Racing: Timbera win keeps Culloty on a high at Fairyhouse

Given a choice of flying high or riding high, there is no doubt which Jim Culloty prefers. With considerably more coolness than he evinced on Friday when he made his maiden bungee jump, he brought off another first yesterday, winning the 132nd Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Timbera, his inaugural ride in the historic marathon.

In front on the turn for home on the Dessie Hughes-trained nine-year-old, Culloty sat tight as Knock Knock and Winning Dream came past over the last two fences, before conjuring a perfectly timed rally to take Ireland's richest chase by a head.

The victory maintained the Irishman's tremendous big-race record in recent seasons, adding to two Gold Cups on Best Mate and last year's Aintree Grand National on Bindaree. "The horse gave me a dream ride," he said of the 11-1 winner. "He never made a mistake, and then battled on real well."

As far as Culloty is concerned, that first bungee dive, at Lambourn's charity open day, will also be his last, and to hell with the jump jockey's reputation for suicidal bravado. The Irishman was seen to cross himself on the first bounce upwards and was chalk-faced as he was helped, trembling, from the elastic. "I've never been so petrified in all my life," he said. "Absolutely never again."

Culloty kept Timbera, who was still competitive in last year's race when coming down two out, close to the pace the whole way as Torduff Boy, Beausheram and Princess Symphony juggled the lead. The gelding's victory and the €106,580 (£68,000) first prize also capped the season for the veteran trainer Hughes, on the mark at the Cheltenham Festival with Hardy Eustace.

Runner-up Knock Knock, prepared by Ireland's most upwardly mobile jumps trainer, David Wachman, will be aimed at the real thing next season. Third-placed Winning Dream, two lengths adrift, almost lived up to his name for Tony McCoy, like Culloty having his first Irish National ride. And 2001 winner David's Lad, having his first run since emerging from the schooling-in-public ban that ruled him out of Aintree, gave his connections a glimpse of what might have been with his gallant fourth place under his welter burden of 12st.

The fast ground at Fairyhouse caused the withdrawal of last year's National winner, The Bunny Boiler, and has deprived fans of the presence of Beef Or Salmon, a faller in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in today's feature, the Powers Gold Cup. "The horse is 100 per cent, but he's too good to risk," said his trainer, Michael Hourigan.

The Bunny Boiler is among 26 five-day entries for the attheraces Gold Cup (Whitbread that was), the next contest on the long-distance circuit, at Sandown on Saturday. The weights are headed by Foxchapel King and other nominees include Gold Cup third Harbour Pilot, First Gold and the last two winners, Bounce Back and Ad Hoc.

The domestic programme yesterday was largely plebeian fare, but one to rise above the dross was Parasol, an aptly named crowd-pleasing winning favourite (7-4) for Frankie Dettori at sun-drenched Kempton. His trainer, David Loder, in his final season with a licence, entertains hopes that the four-year-old may progress enough to tackle the Arlington Million.

The firm ground may be emasculating what is left of the jumps season, but they have bigger problems in Singapore. The meeting at Kranji next month, featuring the International Cup won by Grandera last year, has been cancelled because of the SARS outbreak.