held on from a renewed challenge from Slim Pickings and Mckelvey.
In winning this race he added to his Becher chase win at this course and over these fences and also his Welsh National win at Chepstow in 2004, which incidentally was the last time he won.
This horse who has had leg trouble is now back to his best. Helped no doubt today by the soft conditions, this horse is a stayer in the classic sense and has improved today to this his greatest victory.
Gordon Elliot
A young trainer with what now looks like a promising future. At 29 years old he has done something that many trainers never get to do in their career, win The Grand National.
Last season he only had a handful of runners and this year he claims one of the most prestigious races.
Gordon is an Irish trainer, who trains in Kilmessan, Co. Meath and is upholding the Irish strangle hold on this race. He had Silver Birch tuned to perfection for this race after getting the horse when he was sold out of the Paul Nicholls yard for a reported 20,000 gns. The horse had been suffering with leg problems and it would be a great achievement for any trainer to get this horse to run well again but to have him fit, fresh and prepared for such a marathon shows a good natural talent. He is sure to get more training opportunities now and could be a trainer to follow in the future.
R M Power
Robbie Power is a young Irish jockey who seems to get plenty of rides and perhaps most of them are not what one would say have favorites chances. With 300 rides to his name so far this season, he has plenty of experience and rode today with the confidence of a much older more experienced jockey. He has shown today that when he gets the right horse he can do the business.
He should now get plenty more rides and perhaps on better horses and should go from strength to strength after today’s efforts.
Second Place
Mckelvey
Mckelvey did little wrong today and ran a fine race to finish second. He did not get away at the start of the race very well but stayed out of trouble and gradually made his way through the field. At the last fence he was in third position but stayed on well and was full of running when he won his second place just yards from the line. Another horse like the winner who has had his training problems. He has suffered from back problems for some time now but his connections did say before the race that he was now over them and you might think his second here confirms this but unfortunately it appears that the horse had broken down in the race so his 2nd position is even more remarkable.
A previous winner of the summer National this horse is another who is an out and out stayer and when he is on song like today he looks a real force in this type of race.
Nothing can take his great run in the race away from him but we all hope that he will fully recover and come back.
Peter Bowen
Peter Bowen one of the best trainers to come out of Wales, he trains in Little Newcastle in Pembrokeshire in south west Wales.
Peter has plenty of runners and does well at his ”local” course in Chepstow as well as at many of the other meetings around the country.
314 runners last year with a strike rate of 13% and nearer 20% this season stands out for itself.
Peter has done very well with this horse who as mentioned above has had his training problems. To get him to put up such a good performance in the race is a real credit to his understanding and professionalism. He also had another good runner in the race today, Ballycassidy who unfortunately did not get round.
T J O'Brien
T J O'BRIEN a good young rider who gets plenty of rides from Peter Bowen and who is also second jockey in the Philip Hobbs stable.
The name O’Brian is well known in racing and Tom is well connected as his uncle is the great racehorse trainer Aiden O’ Brian.
Tom is a past champion novice point-to-point rider and has all the credentials to make it to the top.
He gave this horse a great ride today and especially when things at the start did not go well for him. However he did not panic and gave the horse a great chance to get back into the race and he was going the best of all of the finishers at the end of the race.
He is sure to get more good rides in the near future and with a strike rate of around 20% could be a jockey to follow.
Third Place
Slim Pickings
Slim Pickings ran the race of his life today. Always running with vigor he was in mid division for much of the race but when it came to the business end he showed what a good horse he is. He started to get serious after the Canal Turn on the second circuit and was soon in front. At the third last he looked the likely winner. He was still in the lead on the approach to the last where he was out jumped for the lead. Although a little one paced he did stay on and was unlucky to loose second place on the line. At only 8 this was a great performance and as he has now shown a liking for the course he should be a regular visitor here.
T J Taaffe
T J Taaffe from Straffan, Co Kildar is a well respected successful Irish trainer.
He has many good horses under his charge with the likes of Kicking King and Tumbling Dice.
He had the horse to the peak of its fitness today and the horse did him proud.
As much of his horses run in Ireland he does not have many winners or runners in the UK but when he does come here he is well respected. His best win here was in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Kicking King
Barry GeraghtyFourth Place
Philson Run
Philson Run is a horse who ran much better than expected today. It was a very fine performance in the ground. Although soft it may not have been soft enough for him. A confirmed long distance mudlark he ran with great credit today. He shrugged of being badly hampered at Valentine’s on the second circuit and although he never looked like winning this can not detract from a great performance. At 11 he will not get any better now and this race may prove to be his best Aintree effort but he did it like a good horse today.
Philson Run has only run 14 times due to injury problems and it gets one thinking how good he could have been had he stayed fit and well.
Nick Williams
Nick Williams is a chartered accountant, but also has a blooming career as a race horse trainer.
Another well respected trainer he did not enter this horse in this race as just another runner.
“Going for the National is certainly not just a whim, after he finished sixth in the Scottish National at Ayr last April, we decided to run. He’s only been out once this season but that was intentional” he explained before the race. And his plan worked out very well.
Nick does not have the horses of the bigger yards but still managed 11 wins and 23 places from 80 runs last season and this season he looks to be going even better.
Daryl Jacob
The son of a Wexford fisherman Daryl Jacob is rising through the ranks as a jockey.
He came to the notice when giving The Listener a great ride to win the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown. He is now a stable jockey with that winning yard of Robert Alner.
He gave the horse a great ride today staying cool when hampered at Valentines when behind the falling Simon.
He got the horse back into its stride again and after they had crossed the Anchor Bridge he was back with the leading pack. Unfortunately when the pace picked up at the last he horse did start to weaken but Daryl kept the horse up to his work and secured fourth place.
He will be seen much more this year for his stable and will need to do well with the stables second string as Andrew Thornton will get the pick of the rides.
I’m sure a good rider like him will get plenty of good spare rides like this one when not required by the stable. |
