Western Fold, winner of the Galway Plate and a Punchestown Festival Grade 1 novice chase last season, ran out a narrow winner of the American Grand National at Far Hills in New Jersey on Saturday for trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Jack Kennedy.

Sent off the hot favourite, the seven-year-old gelding only had seven rivals to beat in the two-mile, five-furlong event and always looked to be travelling well for Kennedy, just behind his former stable companion Fil Dor, who made the running.

An easy success looked likely when Western Fold edged to the front over the final fence but Fil Dor rallied well under Conor Tierney and there was only a head between them at the line.

The Elliott-trained Zanahiyr, winner of the race last year, was third.

Victory earned connections close to $190,000.

Earlier on the card, Elliott and Kennedy combined to win the Foxbrook Champion Hurdle with Lizzie Twigg. A winner at the Galway Festival this year, the mare ran out a very easy winner, having been sent off at long-odds on.