For only the third time in nearly a century, the Grand National Hurdle and Grand National Steeplechase double has been completed, with the Shane Jackson-trained Andy Win striding to a dominant 12-length victory in the 2026 edition of the feature over fences at Ballarat.
The jumping scene is certainly different compared to when Mosstrooper completed the same feat in 1930 at Flemington, but the emotion surrounding the achievement remains the same for participants, especially after Andy Win ($3.30 favourite) overcame what could have been a disastrous injury in the days leading into the race.
“I’m not an emotional sort of person but it has been a rollercoaster with this horse and it has been a stressful week,” Jackson said.
“I can tell people now that this horse schooled here on Monday when it was waterlogged and on Tuesday evening he’d come out with a bloody foot abscess.
“I thought, ‘I can’t tell anybody about this and I can’t tell jockey, for sure’.
“Thankfully I have a great farrier in Ballarat and my brilliant vets in Warrnambool. I’m lost for words. This is peak.”
Prior to 2008, the Hurdle and Steeplechase features were run a week apart, but the fortnight between the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown on August 2 and this 4600-metre test put Andy Win’s achievement alongside Tallyho Twinkletoe, who completed the same double in 2019.
Significantly, Andy Win won his maiden over jumps as recently as last May.
Jockey Tom Ryan notched his second Grand National Steeplechase victory since 2011.
“I wouldn’t want to know, to be honest,” Ryan said when told of the horse’s injury prior.
“He was a bit flat over the third last fence but when I got stuck into him, he came alive.”
Earlier on the card, Ryan steered short-priced favourite The Cunning Fox ($1.60) to a last-gasp victory in the JJ Houlihan Hurdle after the second elect opened up a lead of more than 20 lengths with a lap to go in the 3250m three-horse contest.
“Horses like Andy Win and The Cunning Fox, they’re just warriors,” Ryan added.
