Racing: Glory comes to Pass

Grand National: Geraghty, Mr Cheltenham, scales Aintree heights

Monty's Pass won the 156th Grand National for the Co Cork stable of Jimmy Mangan, who has just 15 horses in his care, but there is nothing paltry about the riches yesterday's 12-length success brought. In addition to the £348,000 first-prize money, Mike Futter, who heads the Dee Syndicate that own the 10-year-old, had backed his horse steadily at all rates from 40-1 down to the 16-1 at which he started, winning some £800,000, the biggest betting coup by an owner in the race's history.

Barry Geraghty, the winning rider, had failed to complete on his last two National rides and could have partnered the strongly fancied Youlneverwalkalone, who had provided him with one of the successes that had made him top jockey at last month's Cheltenham Festival. Instead, he gave Monty's Pass the benefit of his now widely appreciated skills to bring him home clear of Supreme Glory, with Amberleigh House in third for Red Rum's veteran trainer, Ginger McCain, and the long-time leader Gunner Welburn plugging on into fourth for the first-season trainer Andrew Balding.

As ever, the spectacle came at a price and it was Goguenard who paid it. The nine-year-old, trained by Sue Smith and her husband, the former showjumper Harvey, and owned by Trevor Hemmings, the team that lost The Last Fling in the race last year, was killed in a fall at the 19th fence, an open ditch that, unusually, proved the most difficult obstacle on the circuit, also grounding Maximize, Robbo You're Agoodun and the fancied Ad Hoc.

Before the race, half a dozen were vying for favouritism yet not one of the market leaders managed to play a major part, with Chives, Iris Bleu and Youlneverwalkalone being pulled up before completing a circuit – the latter pair later transferred to veterinary quarters. Shotgun Willy, who may have burst blood vessels, was also pulled up, while Killusty fell at Becher's on the second circuit where Gerry Supple broke a femur when Burlu came down. Other casualties were Timmy Murphy, who broke his nose and suffered concussion when unseated by Torduff Express, Alan Dempsey, who fractured his wrist in Robbo's fall, and Brian Crowley, who broke a collar-bone when Bramblehill Duke fell. Of 40 who set out 14 finished.

Big race details

1 Monty's Pass B J Geraghty 16-1
2 Supreme Glory L Aspell 40-1
3 Amberleigh House G Lee 33-1
4 Gunner Welburn B Fenton 16-1

Winning trainer: J J Mangan, Ireland
Winning owner: Dee Racing Syndicate
Winning distances: 12l, 2l, 14l

Favourite: Shotgun Willy 7-1 (pulled up)