'To do it again is unbelievable' - McLoughlin springs another Fairyhouse stunner

Monday: BoyleSports Irish Grand National, Fairyhouse

The 150^th running of the BoyleSports Irish Grand National got under way to a chorus of 'ole ole' from the Fairyhouse grandstands and it ended with similarly raucous din as Dermot McLoughlin cemented his status as a local hero by plundering the €500,000 feature for a second time in a row with rank outsider Lord Lariat.

Given Freewheelin Dylan returned at an unprecedented SP of 150-1 under Ricky Doyle, the final odds of 40-1 about Lord Lariat look almost prohibitively short. Similar to then, though, Lord Lariat cut out some of the early running here under 7lb claimer Paddy O’Hanlon.

Like Ratoath-based McLoughlin, 24-year-old O’Hanlon comes from nearby Skryne, although he is originally from Glasnevin in inner city Dublin. After leading over the first few fences, O’Hanlon took a lead from Frontal Assault, but he never let the Jack Kennedy-ridden runner out of his sights.

He ghosted off his shoulder as they swung for home and jumped to the front from a wall of horses as they crossed the third-last. With Willie Mullins' 11-2 favourite Gaillard Du Mesnil and well-backed Velvet Elvis laying down a challenge on his outside, it looked like it was all to play for two-out.

However, Lord Lariat pricked his ears and answered O’Hanlon’s every urging. They pinged the final fence with a couple of lengths to spare from Gordon Elliott’s Frontal Assault, who ran a similarly game race to regain second, the best of the handler's ten runners.

A jubilant Dermot McLoughlin (left), Paddy O'Hanlon (centre) and Pat Blake celebrate at FairyhouseCredit: Caroline Norris

He was ultimately beaten by nearly five lengths as Gaillard Du Mesnil held on for third from Screaming Colours, with Early Doors fifth, Velvet Elvis sixth and Max Flamingo seventh.

BoyleSports Irish Grand National: full result and replay

It all made for another epic spectacle in Irish racing’s most prestigious chase and enhanced McLoughlin’s remarkable family legacy in the race.

His late father Liam had won the race 60 years earlier on Kerfuro for Tom Dreaper. He also rode Arkle to his first win at Naas the same year, 1962, so it was fitting that his son – who learned his trade with Dreaper's son Jim – should emulate his old boss here by becoming the first trainer to saddle back-to-back Irish National winners.

Jim Dreaper last achieved that with Brown Lad in 1975 and 1976, and he was also the last to do win the race in successive years with different horses, having scored with Colebridge in 1974.

A bit like Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead having to do it all over again at Cheltenham in March after last year’s behind-closed-doors shutout, McLoughlin made up for that sterile experience when he was gleefully serenaded back into the winner’s enclosure. It is some feat for a relatively small-scale operation of just 40 horses.

"We’re only ten minutes down the road, so to do it again is unbelievable,” he admitted in that understated way of his.

"There was no one here last year, so all my family and staff are here, which is great. It probably won’t sink in for a while, but I’m coming here from a young age with my father so it’s very special. The team at home work hard and to have my wife and kids here this time makes up for last year. We’ll enjoy it.”

For all that Lord Lariat was a 40-1 shot, this was no afterthought for McLoughlin. After the seven-year-old won at the track under Joanna Walton in November, his wily trainer circled the big event.

Jockey Paddy O'Hanlon celebrates his Fairyhouse successCredit: Patrick McCann

He won again at Punchestown under O’Hanlon on New Year’s Eve, before a couple of middling turns put punters off the scent in the interim.

"We’ve laid him out for this since before Christmas," McLoughlin explained. "When Joanna Walton won the ladies’ race on him, he nearly ran away with her and she said he’d get further, so we said we’d have a go if we could get into this, and we’ve only snuck in right at the bottom, so we had a bit of luck there.

"This is a nice horse. I was concerned he wouldn’t get the trip, but I said to Paddy to do like we did last year and let him pop out, because I wanted to utilise his jumping, and he enjoyed himself and jumped and travelled. He gave him breathers at the right time and it all worked out. It doesn’t usually happen like that."

If it never happens again, it has at least now happened twice for McLoughlin, who went into the weekend having matched his previous seasonal best of 13 wins. He departs it with 16 after crowning it with this glorious triumph following a double at the track on Saturday.

The winner is owned by Clare man PJ Casey and Pat Blake, another local who said: "This is unbelievable – what a day! It’s just brilliant, he jumped well and Dermot’s yard are in great form, so we knew we had a bit of a chance."

For O'Hanlon, it was a tenth winner of the campaign. It constitutes quite a turnaround for a tall rider who abandoned a career on the Flat following a short stint with Karl Burke in England in 2017, having been inspired to get involved in the sport thanks to his father Martin’s love for it.

"It’s unbelievable – I’m lost for words," O'Hanlon beamed afterwards. "I was only saying to my father coming here this morning, I was delighted to have a ride in the race. I said I’d enjoy it and soak it all up, so to ride a winner, I don’t know what to say."

For now at least, his actions are doing the talking. As he posed for pictures with the winning sliver plate, he was tapped on the shoulder by trainer Lorna Fowler, who needed a rider for Mellificent in the bumper after Liam McKenna took a fall from Ronald Pump in the big race.

They came up just short in second when beaten by Willie Mullins’ Hunters Yarn. Normal service resumed, then, but O'Hanlon is clearly now a man in demand after helping McLoughlin execute another fantastic piece of giant-slaying.

Anyone care to price up the treble? Didn't think so.

2022 Irish Grand National: where your horse finished and who won

Racing Post Live is your ultimate racing watchalong every Saturday and during major festivals. Our experts offer uninterrupted tips, analysis and reactions to the ITV action. Subscribe to the Racing Post YouTube channel here and never miss a minute