What a race.
All the way to a breathless, epic conclusion, Tiger Roll held on to the win the 2018 Grand National, giving jockey Davy Russell his first win at the prestigious race.
Roll pulled clear after the last fence in a fantastic run but was run unbelievably close by Pleasant Company, who made an amazing last-ditch surge to provide a tense photo finish.
And while Russell savoured the moment, it was heartache for David Mullins. The Kilkenny native won the National two years ago but came up just shy this time around after a sensational race.
Coming in a close second to the little horse with a heart of a lion, Mullins couldn’t hide his agony after the finish
That expression. A poignant projection of defeat and one very much in stark contrast to Russell, who couldn’t quite believe it when he was announced as the winner.
At the end, Russell and Mullins pointed at each other as if to say ‘you’ve got that.’ Neither of them knew for sure and it
“It’s not nice to lose by that much but another stride we would have been up,” Mullins told ITV after. “All credit to him though, he had me well cooked. I give him one last rattle but that’s racing.”
It was hard not to feel for Mullins but, at 21, his time will surely come once again. The young jockey has the world at his feet but this day belonged 38-year-old Davy Russell.
