Grand National: Mullins and Walsh dynasties continue Irish domination

Grand National betting usually opens for the serious punter after the production of the weights in February. We can now forget that nonsense. When it comes to the great race of 2006 we can already start looking for prospective National horses running in small races. Not over fences, but hurdles. Not in Britain, but Ireland. That is the rich ground.

Grand National betting usually opens for the serious punter after the production of the weights in February. We can now forget that nonsense. When it comes to the great race of 2006 we can already start looking for prospective National horses running in small races. Not over fences, but hurdles. Not in Britain, but Ireland. That is the rich ground.

When Hedgehunter won for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh at Aintree on Saturday it was a continuation of several trends. The money-rich island of Ireland is back generally, with victories this National Hunt season in the King George VI Chase and the three main events at the Cheltenham Festival, as well as Saturday's contest, the one known in every saloon bar or chip shop.

Grand National glory, for the fourth time in seven years, has not been won by serendipity either. The National winners from Ireland are beginning to form a strict pattern of racecourse behaviour, involving several runs over hurdles before appearance on Merseyside. It is not a new trick. Vincent O'Brien used it in the old days. The present application seems to be working.

Behind every great horse there is a team. Mullins and Walsh come from two of the most steadfast families in Irish racing, while Trevor Hemmings, the winning owner, can now be at peace at the age of 69.

The former bricklayer's apprentice is said to be worth £730m. He owns Blackpool Tower, but this is now his monument in horseracing, 20 years after he first started buying horseflesh. Hemmings has spent a lot of money trying to buy a Grand National, but the great race, like some compilation albums, is not for sale in the shops. JP McManus can tell you that.

For Mullins it was a fifth National runner and a first finisher, but more glory for Walsh, who rode his first National winner on father Ted's Papillon in 2000. "He gave Valentine's a right dig and I thought he was gone," Walsh said. "but he pulled a leg out from somewhere.

"He was good and brave to go and take on Becher's when the other horses ran out. He could just as easily have gone into the corner after them and there would have been nothing I could have done about it."

Walsh might now be getting greedy with two Nationals when you consider the famine that continues to envelop Tony McCoy and, most recently, that mêlée at the second Becher's. The National hex continues for the nine-time champion jockey.

McCoy looked to be, at the least, going quite well in the lead at that stage on Clan Royal, but then horses started shooting in from everywhere. McCoy was knocked from his seat in one of those calamities which seem to call like the milkman at Aintree. That's the National, which may, or may not, have been the wisdom that McCoy was musing as the rest of the field thundered by.

Certainly time is now beginning to seep away for the Irishman, especially as he seems a hopeless marionette in the hands of National fates. Clan Royal was unlucky for a second consecutive year, trainer Jonjo O'Neill was unlucky for what seems an interminable number of successive months, and even the bookmakers were mildly discomfited for once.

When you put 40 horses together with 30 demanding fences it is the sort of formula that routinely produces nitroglycerine. The capricious nature of a National usually comes to the unnecessary aid of the layers, but, ironically, it hurt them this time, as one of the principal challengers to the favourite was carried out. We must pray for them, and their families' survival, in the weeks to come.

We can also ponder the National career of Carrie Ford, who has now retired from the race after a huge ride on fifth-placed Forest Gunner. On arrival at the racecourse, Ford was the recipient of the rogue's disclaimer, a bouquet of flowers, from Ginger McCain. Mercifully her mind was not taken off the job by yet another piece of self-promotion from the trainer. McCain spent the whole day shimmering with self-regard, but, in the race's aftermath and in a self-imposed retirement, it must be Ford who is rightfully proud of herself.

Fifth is not normally a great finishing position, but it did equal the best a woman has achieved in the race. Ford also departs in the knowledge that she did everything she could to nurse Forest Gunner round.

It was great for Carrie and great for the nation that Ginger kept his pants up. There was no weakness from the saddle to undermined the partnership's effort, rather a weakness beneath it. Forest Gunner performed with a gymnastic neatness which suggested he might have rubbed chalk on his hooves before going out for his display, but the distance of the race was plainly beyond him.

Those behind Hedgehunter are now looking at the engagement diary. The Betfred Gold Cup, despite its financial lure, is likely to be scored through. First, there is recovery time to take into account, for the horse as well as connections.

"I'm looking at the French Gold Cup [Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris on 29 May] so we'll just see how he recovers." Mullins said. "The plan long term is to come back to Aintree for another National. We'll definitely aim him at that next year."

In the Grand National of 2005, 21 partnerships got round, the most since 1992, and there were no reported injuries. When that analysis appears at the bottom of an Aintree report it must have been a good National.

Where your money went: Finishers, Fallers and Failures in the 158th Grand National

1. Hedgehunter 7-1 fav

Ruby Walsh: "I thought to myself that whatever happens I wouldn't move until the Elbow. When we got there, away he went - brilliant."

2. Royal Auclair 40-1

Christian Williams: "It was a great first Grand National ride. All he wants to do when he goes out there is please you. It was a great performance under 11st 10lb."

3. Simply Gifted 66-1

Brian Harding: "He jumped like a buck and gave me a brilliant ride. He never missed a fence."

4. It Takes Time 18-1

Timmy Murphy: "He tried his heart out. I could not have wished for better."

5. Forest Gunner 8-1

Carrie Ford: "It was brilliant to get round, and it was only at the last that we found out that he didn't stay, but guts and determination saw him through to the end."

Also:

6. Nil Desperandum 16-1

7. Innox 16-1

8. Heros Collognes 66-1

9. Just In Debt 33-1

10. Amberleigh House 16-1

11. Bindaree 33-1

12. Iznogoud 125-1

13. Polar Red 100-1

14. Joly Bey 16-1

15. L'Aventure 66-1

16. Monty's Pass 33-1

17. Strong Resolve 9-1

18. Spot Thedifference 25-1

19. Arctic Copper 200-1

20. Europa 150-1

21. Shamawan 200-1

1st fence: Lord Atterbury (fell), Frenchman's Creek (unseated)

2nd fence: Risk Accessor (unseated rider),

Ballycassidy (unseated rider)

9th fence: Native Emperor (unseated rider)

10th fence: Merchants Friend (fell)

13th fence: Astonville (pulled up)

15th fence: Take The Stand (unseated rider)

19th fence: Jakari (pulled up)

20th fence: Foly Pleasant (fell)

21st fence: Le Coudray (pulled up), Double Honour (unseated)

22nd fence: Ballybough Rasher (refused), Ad Hoc (fell), Clan Royal (carried out), Marcus Du Berlais (unseated rider)

27th fence: Colnel Rayburn (pulled up).

28th fence: Glenelly Gale (pulled up), Fondmort (pulled up)