THERE'S always a storyline at Aintree. This time around it was that of trainer Michael ‘Mouse’ Morris – he enjoyed a great win as did the young rider David Mullins, nephew of Willie Mullins.
Galway man Mouse has been in racing for years and he still looks the same since I started in racing when I was 12 – he’s never changed.
It doesn’t look like he’s aged at all, despite the personal tragedy that he suffered last year when his son Christopher, 30, died in a tragic accident during a trip to Argentina last summer.
When Rule The World crossed the finish line at the Grand National on Saturday, I’m sure the first thing Mouse was thinking about was his son. It was a positive step during a tough year for him.
For Danny [David], it was his first ride over the National fence and for it to result in a winner is amazing, more so because the horse was still a novice – he’d never won over the fences.
He did come second in the Irish Grand National, but he’d never won a chase. So, to win his first chase at Aintree is some achievement.
Danny represents a new generation of riders coming through – there’s definitely more younger lads in the Weighing Room these days.
During his ride he got nothing wrong, the only thing to think about is where he goes from here?
The National is the top of the tree for a rider – every rider aims to win that. What he needs to do now though is try to win it again and push himself to do so.
As an athlete or sports person, if you reach the top that quick, past history shows that people can get a bit slack.
He needs to set other goals – perhaps a back-to-back National or to win the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. He’s young, so he’s got plenty of time to win it again.
Many Clouds – who won the National in 2015 – fell short this time around and I’m sure trainer Oliver Sherwood will be walking away disappointed not to have won two years in a row.
