The Ted Walsh trained and Ruby Walsh ridden Papillon has won the Martell Grand National at Aintree. Over 50,000 racegoers flocked to the Aintree course this afternoon to witness what was touted as the most open Grand National in years. 40 horses went to post including last year's winner Bobbyjo, but Papillon won a tight finish from Mely Moss and Niki Dee to make it the second year in a row that the Irish have been victorious.
Bobbyjo was bidding to become the first horse since the great Red Rum to achieve a back-to-back double in the gruelling 4 1/2-mile event and raced prominently until fading on the second circuit after some indifferent jumping. However as the chants of Olé-Olé went up it was obvious that the punters were quite happy with the final outcome. Papillon started at 10-1, with both Mely Moss and Niki Dee at 25-1.
Bookmakers were stung to the tune of £10million as the nine-year-old backed down to 10-1 from 33-1, jumped splendidly throughout. In a pulsating finale he pulled out a little extra from the final fence to hold off Mely Moss by one and a quarter lengths. Niki Dee was 12 lengths back in third with the 50-1 outsider Brave Highlander fourth.
The normally loquacious senior Walsh said, "I'm not normally shortly short of words but I just couldn't talk as they were getting into the closing stages. It was a wonderful feeling to win with this horse who we've had since he was five years old. You need to have a lot of luck here and we've had all the luck going today. But winning this race just makes me so proud for Ruby and all my family." The younger Walsh, Ruby said, "My fella just kept picking up and picking up and once I reached the last I never thought anything was going to get past me."
The champion jockey Tony McCoy is still to complete the course after falling at the third, this time on 9-1 favourite Dark Stranger. McCoy suffered a leg injury - not thought to be serious - in the process and gave up his rides for the remainder of the day. Another strongly-fancied runner Star Traveller gave his supporters hope as he travelled well in the front for the first circuit. However a bad mistake finished his chances and he was soon pulled up. Seventeen of the 40 runners completed the course, with no serious injuries reported for any of the other 23.
