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The Grand National field come home

2024 Randox Grand National - reaction from beaten connections at Aintree

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sat April 13, 2024 · 8M ago

Reaction from the beaten connections following the 2024 Randox Grand National at Aintree.

Jockeys

Jack Kennedy, rider of Delta Work (2nd), said: “He ran a cracker and I’m delighted with him. He made a couple of mistakes, but he travelled into it well enough.”

Rachael Blackmore, rider of Minella Indo (3rd), said: “It was a brilliant run and he run a super race. He was in against younger legs, but it was a brilliant run, and congratulations go to Paul Townend, JP (McManus) and Willie (Mullins). I got a nice passage around, and had plenty of space where I wanted it. It was still a massive race to ride in.”

Sam Ewing, rider of Galvin (4th), said: “He ran a blinding race. He jumped, and travelled, and I had a lovely position the whole way around. I was very happy with his run. I was staying, but I was never getting to the first couple.”

Jack Tudor – rider Kitty's Light (5th)

"He ran an unbelievable race, he jumped really well. It was great fun, he just wasn't quite good enough to win a Grand National. He ran brilliantly. No hard luck stories, he's just not good enough to win the Grand National.

Danny Mullins, rider of Meetingofthewaters (7th), said: “I had a great run. He travelled into it well enough but he just flattened out, but I Am Maximus is a very good winner.”

James Reveley - Roi Mage (9th)

"Ran well, just didn't quite get home over the excessive trip. Made one little mistake. Ran well, he's a 12 year old."

Mark Walsh - Limerick Lace (10th)

"She ran OK, she didn't jump it well enough. She was a bit too long in the air, and she got waved out. No chance after that."

Sean Bowen - The Goffer (13th)

"It travelled and jumped great and I thought he'd run a big race, and then didn't stay. Big run."

Darragh O'Keeffe - Eklat De Rire (15th)

"I got a good spin, jumped well. Happy enough."

Keith Donoghue - Capodanno (16th)

"We had a good run, just don't think he could get home."

Harry Cobden - Noble Yeats (19th)

"Very pleased. It never travelled, never helped me out too much, but jumped well. Thought I'd run OK halfway. I had Paul on the favourite in front of me and Vanillier. I just think the ground being tacky stopped him."

Brendan Powell - Eldorado Allen (20th)

"He gave me a good spin for three and three-quarter miles and then got tired."

Sean O'Keeffe - Adamantly Chosen (21st)

"Ran well, jumped really well, just got a bit tired in all that distance."

Danny Gilligan - Chemical Energy (PU)

"I got a great spin off him for a long way. He jumped well for his first run over those fences, and he hadn't run in a long time, so hopefully they'll be some improvement off that, and hopefully back again next year."

Gavin Brouder - Foxy Jacks (PU)

"Ran a brilliant race. If the ground was nice, good ground I would've been able to let him roll away and he would've got farther. When the pace started increasing on that ground he lost confidence and he was done."

Derek Fox- Corach Rambler (UR)

“I hit the first and he unseated me. That is the long and the short of it.”

Donagh Meyler, Farouk D’Alene (PU), said: “I got a great spin off him. He jumped and travelled well, but unfortunately he just ran out of a bit of steam late on.”

Trainers

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Delta Work (2nd) and Galvin (4th), said: "It just didn’t happen for us. No one remembers second, I don’t anyway. Delta Work was awesome and Galvin is a warrior, I’m so proud of him and I’m so lucky with the horses I have. Delta Work was flying come here and I thought this was his year. He ran his race and just got beat by a better horse, that’s it.

“The winner is exceptional and Willie Mullins remains a thorn in my side.”

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Minella Indo (3rd) and Ain’t That A Shame (6th), said: “He (Minella Indo) is a warrior isn’t he. He is brilliant, and I am delighted with him. He is amazing. I thought we were going to win it there. She travelled so well, and they were brilliant. They were both brilliant together. To get horses like him is incredible, and we have had so much fun with him.

“We were trying to turn a negative into a positive (with the cross country chase being abandoned), but maybe with how the ground had gone (at Cheltenham) it might have taken the edge off him. We will enjoy today and see (about next year). "He owes us absolutely nothing, and all we want to do is look after him. The way he jumped he around there it looked like he loved every minute of it.

“David (Maxwell) gave him (Ain’t That A Shame) a super ride. He was brilliant the whole way on him. I’m delighted for him as he got such a thrill.”

Christian Williams, trainer of Kitty's Light (5th), said: "It was great, it was wonderful to watch him. He finished fifth. We are very proud of him. It was a nice clear round, and we hoped he was in the shake up and we were very privileged to watch him there and see him jump around. It's great.

"He took to it early and he enjoyed it then. I thought we had a chance. A long way out he was travelling sweet and jumping well. I was trying to be calm, but I was getting quite excited. He's a wonderful horse - he's great. We're very lucky to have him."

Asked how his daughters Betsy and Tilly felt watching Kitty's Light run in the Grand National:

"They were great. I didn't actually watch it with them, I watched it in the Parade Ring but we all ran over to see him after the race. It was great to get to him and have a few pictures. I think he was pleased to see us."

Asked if Kitty's Light could come back to the National next year: "Maybe, he might struggle to get in off ratings.

"It's tricky now, where do we run him in the Scottish Nationals and Bet365s that he's capable of winning, or come back to the Grand National, where he might finish fourth, fifth or sixth."

Lucinda Russell, trainer of Corach Rambler, said: “It was obviously disappointing what happened, but I was more worried when I saw him come down at the second. Thankfully he’s fine, no problems and the owners are just delighted that he has come home safe and sound.”

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