Praise heaped on Aspell Trainer Pat Murphy paid a glowing tribute to Leighton Aspell following his triumph aboard Pineau De Re in the Crabbie's Grand National at Aintree on Saturday. Murphy has been one of Aspell's biggest supporters during his riding career and trained Supreme Glory, the horse that carried the rider to the runner-up spot in the 2003 Grand National in what was the jockey's first attempt at the world's most famous steeplechase. Aspell also guided Murphy's star chaser to victory in the Welsh National at Chepstow 13 years ago. Murphy said: "I was absolutely over the moon for Leighton on Saturday. Over the last couple of fences I was riding the race with him and honestly, I couldn't have been more thrilled if the horse had been my own. "I just feel very proud to have been a part of his career and as I said to the owners of Supreme Glory last night, it's a shame it's taken everyone this long to realise what a top-class jockey Leighton is. "When I spoke to him last night I reminded him of the old days, like when we went for the Galway Plate in 1999. Reaganesque was in front jumping the last and unfortunately he broke down on the run-in. "He's been a first-class rider for a long time. He lost his spleen, which a lot of jockeys do, but other than that he's avoided serious injury and that's because he's a brilliant horseman. "When he first told me he was packing up riding a few years ago I was in shock, as I thought he was riding as well as ever. Obviously he didn't have the appetite for the game at the time and he made absolutely the right decision to go away from it for a while. "I think it gave him a different perspective, things were maybe going a bit stale for him and he came back refreshed. "I think one of his biggest attributes is when he gets on the schooling ground he is absolutely fantastic. Because he is such a great horseman, he is brilliant at schooling young horses and teaching them their job."
