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Tiger Roll Has Won The Grand National For The Second Year Running

Tiger Roll Has Won The Grand National For The Second Year Running

The best since the legendary Red Rum

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Tiger Roll has won the 2019 Grand National at Aintree Racecourse and become the first horse in 45 years to win back-to-back runnings of the biggest race in British horse racing.

Starting out as a 4/1 favourite with jockey Davy Russell atop, the champion beat away a strong field to claim a famous win over the 30 fences.

For his jockey, Russell, this win - his second in the National - will crown a record that includes the Cheltenham Gold Cup, as well as the Irish champion jockey title on three occasions.

After the victory, he said: "I can't believe it. That's the man there (trainer Gordon Elliott). Louise who looks after him does a great job.

"At my age now to win two Grand Nationals - wow. Dad came over this year to watch. Gordon has been so good to me over my career. What can I say?"

Trained by Gordon Elliott Tiger Roll was the heavy early favourite amongst the bookmakers. A little further back were Rathvinden, under Ruby Walsh, Anibale Fly, Jury Duty and Willie Mullins' Pleasant Company.

Tiger Roll at Cheltenham earlier this year.
PA

Tiger Roll, under Davy Russell, was attempting to emulate the feat of the great Red Rum 41 years ago and win the Grand National for the second year in a row.

Ahead of the race, the bookies said that at least £150 million was to be bet on the showpiece race of British horse racing. There were 40 starters, but most of the smart money will have been on just a handful of those runners.

Ahead of the race, Russell said of his mount: "He's one in a million really, he just have his own way of doing things. You just set the radar on where you are going and he perks up. Tiger Roll is a bit of a rock star."

The were other stories around the course, too. Champion jockey Richard Johnson - so long the runner-up to the legendary AP McCoy - took part in his 21st Grand National race looking for his first win. He didn't get it, but Rock The Kasbah represented an outside shot before the race began.

This race also featured two women riding for the chance to become the first female jockey to triumph at Aintree's biggest race. Lizzie Kelly rode Tea for Two, whilst Valseur Lido was underneath Rachael Blackmore.

Despite all of the side-shows, Tiger Roll powered through to claim a history-making victory that catapults the nine-year-old into the annals of great horses to have raced around the historic Aintree course.

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Topics: SPORT, Horse Racing, Grand National, Aintree