Kilmessan jockey lands Liverpool showpiece

Kilmessan man Jason Maguire won the Aintree Grand National for the first time on Saturday with the Donald McCain-trained Ballabriggs which held of the late challenge of Oscar Time, trained by Summerhill man Martin Lynch. For a brief moment on the run in it appeared that Oscar Time would overhaul Maguire's mount, but the Kilmessan man coaxed a final effort from Ballabriggs and flashed past the post in first place. "I've got to thank my mother and father back in Kilmessan, the owner and trainer, everybody, it's a dream come true," commented Maguire who missed the ride on 2007 winner Silver Birch for trainer Gordon Elliott. "I tried to get in the first 10 early on so that if he did make a mistake we hadn't as much ground to make up - he loved it and was jumping from fence to fence," added the Kilmessan man. "I got him to the front to get him relaxed and put breathers into him and that helped him get the trip. "There was a question mark about him getting the trip, but Donald has done a great job. "I don't know what I feel. I'm just overwhelmed, I'm sure it will sink in later," concluded Maguire as he walked back to the winners' enclosure. Maguire gave up his rides at Ludlow on Sunday to recover from the injuries he sustained at Aintree on Thursday when he dislocated his thumb and had stitches in his elbow. He suffered a heavy fall from Palawi in a juvenile hurdle and was stood down for the rest of Thursday, but returned to action on Friday and Saturday. There was good Meath representation in the Aintree showpiece with Paul Carberry finishing 10th on Backstage and his sister Nina also completing on Character Building. Jason Maguire's uncle, Adrian, also had a runner in the race, Golden Kite, which also got around for jockey Shane Hassett. Robbie Power fell at the 27th with Killyglen while Andrew Lynch departed as early as the tird when Vic Venturi was brought down. Barry Geraghty, who recorded a treble by winning the first three races on Saturday for trainer Nicky Henderson, only got as far as the sixth when Or Noir De Somoza fell. Oscar Whisky completed a remarkable hat-trick for the Henderson-Geraghty partnership when just holding off the challenge of Thousand Stars in the Aintree Hurdle. Geraghty also won with Finian's Rainbow in a novice chase and made all the running before one or two minor mistakes down the back straight while Spirit Son ran out an easy winner of the opening Mersey Novices' Hurdle on Saturday. However, two horses suffered fatal falls in the big race and two fences were by-passed on the final circuit which meant only 28 of the 30 fences were jumped. Dunshaughlin jockey Peter Toole was injured in a fall at the Liverpool track on Saturday also when 100/1 outsider Classic Fly fell at the first fence in a novice chase. He remained in an induced coma over the weekend, but he woke up on Monday night and appears to be making progress. This weekend, trainer Gordon Elliott will be heading for Scotland and a tilt at the Scottish National at Ayr with Chicago Grey on Saturday while the Trim-based handler could also have up to four runners in the Irish national the following weekend.