JASON MAGUIRE wrote another chapter in the McCain family's Grand National legacy after riding Ballabriggs to victory by two lengths on an unseasonably warm afternoon at Aintree.
The McCains have now trained the winner on five occasions, most famously when father Ginger prepared Red Rum for his three victories in 1973, 1974 and 1977.
Ginger McCain also trained Amberleigh House in 2004, and now Ballabriggs is a first success for his son, Donald.
In an exciting finish, Ballabriggs, priced at 14/1, beat Oscar Time, ridden by amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen in nine minutes, one second (9:01), the second-fastest Grand National time.
Tony McCoy's defending champion Don't Push It was in third, ahead of State Of Play in fourth and Niche Market in fifth.
The much-fancied The Midnight Club, ridden by Ruby Walsh, was out of the paid places in sixth while, in keeping with tradition (see preview), none of the greys made an impression once again.
But this year's race will no doubt be overshadowed by the deaths of Ornais and Dooneys Gate at the fourth and sixth fences as they became the 80th and 81st fatalities in the event's 164-year history.
In an unprecedented move, the two hurdles where those horses fell were subsequently bypassed on the second circuit with the remaining participants waved around them by chequered flags.
Animal rights activists were given yet more ammunition after the finish when the shattered Ballabriggs failed to make it into the winners' enclosure with Maguire. Instead, the 11-year-old had been taken back to the stables suffering from exhaustion and dehydration but he was soon confirmed to be OK.
Nevertheless, the gruesome sight of dead horses being covered by tarpaulin is hardly what the sport needs and questions must surely be asked if the current state of the course is just too demanding.
To me, banning the race altogether would be too extreme and it will not happen anyway.
But, just as Formula One reacted to the driver deaths by modifying its tracks, perhaps horse racing officials need to do the same with some of the bigger fences.
Meanwhile, the BBC hardly helped the situation with its apparent reluctance to acknowledge the horses' deaths. Commentators did note that two of the hurdles were being missed out but they did not make any effort to explain the omissions.
And when anchor Claire Balding eventually did confirm which horses had died, she spoke of "equine fatalities". It was a horrendous and needless euphemism which detracted from otherwise traditionally sharp coverage.
The race began amid the usual fanfare as 70,000 people in stands watched a field of 40 on a gloriously sunny day on Merseyside.
As usual, for several horses, the race was a brief affair with That's Rhythm falling at the first and Becauseicouldntsee bringing down the unfortunate Vic Venturi at the second.
The fourth hurdle also had two fallers in Ornais, one of the two horses to die, and Calgary Bay.
Dooneys Gate, the other horse which died, fell at the sixth fence, Becher's Brook, and that fence also accounted for Or Noir De Somoza, The Tother One and West End Rocker.
As the field swept around the Canal Turn, the 100/1 shot Santa's Son had emerged from the early scramble into the lead, evoking memories of other shock winners, Foinavon in 1967 and Mon Mome just two years ago.
But, of course, there was still a long way to go, and eventual victor Ballabriggs was also up near the front of an open contest.
At the 10th and 11th fences, Tidal Bay and Quolibet both unseated their riders but the front-runners were unaffected.
And so, at this stage, Ballabriggs and Oscar Time were still chasing down pacesetters Santa's Son and Majestic Concorde while Don't Push It was beginning to make his way through the field.
Grand Slam Hero fell at the 13th before a vital moment at the Chair as Ballabriggs' magnificent leap put him into the lead for the first time.
Quinz was pulled up at the Water Jump, the last of the fences on the first circuit while Can't Buy Time was the only faller at the 18th before all the remaining horses overcame the 19th.
Then came the unnerving sight of the field being waved around the 20th fence and the 22nd, meaning Becher's Brook was only jumped once this year.
The second jump of the Canal Turn claimed the well-placed Majestic Concorde as he unseated rider Robbie McNamara - and Maguire then almost went the same way on Ballabriggs as he stumbled over Valentine's, five fences from home.
Nevertheless, both horse and jockey held it together just as some of others began to struggle badly.
Sir Alex Ferguson's What A Friend was pulled up at the 27th along with early leader Santa's Son while Killyglen produced a tired jump and fell.
At the 28th, former winner Comply Or Die was pulled up and Arbor Supreme unseated his rider and, at the 29th, Hello Bud was pulled up.
The five horses vying for the lead got over those last few fences without a problem, though, and that set up a grandstand finish as they came around the Elbow.
Don't Push It had most work to do, still lying in fifth as they jumped the last but he finished strongly to overtake State Of Play and Niche Market, and give a good account on his title defence.
However, he was still no match this year for Ballabriggs and Oscar Time who had pulled away to set up a duel for the finish line.
Ballabriggs was the clear winner, quickly establishing and holding onto a lead of two lengths to give the McCains - and the bookmakers - another great Grand National afternoon.
2011 GRAND NATIONAL: How they finished
4m 4f at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. All 40 ran.
Placed
1st Ballabriggs 14/1
2nd Oscar Time 14/1
3rd Don't Push It 9/1
4th State Of Play 28/1
5th Niche Market 16/1
Finished
6th The Midnight Club 8/1f
7th Big Fella Thanks
8th Surface To Air
9th Skippers Brig
10th Backstage
11th King Fontaine
12th Silver By Nature
13th In Compliance
14th Bluesea Cracker
15th Character Building
16th Golden Kite
17th Chief Dan George
18th Royal Rosa
19th Piraya
Failed to finish
Fence 1 That's Rhythm - fell
Fence 2 Vic Venturi - brought down, Becauseicouldntsee - fell
Fence 4 Ornais - fell (fatal), Calgary Bay - fell
Fence 6 (Becher's Brook) Dooneys Gate - fell (fatal), The Tother One - fell, Or Noir De Somoza - fell, West End Rocker - brought down
Fence 10 Tidal Bay - unseated rider
Fence 11 Quolibet - unseated rider
Fence 13 Grand Slam Hero - fell
Fence 16 Quinz - pulled up
Fence 18 Can't Buy Time - fell
Fence 24 (Canal Turn) Majestic Concorde - unseated rider
Fence 27 Santa's Son - pulled up, What A Friend - pulled up, Killyglen - fell
Fence 28 Comply Or Die - pulled up, Arbor Supreme - unseated rider
Fence 29 Hello Bud - pulled up
--
Preview: Will the Grand National be a grey day at last?
THE WAIT for a grey horse to win the Grand National has now stretched to 50 years, since Bobby Beasley won on the aptly-named Nicolaus Silver back in 1961.
Indeed, Nicolaus Silver is one of only two greys ever to have won the world's greatest steeplechase, the other being The Lamb which tasted victory twice in 1868 and 1871.
This year, four grey horses are lining up to end the hoodoo. There are two outsiders, Piraya (150/1) and French horse Quoilbet (150/1), and two more fancied bets in Character Building (28/1) and Silver By Nature (14/1).
Silver By Nature is also looking to end another barren spell by becoming the only second-ever Scottish-trained winner. So far, only Rubstic has won from north-of-the-border, crossing the line first in 1979.
But, as reigining BBC Sports Personality of the Year AP McCoy found out, such records only exist eventually to be broken.
McCoy won his first National on his 15th attempt last year on Don't Push It (14/1) and both jockey and horse are reunited to defend their crown, carrying top weight of 11st 10lbs.
McCoy's win on Don't Push It was also a first taste of success in the National for the horse's trainer, Jonjo O'Neill, and his owner JP MacManus.
Still looking to break his duck, though, is another notable trainer, Paul Nicholls. This time, Nicholls has four different horses in the running, including What A Friend (12/1), which is part-owned by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Other fancied runners in the Aintree race include Paul Carberry's mount Backstage (13/1), Sam Whaley-Cohen's Oscar Time (12/1), and Jason Maguire's Ballabriggs (15/1), which is trained by Donald McCain, son of Red Rum's trainer, Ginger.
However, the likely ante-post favourite is Ruby Walsh's ride, The Midnight Club, with a price at the time of writing in at 10/1.
Walsh has a good record in the Grand National and will be going for a hat-trick of wins having previously rode Papillon and Hedgehunter to victory in 2000 and 2005.
His younger sister Katie had also been set to make her bow in the event on Our Monty but the eight-year-old gelding was withdrawn with a leg infection.
Walsh's absence leaves Paul Carberry's sister Nina, on the aforementioned grey Character Building, as the only female jockey in the race.
Our Monty was replaced by 80/1 shot Royal Rosa and there were two other late replacements with Skippers Brig (40/1) and Golden Kite (80/1) coming in for Northern Alliance and Roll Along.
Golden Kite's inclusion gives former jockey Adrian Maguire his first runner in Britain as a trainer but, on the other side of the coin, it could be a frustrating afternoon for the experienced Barry Geraghty.
Geraghty, who won the Grand National in 2003 on Monty's Pass, is now without a ride after the withdrawal of Northern Alliance, although many were surprised that he was not on a stronger horse anyway.
Best odds provided in each case and may vary among bookmakers. Odds for the whole field can be found at Oddschecker.com.
2011 GRAND NATIONAL FULL RUNNERS-AND-RIDERS
No Form Name (Trainer) Jockey
1) 23P1-P070 DON'T PUSH IT (IRE) (Jonjo O'Neill) Tony McCoy
2) 104-3226 TIDAL BAY (IRE) (Howard Johnson) Brian Hughes
3) 61/211-524 WHAT A FRIEND (Paul Nicholls) Daryl Jacob
4) 501B-7744 VIC VENTURI (IRE) (Dessie Hughes) Andrew Lynch
5) U62/1-31 MAJESTIC CONCORDE (IRE) (Dermot Weld) Robbie McNamara
6) 2F1425 OR NOIR DE SOMOZA (FR) (David Pipe) Barry Geraghty replaced Tom Scudamore
7) 01F24-41 DOONEYS GATE (IRE) (Willie Mullins) Mr Patrick Mullins
8) 2U14-2F44 BIG FELLA THANKS (Ferdy Murphy) Graham Lee
9) 205-244 THE TOTHER ONE (IRE) (Paul Nicholls) Ryan Mahon
10) 3111-112 BALLABRIGGS (IRE) (Donald McCain) Jason Maguire
11) U3133-21 THE MIDNIGHT CLUB (IRE) (Willie Mullins) Ruby Walsh
12) 529P-F58 NICHE MARKET (IRE) (Paul Nicholls) Harry Skelton
13) 5121-071 SILVER BY NATURE (Lucinda Russell) Peter Buchanan
14) 0BP-57011 BACKSTAGE (FR) (Gordon Elliott) Paul Carberry
15) 30011-753F CHIEF DAN GEORGE (IRE) (Jimmy Moffatt) Paddy Aspell
16) 4-56242 CALGARY BAY (IRE) (Henrietta Knight) Hadden Frost
17) P2P-2536 KILLYGLEN (IRE) (Stuart Crawford) Robert Power
18) 3152-263 OSCAR TIME (IRE) (Martin Lynch) Sam Waley-Cohen
19) 510-1131 QUINZ (FR) (Philip Hobbs) Richard Johnson
20) 2212-42 BECAUSEICOULDNTSEE (IRE) (Noel Glynn) Davy Russell
21) 2/000-06P COMPLY OR DIE (IRE) (David Pipe) Timmy Murphy
22) 2F-FF25P QUOLIBET (FR) (Jonjo O'Neill) Mark Walsh
23) 11FP18P GRAND SLAM HERO (IRE) (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Aidan Coleman
24) 0/144/P3- STATE OF PLAY (Evan Williams) Paul Moloney
25) 3211-11P5 KING FONTAINE (IRE) (Malcolm Jefferson) Denis O'Regan
26) 566U-3431U IN COMPLIANCE (IRE) (Dessie Hughes) Leighton Aspell
27) 005P-1P HELLO BUD (IRE) 13-10-05 (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Sam Twiston-Davies
28) 2P/07-11P WEST END ROCKER (IRE) (Alan King) Robert Thornton
29) 6-2207710 SANTA'S SON (IRE) (Howard Johnson) Jamie Moore
30) 0C21-046 BLUESEA CRACKER (IRE) (James Motherway) Andrew McNamara
31) 391059 THAT'S RHYTHM (FR) (Martin Todhunter) James Reveley
32) PP2/111/-0 SURFACE TO AIR (Chris Bealby) Tom Messenger
33) 00P-234PP PIRAYA (FR) (David Pipe) Johnny Farrelly
34) 16F-8P5P CAN'T BUY TIME (IRE) (Jonjo O'Neill) Richie McLernon
35) 000-30563 CHARACTER BUILDING (IRE) (John Quinn) Miss Nina Carberry
36) 1215/1P/-52 ORNAIS (FR) (Paul Nicholls) Nick Scholfield
37) 0U2F-0P2 ARBOR SUPREME (IRE) (Willie Mullins) David Casey
38) P5U-42P ROYAL ROSA (FR) (Howard Johnson) Paul Gallagher
39) 41/313-011 SKIPPERS BRIG (IRE) (Nicky Richards) Dominic Elsworth
40) 1d10019 GOLDEN KITE (IRE) (Adrian Maguire) Shane Hassett
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