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McCoy breaks jinx

LIVERPOOL — Fourteen-times champion jockey Tony McCoy won the Grand National here at Aintree on Saturday for the first time in 15 attempts on Don’t Push It.

The 10-1 joint favourite — also giving trainer Jonjo O’Neill and owner JP McManus their first win — beat long-time Irish leader Black Apalachi by five lengths with last year’s fourth State of Play third and the other joint favourite Big Fella Thanks fourth.

“It means everything to win it — I’ve won lots of big races and I’m supposed to be a good jockey, but to not win the Grand National would be a bit of a negative on the CV,” gasped a visibly moved McCoy, the only jockey to ride 3000 national hunt winners.

“I am delighted — delighted for my mum and dad and my wife — my two and a half year old daughter will be proud of me when she grows up.

“You just keep going once you are in there and got a chance of winning — I am privileged to win a National in JP’s colours.”

O’Neill, who as a jockey never won the race though he was more famous for his winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Irish mare Dawn Run, was speechless. “I am lost for words — it is fantastic — I am delighted for AP — brilliant — can’t get much better — until he passed the post I thought it would never happen,” said O’Neill, who has fought a successful battle with cancer.

McManus, a former joint-owner of Manchester United who has been involved in jumps racing for decades, was typically humble.

“I first have to thank Frank Berry who found and bought the horse — that was a great start — full marks to Jonjo — great effort on behalf of him and his team,” said McManus.

McCoy, twice third in the world’s greatest steeplechase, moved his mount, whose prep race had seen him pulled up in a hurdle race, moved into pole position on the turn into the final two fences and the dreaded run-in at the Elbow.

Four were in contention on the turn including 17-year-old Sam Twiston-Davies on Hello Bud — bidding to become the second youngest jockey to win the race — Black Apalachi and Big Fella Thanks, whose rider Barry Geraghty had picked up the ride when Ruby Walsh suffered a suspected broken arm in a fall earlier in the day.

Black Apalachi lost the lead approaching the last while Hello Bud faded.

However, even though the Dessie Hughes-trained Black Apalachi — who fell when leading on the second circuit last year — came back at Don’t Push It, McCoy was not to be denied and managed to get an extra burst out of his mount. “I had a tremendous ride — he jumped from fence to fence — but I’m delighted for AP — he beat me fair and square,” said a gracious Denis O’Regan, rider on the runner-up.

While one punter landed a huge gamble on the winner at 16/1 other heavily fancied horses fared less well, though, the bookies are estimated to have lost 10million pounds on the race.

Dream Alliance, owned by a syndicate of bailiffs and taxi drivers in Wales, never enjoyed himself and was pulled up on the second circuit while Nina Carberry’s bid to become the first woman rider to win the race never really looked on on Character Bulding.

Well behind going out to the country on the second circuit she did make progress but too late to finish seventh while last year’s winner Mon Mome came to grief at the 26^th fence.

England cricket all-rounder Freddie Flintoff flew in from Dubai for the race to see his horse, the imaginatively named Flintoff, fail to fire and he was pulled up early on the second circuit while Harry Skelton, son of Great Britain showjumping great Nick, pulled up Niche Market at the 29^th of the 30 fences along with long-time leader Conna Castle. —