Leading Irish amateur jockey Jamie Codd was proud of the performance of 16/1 chance Cause Of Causes, who finished a gutsy four and a half-length second to 14/1 winner One For Arthur in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree racecourse on Saturday.
Just three weeks on from Gordon Elliott’s charge becoming the fifth horse in Cheltenham Festival history to win three different races at the Cheltenham Festival, the nine-year-old son of Dynaformer ran a belter to take second in the £1-million contest.
Always travelling well in mid-division for Codd, the USA bred-gelding jumped beautifully to better his eighth-placed finish in the 2015 renewal of the world’s most famous chase. However, he just lacked the same finishing kick showed by the winning who careered away up the elbow. Codd said:
He’s a fantastic little horse. He’s not that big and to do what he has done today is great. The winner has done it quite well in the end but my horse has galloped all the way to the line.
He is a little star, he is great for the yard and to finish second in the Grand National and be a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner is incredible. He minds me, he is an idle horse but to be fair to him, he kept finding.
If you have a willing partner you will always going to be there on the day – disappointed but he has run a great race.
Davy Russell was drenched in sweat after he steered 25/1 shot Saint Are to third place. The gelding was second in the 2015 renewal and stayed on well in the home straight to come past beaten rivals.
Russell was delighted with his charge but just suggested his horse got outpaced at certain times. He remarked:
He just went through a flat patch. He was a bit slow at the last with a circuit to go. When we came around the bend, he came alive again.
They quickened away from Becher’s and I just couldn’t go with them as I would have had to take him off the bridle too early so I left him off with the hope that he would pass tired horses and that happened.
At any stage, I didn’t think I was going to win it but I was riding for my best position and I think I achieved that.
Noel Fehily, rode the heavily-backed 8/1 favourite Blaklion, who was in front in the back straight but it’s a long way home in the Grand National and he eventually finished fourth. Fehily said:
He gave me a great ride, he jumped brilliantly but he just tied up a bit from two out.
Robbie Dunne had a great spin on Gas Line Boy, who finished fifth. He remarked:
He ran well. Probably didn’t get home. I was travelling really well turning in and perhaps I would not have won but if I had held him onto a bit longer, I might have finished third. He has run a cracker. I had a lovely passage down the middle and I followed Blaklion [fourth]. I was always happy with where I was. He got in deep at a few fences but he has run well.
He’s run a super race. It’s disappointing to finish second but he has run a belter. He is great little horse, I’m delighted with him. The winner had too much for me on the way to last but it was a great spin.
Sam Twiston-Davies, rode faller Saphir Du Rheu. He said:
He fell at the ditch but we were going fine at the time.
Brian Hughes fell at the first aboard Vicente. He said:
I fell at the first so there’s not a lot more I can say. It was all OK up to then!
Danny Cook partnered the well-backed and well-touted Definitly Red but he was inconvenienced by The Young Master’s fall at Becher’s Brook first time around, with Cook commenting:
The tack slipped round his belly and there was nothing else I could do from there. He was jumping and he got into a real nice rhythm. I thought I was going to have a nice spin round as he took to the fences, but it is just one of those things.
Barry Geraghty rode More Of That who jumped well but was ultimately pulled up. He added:
He was never really travelling. He faded out of it but he jumped like a stag.
