National Glory For Hedgehunter

Hedgehunter had Irish eyes smiling with a superb victory in the John Smith´s Grand National at a packed-to-the-rafters Aintree today. The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old suffered an agonising last-fence fall in the world´s greatest steeplechase 12 months ago, but the 7-1 favourite had no such problems in this year´s renewal.

Royal Auclair was a brave second, with Simply Gifted third and It Takes Time fourth.

It was a drama-packed race - and one to forget for champion jockey Tony McCoy, whose National curse continued in an unbelievable manner.

He was fairly tanking along in front on Clan Royal coming to Becher´s Brook the second time, only to be badly hampered by a loose horse, leaving McCoy on the floor.

All the while Hedgehunter was moving along on the inside under Ruby Walsh, who still had a double handful turning for home.

He powered clear at the elbow and was fully 14 lengths to the good at the famous finishing line.

Royal Auclair edged out Simply Gifted by a head for second.

Carrie Ford´s mount Forest Gunner ran a superb race to take fifth

Walsh, successful in the big race on Papillon in 2000, told BBC Sport: 'What happened at Becher´s frightened the heart of me, but he settled and settled.

'I thought to myself that whatever happens I wouldn´t move until the elbow. When we got there, away he went - brilliant.'

A relieved Mullins confessed: 'It´s fantastic - I never dreamed this. You hope all year you can get him here and last week I had an awful scare - he had a bit of snot in his nose.

'But I didn´t say anything to anyone and we took our chance. We didn´t work him all week, the last three mornings here are the first canters he´s had since last Sunday.

'We were dying all week that it wouldn´t get worse, but it got better. It´s just fantastic, I couldn´t believe it.'

Owner Trevor Hemmings said: 'It´s incredible - the achievement of the horse, the trainer and jockey. All I can say is that I´m one lucky man now.

'He came down at the final fence last year and I was more worried about that last fence today.

'It´s a credit to the entire team. It´s fantastic. This is the one result we wanted.'

? PA Sport