Gordon Elliott enjoyed another successful day at the races yesterday, after winning his first Irish Grand National, and in the process notching his 200th winner of the jumps season with a point-to-point winner over in Cork.
The Irish trainer has been in incredible form in the past month, a winner of 8 races at the Cheltenham Festival, then a few weeks later landing some extremely valuable prizes in Ireland over the Easter weekend.
It was the 20-1 shot General Principle what landed the spoils in the National. A fantastic finish to the race, it looked like any of 6 could possibly nick the prize after the last. But it was the colour of Gigginstown yet again that came up trumps, just nailing Mullins’ charge Isleofhopendreams on the line.
When speaking to At The Races, Elliott said.
He wasn’t one of my leading horses, but it’s great to win. He ran very well in the race last year (finished 5th), JJ gave him a great ride and it worked out great, I’m delighted. To be honest there was many of them coming to the last, I didn’t know where to look. Folsom Blue was unlucky as he mowed out of it .
If the day couldn’t get any better for Elliott, it most certainly did. The 5-year-old Portnablagh was running over in Cork in a point-to-point race, not long after the National took place, and the odds-on favourite justified the market support when out-battling his rivals – the 200th winner for the Irish trainer.
He said.
It’s unbelievable to train 200 winners in the season. It’s down to the owners and the staff I have, so im very lucky.
He wasn’t finished there, either. Getaway John made it winner 201 in the Cawley Furniture INH Flat Race to finish of a incredible day for the trainer and the Gigginstown team.
