Tiger Roll wins Grand National for second straight year
Tiger Roll became the first horse to win consecutive runnings of the Grand National Steeplechase in 45 years on Saturday at Aintree Racecourse in England and at 4-1 was one of the shortest-priced favorites in the history of the race.
Ridden by Davy Russell, Tiger Roll closed from a stalking position in the final half-mile to take the lead at the 29th and final fence of the race at 4 9/16 miles. The field was scheduled to jump 30 fences, but the first fence was omitted on the second circuit because of a fallen horse – Up for Review, who suffered a fatal injury.
Tiger Roll joins Red Rum as consecutive winners of the grueling race, worth $1,306,000 this year. Red Rum won the race in 1973-74 and again in 1977.
A small horse who stands 15-2 hands, Tiger Roll raced in the front half of the field of 40 in the first of two circuits, and crept closer to the front on the second circuit despite making a mistake at the 23rd fence. Russell rode a patient race, following 66-1 Magic of Light while racing on the inside. Magic of Light, an 8-year-old mare, made a mistake at the final fence and could not keep pace with Tiger Roll, who won by 2 3/4 lengths.
Rathvinden, an 8-1 contender who was prominent on the second circuit and briefly led, finished third. Rathvinden was beaten five lengths by Tiger Roll and finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Magic of Light.
Tiger Roll, a 9-year-old gelding, gave 41-year-old trainer Gordon Elliott his third Grand National win, preceded by Silver Burch in 2007 and Tiger Roll last year. Tiger Roll is owned by Michael O’Leary’s Ireland-based Gigginstown House Stud, one of the largest jump racing operations in Europe.
Gigginstown House Stud has won three of the last four runnings of the Grand National, including the 2016 running with Rule The World, who was trained by Mouse Morris.
Tiger Roll has won three of four starts in the current jump racing season, the heart of which runs from mid-October to early spring. Tiger Roll was fourth in a cross-country chase at Cheltenham last November, but is unbeaten in three starts this year – the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan, Ireland, in February; a 22-length win in a cross-country chase at 3 3/4 miles at Cheltenham on March 13; and Saturday’s Grand National.
Immediately after the recent Cheltenham win, Tiger Roll was 6-1 for the Grand National, a price that shortened in recent weeks.
Tiger Roll was 7-2 in the future book on Thursday. The shortest-priced winner in Grand National history was Poethyln at 11-4 in 1919.
Golden Miller was the shortest-priced runner in history, going off at 2-1 in 1935. Golden Miller, who won the 1934 Grand National, and five runnings of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, unseated his jockey at the 11th fence in 1935.
Red Rum was 7-2 in 1975, a year in which he finished second.
Tiger Roll has won 12 of 35 starts in a career that began in 2013.