Limerick-born J.P. McManus won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday as jockey Paul Townend came with a late run on his recently purchased horse I Am Maximus to scoop the €500,000 first prize. McManus splashed the cash to buy I Am Maximus after the gelding ran with much credit at the Cheltenham Festival.
The 7-year-old, previously owned by Mike Grech, finished fourth in the Novices Chase at Cheltenham. That performance convinced McManus to buy the gelding and on his very first run in the famous green and gold silks, he won the Irish National for J.P. and trainer Willie Mullins. The 8/1 chance won by a length from the Gordon Elliott-trained duo Gevrey and Defi Bleu in second and third place, respectively.
It was McManus’s fourth time to win the Irish National. He first won the famous race 40 years ago in 1983 with Bit of a Skite, trained by Edward O’Grady. Then Jonjo O’Neill trained Butler’s Cabin to win for J.P in 2007 and Jonjo also trained Shutthefrontdoor for McManus in 2014. It was a first Irish Grand National win for Cork-born jockey Paul Townend, who has won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times for his boss Willie Mullins.
A view of the first fence in the Irish Grand National. [Inpho/Morgan Treacy]
IRISH EYE AINTREE
Irish owners, trainers, jockeys and horses have all done well at the Aintree Grand National in recent years. The most popular jump race in the World will be run at the Liverpool track on Saturday next at 5.15 p.m. Irish-bred Corach Rambler is likely to start as favorite on Saturday. He is trained in Kinross in Scotland by Lucinda Russell, who also trained One for Arthur, the winner in 2017. Kildare-based trainer and television analyst Ted Walsh will be hoping for his second win with Any Second Now. Walsh, who celebrates his 73rd birthday on Friday, admits that the year 2000 will be hard to beat. Twenty three years ago Ted trained the winner Papillon who ridden by his son Ruby. Papillon wasn’t owned by Walsh, but he does own and train Any Second Now. Flamboyant Carlow trainer Shark Hanlon has ruled out a tilt at the Grand National this year for his horse Hewick, deciding it would be wrong to ask his stable star to go to Aintree this year after his fall in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month. The 8-year-old, who won the American Grand National at Far Hills last October, will be kept for Punchestown festival at the end of the month or possibly the Gold Cup at Sandown. Hewick was running a great race at Cheltenham before falling at the second-last, having been up with the strong pace throughout.
Tipperary-born jockey Rachael Blackmore made history in 2021 when she became the first female jockey to win the big race on Minella Times for Waterford-based trainer Henry de Bromhead. There was no race in 2020 due to Covid but Michael O’Leary’s Tiger Roll won in 2018 and 2019 when ridden by Davy Russell.
Rachael Blackmore on Envoi Allen celebrating victory on Envoi Allen at this year’s Cheltenham festival. [Inpho/Tom Maher]
