The 33-1 shot Rule The World, ridden by 19-year-old David Mullins and trained by Mouse Morris, has won the 2016 Grand National at Aintree.
Mullins, in his first ride in the race, came storming through to overhaul The Last Samuri (8-1 joint favourite) and Vics Canvas (100-1) late on.
David Mullins Rules The World!
It gave Morris a double after Rogue Angel’s Irish National win last month.
Last year’s winner Many Clouds challenged but was beaten a long way out and finished 16th and last.
Gilgamboa (28-1) was fourth with Goonyella (12-1) fifth.
The nine-year-old winner, owned by the Gigginstown House Stud headed by airline boss Michael O’Leary, had never claimed a victory over fences before.
And it was a sweet success for all concerned, including Morris, who has had a difficult 12 months after his son Christopher died in an accident in Argentina last summer.
“This is just magic,” he told BBC Radio 5 live afterwards. “I’ve got great friends who stood by me and helped.
David Mullins on ‘magical’ Grand National win
“I’d have settled for third at the Elbow but he ran on like a train. He has broken his pelvis in two falls and before that he was one of the best horses I ever had.”
Mullins, the nephew of trainer Willie Mullins, described his experience as “special and magic”.
“It was just amazing. I’ve never had a feeling like this and it all went to plan,” he added.
“To get the call to ride this horse was amazing. The fact that it is his first win over fences is more amazing than me winning on my first time around.”
Heavy rain fell at the Liverpool track on Saturday afternoon, which led to softer and more testing conditions for the 39 runners with only 16 managing to get around the four miles and two furlongs course, but all horses and jockeys returned safely.
BBC horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght said:
“Aintree wouldn’t be Aintree without an old-fashioned Grand National fairytale, and this was a big one.
“For the trainer, who’d lost his son in tragic circumstances and who’s now won two Nationals in 12 days, this time with a horse which had never previously won a steeplechase.
“And, as if that wasn’t enough, on board was a mud-splattered teenager having his first mount in the race, riding in owner’s silks carried to a string of recent big-race success.
“And what about the race: lots of drama, plenty of finishers, no welfare issues. A grand National.”
O’Leary also won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham last month with Don Cossack and said: “This is the cream on top.
“I don’t know what to feel, I’m numb. I thought I had no chance in it.
“I wanted to win a Gold Cup and it was beyond dreams that I could win a Grand National.
“To win a Gold Cup, Irish National and Grand National in one year – I think I should stop, it’s not going to get any better than this.”
Leighton Aspell, the jockey of Many Clouds, was at a loss to explain his mount’s performance.
“He took a bit of time to warm up but when he did he jumped superbly,” he said.
“Then after the Canal Turn on the second circuit he made a couple of jumps that weren’t like him and from the third last he was a beaten horse.”
Despite finishing second, trainer Kim Bailey was proud of the display of The Last Samuri, who is only eight.
“Nothing is over until they cross the line, the horse tried his heart out and he jumped for fun,” he said.
“It’s the longest run-in you can possibly imagine. I was standing here screaming – my voice has gone. We’ve beaten the third horse, but another horse has come on the outside from nowhere.
“I’m just so proud. We’ll do it all over again next year 12lb worse off.”
www.bbc.com
