Rule The World showed his battling qualities when ploughing through the rain-softened conditions to land the Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree.
Steadily working his way through the field, the 33-1 shot was sitting a close third as The Last Samuri and Vics Canvas jumped the last together.The Last Samuri battled on at the elbow but could not quite hold off the strong-finishing Mouse Morris-trained nine-year-old, who was remarkably winning for the first time over fences.Forging on inside the final 100 yards under 19-year-old David Mullins – on his first ride in the race – the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding eventually crossed the line six lengths ahead of 8-1 joint-favourite The Last Samuri.Vics Canvas was third at 100-1 and Gilgamboa (28-1) fourth.Mullins said: “It’s unbelievable. I just couldn’t expect things to have gonebetter.”There was one little mishap at the fourth-last, but thank god I came out (the other side). Everything went to plan really.”Credit to Mouse, he’s produced this horse without having won over fences. Then there’s me, who’s never even walked around the Grand National track.”Mouse is a genius and he’s the best man in the world for preparing a horse for one day.”I’m very thankful to Michael and Eddie O’Leary (of Gigginstown) for giving me the chance.”That’s the best ride I’ve ever got off a horse and it’s the best feeling to come back into a place like this.”It was just brilliant.”