Neptune Collonges won the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday in a race overshadowed by the deaths of two horses including Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised.
Ridden by Daryl Jacob, Neptune Collonges (33-1) succeeded where trainer Paul Nicholls’ previous 52 runners had failed, beating home Sunnyhillboy (16-1) in a thrilling finish in which the winner reeled in the runner-up to win by just a nose in the world’s most famous and gruelling steeplechase.
Synchronised fell at Bechers Brook first time round and According To Pete came down at the same jump on the second circuit.
The authorities modified Bechers after a couple of runners died there last year. For Synchronised’s trainer Jonjo O’Neill it brought back the awful memory of when he rode Gold Cup winner Alverton who came to grief in the 1979 National at Bechers and was put down.
For 27-year-old Jacob it was an emotional win as he had contemplated retiring from the sport when his best friend Kieran Kelly was killed in a riding accident in 2003.
“I owe everything to Kieran,” Jacob said.
“But I always said to Paul Nicholls that I would ride a National winner for him and I have delivered.”
Nicholls said it surpassed any other race he had won including the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“This is the race to win and it is unbelievable. The winner I always believed in because he has the class and the stamina,” he said.
The 8-1 joint favourite Seabass came in third under Katie Walsh, the best ever finish by a female jockey, and Cappa Bleu fourth in an incident-packed race with Synchronised dumping Tony McCoy before the start.
Sadly, as it transpired, they were reunited and O’Neill was to suffer further heartache as Sunnyhill Boy’s glory was snatched on the line.
Synchronised was the third of the fancied runners not to make it past the first six fences as both Junior and West End Rocker had gone at the fourth and the field was taken along by the heavily-backed Shakalakaboomboom and Planet of Sound.
That duo exchanged the lead virtually till the business end of the race where Walsh came alongside them looking as if she could become the first woman to ride the winner of the race.
However, just as Shakalakaboomboom and Planet of Sound faded so Sunnyhillboy arrived while Neptune Collonges was still looking good for just a place.
Over the last and Mclernon went clear of Seabass but then Jacob conjured up a stunning burst of pace from Neptune Collonges.
Seabass looked to have held him off but inch by inch Neptune Collonges got closer and on the line had done just enough to get his nose in front.
Walsh was delighted with her performance.
“I was never going to win it, but he gave me a fantastic ride and I feel so pumped up that I want to get back here as soon as possible,” the 27-year-old said.
It wasn’t a happy day for her brother Ruby, as the two-time winning National rider had to stand down from the race for the second time in three runnings because of a heavy fall he took earlier on the card.
