RACING/IRISH GRAND NATIONAL:HEAR THE ECHO pulled off one of the biggest shocks in Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National history yesterday as the Michael O'Leary-owned 33 to 1 shot beat the 6 to 1 joint-favourite Royal County Star in dramatic style at Fairyhouse.
Despite Hear The Echo's SP, the longest in the last 60 years along with Granit D'Estruval (2004) and Bentom Boy (1984), there was no shortage of post-race celebration after the Easter Monday feature.
The presence of the Ryanair supremo, O'Leary, was always guaranteed to provoke attention, especially since the first prize worth €141,500 was presented to the controversial businessman by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.
Asked if he had backed the winner, Ahern, who has had a number of spats with O'Leary in the past, responded: "I didn't hear the echo."
For his own part, O'Leary offered to marry Hear The Echo's trainer Mouse Morris, who masterminded yesterday's victory and who also saddled the winning owner's 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, War Of Attrition.
The satisfaction of Hear The Echo's jockey Paddy Flood might not have been as vocal but it was nevertheless evident as the 21-year-old Kildare rider enjoyed the greatest success of his career.
A few years ago Flood admitted some problems with alcohol which meant he briefly left the sport to seek treatment.
Since then his rise as one of the most in-demand lightweight jockeys in the country was confirmed by a link-up with Morris that almost yielded a maiden Cheltenham festival victory on Venalmar 12 days ago.
A further sting to that defeat was a six-day whip ban that begins today but Flood could afford to dismiss it yesterday. "It hasn't sunk in because I didn't really fancy him," he grinned. "I thought he would run well because Mouse always trains them for the big day. But this is a nice way to go on holidays."
A dozen lengths separated Hear The Echo from Royal County Star at the line, with Notre Pere in third and the runner-up's stable companion Newbay Prop in fourth. There was one casualty, Alexander Taipan, who suffered a fatal fall at the 18th fence.
Royal County Star looked set to swallow up Hear The Echo on the turn-in but a mistake at the second last seemed to puncture his chance and afterwards his trainer, Tony Martin, revealed the horse had had a stone bruise on Saturday. "It was a scare but he was perfect today and we have no excuses," Martin said.
Hear The Echo is now a general 33 to 1 shot for the 2009 Aintree National to add to the recent good record of Irish National winners over the big fences.
"If he'd have got in at Aintree this year I'd have run him. He's a real National horse. He'll stay five miles - but we'll settle for this one!" said Morris who rode the 1977 Irish National winner Billycan. "The horses were sick for much of the year but about a week before Cheltenham this horse started coming right. I'm not surprised."
Davy Russell is Michael O'Leary's retained rider but he couldn't do the weight on Hear The Echo and instead teamed up with the other 6 to 1 joint favourite Cailin Alainn, who was pulled up after the seventh last fence.
It wasn't a good day for Russell all round as his rival for the jockeys' championship Ruby Walsh rode his third successive double of the Easter festival to narrow the gap in the title race to 116-110.
The odds-on Reisk Superman easily landed the Beginners Chase to provide some compensation for the Tony Martin team and Shakervilz had earlier beaten Hi Cloy in the three-mile conditions hurdle for Willie Mullins. "This fella could stay hurdling next season as he is a slick little hurdler and stays all day," Mullins said.
Walsh today starts a six-day suspension picked up at Cheltenham but hopes to return to action in Ireland tomorrow week.
Tom Hogan's decision to haul Kalderon in from a break in a field to contest the two-runner Grade Three hurdle paid off in style as David Casey's mount overhauled his rival Earth Magic after the last.
"When he came back from Cheltenham I just put him in a field. But when I copped there was only one runner in the race, I got my son to bring him in and get a blow into him," said Hogan who could take Kalderon to Liverpool next. "It's worked out a grand piece of work!"
One of the riding performances of the week came from claimer Shane Jackson who survived a horrendous error by The Joker at the third last of the novice handicap chase to eventually win by half a length from Clarkey.
