Ruling the world ... by head or heart?

“Head or heart?” asked my colleague, Lynsey Dreaper, in Ratoath village on Saturday morning as she saw me venturing towards the betting shop.

She was referring, of course, to how I make my selection of horses in the Grand National, the 169th running of which would be taking place later that day.

Admittedly, it is always from the heart, usually supporting the local rider, trainer or horse.

Which, if you’re living in the heart of county Meath racing country, can provide just as many conundrums. But it has stood me well over the years, with a Carberry, Geraghty, Maguire, or Elliott coming up trumps every so often.

The selection of locals wasn’t so big this year. Lynsey’s father, Jim, was running Goonyella, winner of the Midlands National. From down the road, Dermot McLoughlin had Vics Canvas, a finisher at the Liverpool course before. I had somehow missed the news that Nina Carberry was taking over from the injured Ruby Walsh on Sir Des Champs. My reckoning is that she’ll win that Grand National, sooner rather than later. I wasn’t that keen on Barry Geraghty’s Shutthefrontdoor, which he had won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on two years ago for JP McManus.

Of the other Gigginstown horses, it was interesting to note that first jockey Bryan Cooper, who rode Don Cossack to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, had plumped for First Lieutenant over Rule the World in Mouse Morris’ stable, leaving 19 year-old David Mullins on the 33-1 shot which had never jumped over fences before. On Friday, I had glanced at this horse, moreso because of Coldplay’s powerful opening line in Viva La Vida, and the fact that late jockey changes often produce different endings.

But racing is full of ifs, ands and maybes, and so is betting. So out of the 39 runners, I had a shortlist of five, whittled down to four because the ATM machine at Bank of Ireland in Ratoath was out of service. (Imagine that, on Grand National Day! In Ratoath!)

I went for two jockeys – Paddy Brennan on last year’s second placed Saint Are, and Denis O’Regan on The Druid’s Nephew; and two from the heart – neighbour Chris Jones’ Home Farm, an outsider, and the Dreaper runner. The 13 year-old Vics Canvas, unfortunately, fell victim of the empty ATM.

But, later that evening, I found myself shouting for Vics Canvas as he came up the run-in at Aintree, every bit in the reckoning with three in line. Then, in a completely fickle turnaround, and Rule the World taking up the lead, the cheering switched over to Mouse Morris.

Less than a fortnight ago, we had seen an emotional Mouse in the winner’s enclosure at Fairyhouse, having won the Irish Grand National with Rogue Angel for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown. It was emotional because he had lost his son, Tiffer, to carbon monoxide poisoning in Argentina last year, and dedicated the win to him. Now, he was about to win the biggest steeplechase of them all. And David Mullins won it in style for him.

Mullins, more a showjumper in his youth than a jockey, is part of a great Irish racing dynasty. And all one had to look at to see how much it meant to them was the face of his much younger brother, caught up so much in the emotion of the moment, to see that. As someone not connected with either horses or the Mullins clan, that Dawn Run commentary from Cheltenham some 30 years ago still brings a tear to this writer’s eye, so you can imagine how it feels to be in the thick of it.

So what happened my runners? The Druid’s Nephew pulled up at the 21st fence; Home Farm lasted another five; Saint Are pulled up at the last; and Goonyella was fifth. In fact, five of the first six home were Irish trained.

So from the heart may not always be the worst way to back horses in the big one – if you were living around Ratoath and Ashbourne and each way backed Vics Canvas and Goonyella, third at 100/1 and fifth at 12/1 respectively, you wouldn’t rule the world, but you’d have done nicely.

 

Fógra: Rule The World, Mouse Morris, David Mullins and Gigginstown House Stud (Michael, Anita O'Leary and family) will take part in a Parade of Honour in Mullingar Town Park, (beside the Annebrook Hotel), Austin Friar Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, today, Sunday, 10th April at 12.30pm.