Just as well for Tiger Roll that the finish line came when it did. The 8-year old Irish gelding ridden by Davy Russell won the 2018 Aintree Grand National in a photo finish, holding off a late run by Pleasant Colony. A few more strides and the outcome might have been different!
One of the smallest horses in the race at just 15.2″, some thought the diminutive gelding was too small for the Aintree fences. Although he didn’t give the big fences much air, he didn’t put a foot wrong and although he tired up the last hill, he held on long enough to win by a head.
For jockey Davy Russell, the win was a sweet one, coming on his 14th attempt just weeks after the death of his mother and birth of his fourth child. At 38, he was the oldest jockey in the race.
As with most Grand Nationals, the attrition rate of runners was high — only 12 out of 38 runners completed the race. No horses were seriously injured. There was concern over Saint Are, who had a bad fall over the Chair and was treated on course, but his trainer reports that he had a comfortable night and that by Sunday morning the horse looked bright.