Grand National Report: If Niall "Slippers" Madden needed a reality check after Numbersixvalverde's thrilling John Smith's Grand National success, then Tramore yesterday was just the place to get it.
A pair of rides that could charitably be described as average, racing for less than 15,000 in prizemoney, was a quick reminder to the 20-year-old jockey of just how remarkable Saturday's epic victory was. Not every day can be as spectacular. In fact nothing is ever likely to even compare.
There was a sureness of touch and temperament to Madden's first ever experience of the massive Aintree fences that indicates nothing but a hugely successful career lying in wait for him.
However, even if Gold Cup's, Champion Hurdle's and a few jockeys championships eventually end up in his lap, Numbersixvalverde will still be special to him. Almost as much as he is to trainer Martin Brassil and owner Bernard Carroll.
The horse named after Carroll's holiday home on the Algarve may have returned last night to Brassil's stables in Kildare, but that famous six-length defeat of the gallant topweight and 2005 winner Hedghunter, with Clan Royal third and Nil Desperandum fourth, had the backing of a notably raucous Clare roar.
It's nearly 30 years since Brassil left Newmarket-on-Fergus to eventually become one of those trainers low on numbers but high in hands on experience that are the backbone of the game in Ireland. Carroll, now a Dublin-based property developer, left Ennis.
Long before Numbersixvalverde's talent started to emerge, Carroll was a mainstay of Brassil's fledging operation and an Irish National victory last year was the sort of pay-off both men could only have dreamed of. On Saturday those dreams left the stratosphere.
"I was shaking too much to watch. I've tried to imagine winning the National since I was a boy but I couldn't. This is like watching a movie," Brassil exclaimed just minutes after the race.
Yesterday, as he drove the horse box across north Wales on the way to the ferry that would deliver Ireland's fifth National winner in eight years, the 49-year-old trainer was more calm but no less happy.
"It was a perfect performance, one I'm very proud of," he reported. "The horse is in good order. He's finished for the season now hopefully we can go back next year and try and do it again."
Only the Aintree legend Red Rum has managed to do that in the modern era and the difficulty of winning back-to-back National's was illustrated by Hedgehunter's wonderful effort.
Despite a gruelling run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup just three weeks previously, Hedgehunter looked a winner for much of the race until the effects of his 11st 12lb, and rain softened ground, took its toll.
"The winner was getting all that weight and he wouldn't go away," reported Ruby Walsh, who ironically was on board Numbersixvalverde for the Irish National last year. "Hedgehunter loves this place but the ground was a little sticky." Clan Royal just edged out Nil Desperandum to spoil what would have been a 1-2-3 for Irish-trained horses and Messers McManus, McCoy and trainer Jonjo O'Neill are condemned to at least another year of wondering if the world's most famous race will ever yield them a winning divided.
"Despite a couple of mistakes I was well enough at the turn to think we had a serious chance of winning," said McCoy, while Nil Desperandum's rider Tommy Treacy reported: "The ground was just a little too soft. Maybe next year will be his turn." But 2006 will always be the year of Numbersixvalverde and his young jockey. The story of how Niall Madden snr earned the nickname "Boots" because of having footwear too big for him, and the resultant inspired decision to tag "Slippers" to his son, is now part of sporting rather than just racing folklore.
Boots will forever be associated with the wonderful novice Golden Cygnet who promised so much in the spring of 1978 only to be killed in action. The talent to perform when it matters most has clearly been transferred, as has the ability to think straight even at 35mph.
"Going out I wanted one thing, get round the first circuit and then try and ride a race," Slippers explained. "And when I saw the two boys (McCoy and Walsh) in front of me I thought I must be doing something right. I thought I had a chance at the third last when I jumped upsides. I knew this horse would keep going. He is so tough." No National is ever won without the ability to tough it out and the old course bared its teeth again on Saturday with just nine finishers.
But it's the ferocity of the challenge that makes the race so unique. Nobody knows that reality better now than Numbersixvalverde and Slippers Madden. And just to prove his point, Madden went and won on Rosamio at Tramore.
4.15 JOHN SMITH'S GRAND NATIONAL CHASE (HANDICAP) (CLASS 1) (Grade 3) £700,000 added 6YO plus 4m 4f Penalty Value £399,140.00
NUMBERSIXVALVERDE (IRE); b g Broken Hearted - Queens Tricks (O B P Carroll) 10 10 8 N P Madden (11-1) 1.
Hedgehunter (Ire); b g Montelimar (USA) - Aberedw (Ire) (Trevor Hemmings) 10 11 12 R Walsh (5-1 Jt Fav) 2.
Clan Royal (Fr); b g Chef de Clan II (Fr) - Allee Du Roy (Fr) (John P McManus) 11 10 10 A P McCoy (5-1 Jt Fav) 3.
Nil Desperandum (Ire); b g Un Desperado (Fr) Still Hoping (M L Shone) 9 10 7 T P Treacy (33-1) 4.
Also: 9-1 Jack High (Ire) (11 10 7 D J Casey) unseated rider, 10-1 Innox (Fr) (B) (10 10 13 R Thornton) fell, 11-1 Garvivonnian (Ire) (11 10 8 G Cotter) pulled up, 16-1 Ross Comm (10 10 5 D Elsworth) fell, 20-1 Joes Edge (Ire) (9 10 10 D N Russell), 22-1 Cornish Rebel (Ire) (9 11 9 J Tizzard) pulled up, 25-1 Direct Access (Ire) (11 10 6 A Dobbin) pulled up, 25-1 Haut de Gamme (Fr) (11 10 7 K Mercer) fell, 25-1 Juveigneur (Fr) (9 10 9 M A Fitzgerald) fell, 33-1 Forest Gunner (12 10 10 Miss N Carberry), 33-1 Le Duc (Fr) (7 10 10 J E Moore) unseated rider, 33-1 Lord of Illusion (Ire) (9 10 11 J M Maguire) pulled up, 33-1 Royal Auclair (Fr) (9 11 12 Christian Williams) fell, 33-1 Shotgun Willy (Ire) (12 10 5 A Tinkler) pulled up, 33-1 Sir Oj (Ire) (B) (9 10 10 P Carberry) fell, 40-1 Inca Trail (Ire) (B) (10 10 9 B Harding), 40-1 Silver Birch (Ire) (9 10 12 S Thomas) fell, 50-1 Amberleigh House (Ire) (14 10 9 G Lee) pulled up, 50-1 Colnel Rayburn (Ire) (10 10 6 J Cullen) pulled up, 50-1 Ebony Light (Ire) (10 10 10 S J Craine) fell, 50-1 It Takes Time (Ire) (12 11 8 T J Murphy) pulled up, 50-1 Just In Debt (Ire) (10 10 4 A Dempsey) fell, 50-1 Therealbandit (Ire) (9 11 9 R Johnson) pulled up, 66-1 Baron Windrush (8 10 7 C Llewellyn) unseated rider, 66-1 Heros Collonges (Fr) (11 10 7 J P McNamara) unseated rider, 66-1 Puntal (Fr) (10 10 12 B J Geraghty) 6th, 66-1 Risk Accessor (Ire) (11 10 6 N Fehily) 5th, 80-1 Ballycassidy (Ire) (10 10 9 L Aspell) fell, 100-1 First Gold (Fr) (B) (13 10 10 R McGrath) unseated rider, 100-1 Iris Royal (Fr) (10 10 6 M Foley) pulled up, 100-1 Native Upmanship (Ire) (B) (13 11 0 C O'Dwyer) refused, 100-1 Rince Ri (Ire) (13 10 12 A J McNamara) refused, 100-1 Tyneandthyneagain (11 10 7 P Buchanan) fell, 100-1 Whispered Secret (Ger) (7 10 12 R Greene) unseated rider, 150-1 Le Roi Miguel (Fr) (8 11 7 L Heard) pulled up, 200-1 Iznogoud (Fr) (10 10 8 T Scudamore) pulled up. 40 ran. Off: 4.20. 6, 1¼l\, shd, dist, 16 (M Brassil).
Tote: win #15.30 places #3.80, #2.80, #2.40, #11.30. Tote Exacta: #98.90. CSF: #56.30. Tricast: #337.70.
