LONDON: Willie Mullins finally won the Irish Grand National as 6/1 favourite Burrows Saint led home a sweep of the first three for the veteran trainer at Fairyhouse, near Dublin, on Monday.
Isleofhopendreams once again finished second, Acapella Bourgeois, also trained by Mullins, finished third. Monday’s result also gave jockey Ruby Walsh his third victory in the race.
Mullins has won most of the major jumps races in both his native Ireland and England, with Al Boum Photo giving him his first Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph last month.
But the Irish Grand National – a race where his father Paddy was a four-time winning trainer – had until Monday eluded Mullins, who had his first runner in the steeplechase 21 years ago.
Isleofhopendreams missed out in a photo finish last year but there was no denying Mullins on Monday, with the six-year-old Burrows Saint making steady progress under leading jockey Walsh before moving to the front with three fences left to jump. – AFP
