WHAT an emotional day for the family and friends of John Thomas McNamara at the weekend when the Munster National at Limerick, sponsored by Ladbrokes, carried the late, great rider’s name in the title. Victory went to Tiger Roll, a son of a Derby winner and a half-brother to a classic runner-up in the Dubawi gelding Ahzeemah.

Bred by Gerry O’Brien, Tiger Roll sold for 70,000gns as a foal to John Ferguson but he was sold as an unraced three-year-old at Doncaster to Nigel Hawke for £10,000. In November of the same year he won a juvenile hurdle on his debut, was sold to Gigginstown House Stud for £80,000 at Brightwells and on just his third start he won the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.