CORACH Rambler had been favourite for the Randox Grand National on the back of a second successive win in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and, although shuffled off that spot after declarations, he was again well supported on the day, and was sent off a clear market leader at 8/1.

He justified that position in sparkling style to give Lucinda Russell and jockey Derek Fox their second winner in Aintree’s great race. Winning by over two lengths does scant justice to his superiority, with runner-up Vanillier (Gavin Cromwell/Sean Flanagan) only closing up late as the winner idled in typical fashion, having quickly dashed eight lengths clear between the final fence and the elbow.

At that point, there were seven in a line disputing second place, but Vanillier stayed on much the best for a clear second, almost five lengths ahead of Gaillard Du Mesnil (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend), who in turn had a length and a half to spare over 2022 winner Noble Yeats (Emmet Mullins/Sean Bowen).

The race was delayed as a group of protestors attempted to invade the course, with the horses remaining in the parade ring for an extra 15 minutes or so. When the race finally started, there were an unusually high number of casualties early on, with eight of the 39 runners falling or unseating at the first two fences. Whether there is any link between the delay and the high number of fallers is impossible to say, but Sandy Thompson felt that Hill Sixteen – who had never fallen previously in his career – had got upset by the delay before taking a fatal fall at the first fence.

Fatal fall

Hill Sixteen was the only reported fatality in this year’s Grand National, although Recite A Prayer needed surgery having fractured an eye socket in the aftermath of his early fall, and Cape Gentleman also required surgery on a severed tendon. The latter won’t race again because of the severity of his injury but will be given time to recover before a promised retirement in the paddocks of his American owner Pierre Manigault, whose grandfather Stephen “Laddie” Sanford raced 1923 National hero Sergeant Murphy in the same purple and gold colours.

Fox has shown himself to be a nerveless rider of the Grand National course, but while he waited until late in the day to ask One For Arthur for maximum effort, he was never too far off the pace on Corach Rambler, who typically jumped and travelled like a top-class chaser in the making. The partnership made smooth headway into around sixth place jumping Valentines’ for the first time (where the bold-jumping Lifetime Ambition was taken out by a loose horse), and while plenty can go wrong in such a contest, the pair always appeared to be travelling like winners from that point onward.

Mister Coffey put up a bold show in front for a long way, but his efforts took their toll. He was still in front a stride or two before the final fence, before fading tamely when headed and finishing eighth. All of those between him and the impressive winner are trained in Ireland.

Russell said of the winner: “He has got greatness and it’s what he deserves. Corach Rambler, in our hearts, is just the best horse. Now in the public hearts he is as well. To win the National, I know how important it is, I know how it changed my life with ‘Arthur’ – for Corach to achieve that too is just fantastic.

Worked them out

“I hope those guys who were protesting will look at our website and our Facebook posts and see how they are looked after. It is so important they understand how we care for them every inch of the way. It is about Corach, he is just amazing. He took to those fences brilliantly, he understood them, he worked them out – he loved it.”

Derek Fox. the 30-year-old from Sligo, missed rides on Ahoy Senor in the Bowl and Apple Away in the Sefton in order to be fit to ride Corach Rambler and might have had mixed feelings with that pair running huge races, but it was all worth it for the benefit of riding another Grand National winner.

“He is just the most wonderful thing ever,” said the winning rider. “I got a fall last week and banged my shoulder, which was far from ideal. I thank God I was back in time because it was the thrill of my life to ride him.

“It’s thanks to the support of Lucinda and Scu for having the faith in me to put me up after not riding all week. I feel very lucky to be working for these great people.”