Tiger Roll leads over the last this evening at Aintree

Tiger on a Roll with Aintree double

Tiger Roll completed the first Aintree Grand National double in 45 years when storming to victory in the big race at Liverpool today for trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Davy Russell.

Tiger Roll now joins the legendary Red Rum which won the race in 1973 and 1974 after this evening getting the better of another horse with Meath connections - the Jessica Harrington-trained Magic Of Light which finished second and wasa first runner in the race for the trainer.

An emotional Elliott was almost overwhelmed when interviewed immediately after the race and dedicated the win to his late uncle (Willie Elliott).

TIGER ON THE DOUBLE RETURNS TO WINNERS ENCLOSURE

"Everyone loves him. He is the people's horse. I cannot believe it," said the Summerhill man.

Elliott scooped the Meath Sportsperson of the Year award in January and also dedicated that to his late uncle in an interview on the night.

That was also a second success for the Summerhill man who won the inaugural Meath Sports accolade in 2007.

"I wouldn't be involved in racing only for Willie and this award is dedicated to his memory," Gordon told Evanne Ni Chuilinn in a brief interview last January.

TIGER ROLL HAS THE EDGE OVER THE LAST

"What can I say, Tiger Roll is just an unbelievable horse," said Davy Russell

"I was running away for most of the race. It was marvellous - he gave a couple of stumbles and I think the blinkers lit him up," added the jockey who also has stong Meath connections.

This evening at Aintree there was rich praise for the trainer from Michael O'Leary.

“It’s unbelievable, it’s a phenomenal training performance by Gordon," said owner Michael O'Leary.

"It’s brilliant that he keeps bringing this horse back at Cheltenham better than ever and Aintree better than ever.

"There will be a free bar on the 7.30pm flight this evening," added the Ryanair boss.

 

TIGER FACT FILE

Tiger Roll was 9lb higher in the handicap this year, with a rating of 159 for the 2019 Randox Health Grand National. But his current official rating has leapt to 167, meaning he was 8lb well in.

Four-time Cheltenham Festival winner looked as good as ever on his latest appearance when taking the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase impressively by 22 lengths on 13th March, a race he also captured in 2018. 

Tiger's other Cheltenham Festival successes came in the 2014 G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle and 2017 G2 National Hunt Chase.

Tiger won the 2016 Munster National at Limerick and the 2019 G2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan.

The Tiger was purchased from Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation by trainer Nigel Hawke as an unraced three-year-old 
and subsequently scored on his hurdling debut at Market Rasen in September, 2013.

Tiger was then purchased for £80,000 by Mags O'Toole on behalf of Gigginstown House Stud.

The Tiger is stable favourite at Gordon Elliott's yard and was once described by owner Michael O'Leary as "a little rat of a thing."

GER LYONS
Top flat trainer Ger Lyons was quick to praise Gordon Elliott in a Tweet.

Genius is an over used term nowadays but @gelliott_racing deserves the accolade. Words fail me, well done lad. 
@MeathSports award sorted for yet another yr! 
(Puppy Power leading jockey @AintreeRaces too)


FULL FINISHING ORDER
1 TIGER ROLL (IRE) BL, TS 9 11-05 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE/Davy Russell 4/1 Fav
2 MAGIC OF LIGHT (IRE) P 8 10-11 Ann & Alan Potts Limited Jessica Harrington IRE/Paddy Kennedy 66/1
3 RATHVINDEN (IRE) 11 11-00 Ronnie Bartlett Willie Mullins IRE/Ruby Walsh 8/1
4 WALK IN THE MILL (FR) 9 10-04 Baroness Harding Robert Walford/James Best 25/1
5 ANIBALE FLY (FR) TS 9 11-10 J P McManus Tony Martin IRE/Mark Walsh
6 ONE FOR ARTHUR (IRE) TS 10 11-00 Two Golf Widows Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox
7 REGAL ENCORE (IRE) 11 10-12 J P McManus Anthony Honeyball / Jonathan Burke
8 SINGLEFARMPAYMENT H 9 10-06 Neal Griffith & Heather Haddock Tom George/Paddy Brennan
9 OUTLANDER (IRE) 11 11-04 Gowing's Eleven Richard Spencer/James Bowen
10 VALSEUR LIDO (FR) 10 10-06 Gigginstown House Stud Henry de Bromhead IRE/Rachael Blackmore
11 LIVELOVELAUGH (IRE) 9 10-04 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE/David Mullins
12 A TOI PHIL (FR) TS 9 10-11 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE/Denis O'Regan
13 BLESS THE WINGS (IRE) P 14 10-03 Adrian Butler & Stephen O'Connor Gordon Elliott IRE/Robert Dunne
14 ULTRAGOLD (FR) TS 11 10-07 Brocade Racing John Romans Terry Warner Colin Tizzard/Tom O'Brien
15 VIEUX LION ROUGE (FR) TS, P 10 10-06 Prof Caroline Tisdall & John Gent David Pipe/Tom Scudamore
16 CAPTAIN REDBEARD (IRE) 10 10-03 Stuart Coltherd Stuart Coltherd/Sam Coltherd
17 FOLSOM BLUE (IRE) TS, P 12 10-04 Core Partnership Gordon Elliott IRE/Luke Dempsey
18 VALTOR (FR) 10 11-06 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson/Daryl Jacob
19 DON POLI (IRE) P 10 11-03 Darren & Annaley Yates Philip Kirby/Mr Patrick Mullins
NON-FINISHERS
FELL 1 VINTAGE CLOUDS (IRE) 9 10-04 Trevor Hemmings Sue Smith/Danny Cook
BD 1 UP FOR REVIEW (IRE) 10 10-06 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE/Danny Mullins
PU 11 MONBEG NOTORIOUS (IRE) V 8 10-10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE/Sean Bowen
FELL 19 ROCK THE KASBAH (IRE) P 9 10-13 Diana Whateley Philip Hobbs/Richard Johnson
FELL 19 GENERAL PRINCIPLE (IRE) TS 10 10-04 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE/J J Slevin
FELL 19 JURY DUTY (IRE) TS 8 10-11 Sideways Syndicate Gordon Elliott IRE/Robbie Power
PU 19 BLOW BY BLOW (IRE) BL, TS 8 10-06 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE/Andrew Ring
PU 21 MINELLA ROCCO (IRE) 9 11-01 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill/Richie McLernon
PU 25 STEP BACK (IRE) P 9 10-07 Cracker and Smodge Partnership Mark Bradstock/Nico de Boinville
FELL 26 BALLYOPTIC (IRE) 9 11-01 Mills & Mason Partnership Nigel Twiston-Davies/Tom Bellamy
UR 27 PLEASANT COMPANY (IRE) 11 11-01 Malcolm Denmark Willie Mullins IRE/Paul Townend
PU 27 LAKE VIEW LAD (IRE) 9 11-01 Trevor Hemmings Nick Alexander/Henry Brooke
PU 28 WARRIORS TALE TS 10 10-13 Trevor Hemmings Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden
PU 28 NOBLE ENDEAVOR (IRE) P 10 10-10 Chris Jones Gordon Elliott IRE/Mark Enright
PU 28 RAMSES DE TEILLEE (FR) TS 7 10-09 John White & Anne Underhill David Pipe/David Noonan
PU 28 JUST A PAR (IRE) BL 12 10-02 Mark Scott James Moffatt/Aidan Coleman
PU 29 GO CONQUER (IRE) TS 10 11-03 Paul & Clare Rooney Nigel Twiston-Davies/Sam Twiston-Davies
PU 29 MALA BEACH (IRE) 11 11-02 Chris Jones Gordon Elliott IRE/Mr Jamie Codd
PU 29 DOUNIKOS (FR) 8 11-00 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE/Jack Kennedy
PU 29 TEA FOR TWO 10 10-09 Jane Williams & Len Jakeman Jane Williams/Lizzie Kelly
PU 29 JOE FARRELL (IRE) 10 10-02 Mark Sherwood, Nigel Morris & Rebecca Curtis Rebecca Curtis/Adam Wedge