O'Leary's National Own Goal

Michael O'Leary scored an Aintree Grand National hat-trick on Saturday and followed up a day later with an own-goal by announcing reluctance to allow his wonderful superstar Tiger Roll a shot at a historic National hat-trick of his own.

O'Leary, also an Aintree winner with Rule The World in 2016, gave an indication of that reluctance immediately after Saturday's race when replying "probably not" to queries about Tiger Roll going for an unprecedented three in a row in 2020.

No doubt it was taken with dollops of salt. Many perhaps suspected some subliminal plea to the handicapper for leniency.

In the 172 year history of the race just six horses have won the National back to back. No horse has won it three times in a row. Only the legendary Red Rum won it three times in all. There's history on the line here. But on Sunday O'Leary doubled-down.

"It's very unlikely that he'll come back and run in it again next year. He will be carrying topweight, he's a small horse and every time he runs now I get nervous - I'd hate for anything unfortunate to happen to him while he's racing.

"For his sake and for the sake of the race I really wouldn't want to bring him back shouldering huge lumps of weight. There's no reason to emulate Red Rum Rum's feat. Red Rum saved the Grand National and put it back on the map at a time when it was struggling.

"Tiger Roll isn't Red Rum - he's Tiger Roll - and I feel no pressure to go back and try and win a third time. There's huge public affection for him and I think we're duty-bound to mind him now.

"His main target this year was the Cross-Country in Cheltenham and I think that will probably be his main target again next year.

"I would be strongly of the view that if he was to win the Cross-Country in Cheltenham next year for a third time, which would be his fifth win in Cheltenham, I would see no reason not to retire him at that point in time and let him go out on a high," he told Racing TV.

At this point it's important to point out the usual terms and conditions as to how O'Leary is entitled to do whatever he likes with his own horse. Sentimental statements about stars being public property are always best accompanied by several shovelfuls of salt.

Tiger Roll is O'Leary's to do with as he pleases even if in sporting terms the idea of retiring after Cheltenham feels like anything but a high, more akin instead to the Dublin football team calling it a day after winning the semi-final this summer and not bothering with any drive for five.

Much more important though is that implicit in the Ryanair boss's comments is the suggestion that asking Tiger Roll to run in the National again is too risky a proposition.

He has no problem with running him in the Cross-Country at Cheltenham. But the Aintree challenge is apparently too great now that the public have latched onto this wonderful horse so enthusiastically. Then there's the point about it being for the sake of the race, an acknowledgement perhaps of how public scrutiny can be a two-edge sword.

But if the National is a fair and valid challenge in the first place, as everyone in racing agrees it is, then surely neither sentiment nor a public profile should preclude a horse from being presented with it.

If tackling the famous fences is a reasonable proposition for every other horse why should there be a duty to 'mind' the National's supreme modern-day exponent just because he's high-profile. It's either a fair test or it isn't. And O'Leary's comments suggest it might not be.

That may be a result of the noblest intentions. Tiger Roll certainly seems to have got under the skin of the otherwise famously unsentimental businessman. But sentimentality on this occasion is wide open to being pounced upon by opponents of the National as evidence of double-standards.

It's needless too because O'Leary's wrong. Saturday's race was actually confirmation of how the National is no more dangerous than any other steeplechase these days, notwithstanding Up For Review's sad fate when brought down at the first fence. The fact remains that was the first National fatality since 2012. Statistically the Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham must be more risky.

Even a cursory look back at Saturday's race, and some of the jumping errors made, indicate the National fences aren't in the same hemisphere as when Red Rum was carving out his legend. Magic Of Light's effort at the Chair was a notable example. The fact she didn't come down, and that Paddy Kennedy was able to stay on board, confirms how the nature of the race has altered for good.

As for weight fears for the diminutive Tiger Roll, topweight in the National is now 11.10. That's just 5lbs more than he carried on Saturday. Red Rum was perhaps even smaller, faced a much more severe jumping challenge, and even as a veteran 12 year old carried 11.8 to success in that famous 1977 race.

That third National earned Red Rum sporting immortality. Even he couldn't win three-in-row however. It may be a very different National in terms of jumping but in terms of depth and quality it is also a very different beast. For Tiger Roll to win it with such authority, and never looking anything but a likely winner, makes him true National legend.

It's in such a context that not giving him a shot at becoming perhaps the ultimate Aintree champion looks a sporting mistake. He had more than 5lbs in hand on Saturday. In fact on a handicap basis he looked like a top-quality performer to an extent Red Rum never was. And he appears to be getting better all the time. In figures terms it can be argued Tiger Roll is now Gold Cup standard.

A tilt at steeplechasing's 'Blue Riband' is very unlikely. But if there are fears about Tiger Roll taking a shot at sporting immortality, and consequently not lining up in next year's National, then there should be far more about what that says about the sport's most famous showpiece.

Because opponents will inevitably ask why, if it's too risky for Tiger Roll, should it be acceptable for any other horse.

The National has to be able to stand over what it does. It's appeal was all over peak viewing figures of 9.6 million on ITV. It's lure is still huge and it is still racing's greatest shop-window. Imagine if Tiger Roll does line up after all back at Aintree next year just how captivating and all-consuming a sporting story that will be to tell.

All sorts of fates have to align for that opportunity to occur. But if they do, for the sake of the race, Tiger Roll should get his shot at an unprecedented three-in-a-row. Because if you can't be brave with a horse like this then when can you be brave. More importantly if you can't stand over the National challenge with this horse it begs the question why not?