Aintree...Grand National...video/ live coverage

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Video form etc below

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Main horse racing site below bbc

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Aintree flyover

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It's a Ruby red-letter day for the Irish

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April 11, 2005

video

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Ireland's Hedgehunter, the 7-1 favourite ridden by Ruby Walsh, has romped to a 14-length victory in the Aintree Grand National.

Second place went to 40-1 shot Royal Auclair, the mount of Christian Williams, who had a head to spare over 66-1 outsider Simply Gifted, partnered by Brian Harding.

Of the 40-strong field only 21 horses finished the race.


http://www.racingpost.co.uk/images/graphics/hedgehunter_thin468.jpg

Hedgehunter's win came after a health scare leading up to the race on Saturday and Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who had kept the problem to himself, said connections feared the horse might not run. "Last week we had an awful scare, I saw some snot on his nose," he said. "We said nothing to anybody and were hoping all week it would not get worse, but it got better."

The unlucky horse of the race was Tony McCoy's mount, Clan Royal, which was hampered by two loose horses when leading at Becher's Brook on the second circuit and was forced into the side of the fence and out of the race.

Champion jockey McCoy, who has still to win the race after 10 attempts, buried his head in his hands in the weighing room in frustration.

Clan Royal's trainer, Jonjo O'Neill, said: "That's the national for you, and it could have been worse." O'Neill at least had the consolation of a third-place finish with Simply Gifted. "We were very sweet all along about Simply Gifted," he said. "He's had a nice preparation with a couple of good prep runs behind him."

Hedgehunter, which fell at the last fence last year when still in contention for a place, took over after Clan Royal's exit and galloped clear from the last fence. Hedgehunter is trained in Ireland by Mullins, who won the race at his fifth attempt. And it was 13th time lucky for owner Trevor Hemmings, who has been trying since 1992.

Carrie Ford, bidding to become the first woman to win the race in its 166-year history, finished a gallant fifth on Forest Gunner. The horse jumped superbly throughout but could not get a blow in at the leaders, finishing just over 27 lengths behind the winner.

Ford said: "I loved it. It was the thrill of a lifetime."

It was a second national success for Walsh, who won in 2000 on Papillon. "I was not as calm as I may have looked and I certainly had not planned to be left in front as soon as I was at Becher's second time round," he said.

"He hit the fence after Valentine's Brook pretty hard but, apart from that, he was super and jumped really well."

Although bookmakers were braced for big pay-outs on Forest Gunner and horses with a royal in their name on the day Britain's Prince Charles married, they still took a caning over the favourite.

Reuters

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"The casualties"

No. 1 Le Coudray Pulled Up before 21st
No. 4 Fondmort Pulled Up 28th
No. 5 Take The Stand Unseated Rider 15th
No. 6 Ballycassidy Unseated Rider after 2nd
No. 7 Ballybough Rasher Refused 22nd
No. 8 Risk Accessor Unseated Rider 2nd
No.12 Foly Pleasent Fell 20th
No.13 Astonville Pulled Up before 13th
No.14 Ad Hoc Fell 22nd (Becher's Brook)
No.16 Glenelly Gale Pulled Up before 28th
No.18 Clan Royal Carried Out 22nd (Becher's Brook)
No.21 Jakari Pulled Up before 19th
No.22 Frenchman's Creek Unseated Rider 1st
No.25 Double Honour Unseated Rider 21st
No.27 Colnel Rayburn Pulled Up 27th
No.33 Lord Atterbury Fell 1st
No.35 Merchant's Friend Fell 10th
No.38 Native Emperor Unseated Rider 9th
No.39 Marcus Du Berlais Unseated Rider 22nd (Becher's Brook)