Grand National hero Tiger Roll brings the house down with Boyne Hurdle win

Tiger Roll had already proved himself a remarkable horse, with his victory in last season's Grand National augmenting three Cheltenham Festival successes over vastly divergent trips, but another chapter of his tall tale was written with his almost effortless 25-1 success in the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle on Sunday.

We now have a new favourite for the Randox Health-backed Grand National in April, with Tiger Roll cut to 12-1 (from 20s) to become the first since Red Rum in the 1970s to win back-to-back Nationals.

Hopes for a big run at Navan were probably not that high. He looked like a mare in foal in the parade ring and it was abundantly clear the race was likely to bring him on enormously. To therefore see him do what he did in the race was, well, remarkable.

It's questionable whether he has ever travelled as well through a race. He seemed to be doing little more than a half-speed for Keith Donoghue, and when he asked him to go and win his race he did so comfortably.

He drew away from second favourite Off You Go to score by four lengths, with Tiger Roll's stablemate Cracking Smart third and market leader Bachasson a disappointing fourth.

Next up is the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, which Tiger Roll won last year and, if anything, is an ever bigger ambition for connections than landing a second National.

Tiger Roll is favourite for that too, and was cut into no bigger than 6-4 (from 2s) with Betfred.

Gordon Elliott on Tiger Roll: 'He's come out of Cheltenham very well and the plan is to go for the Aintree National.'Credit: Patrick McCann

Trainer Gordon Elliott said: "I thought he and Cracking Smart would have been second-last and last, so it's a nice surprise!

"The plan is to go for the Cross Country at Cheltenham now. He'll take a fair bit of beating with a clear round, and then hopefully will go for the Grand National again.

"He’ll be Keith’s ride in the Cross Country, but Davy Russell will ride him in the National if he wants to."

He added: "He's a special horse, he's a favourite around the yard and everyone loves him. He has paid for himself now for the year once again.

"We put the blinkers back on today as he was getting a bit lazy at home. He'll improve plenty for this; I'd say he was only 75 per cent fit."

Donoghue, who partnered Gigginstown's Tiger Roll to win the Cross Country last year, was riding his first winner since returning from an injury sustained at Limerick over Christmas.

He said: "That was a serious performance. He needed the run a little bit but his class got him through. He was fresh and well and tanked through the race. Hopefully it's all systems go for Cheltenham now."

Tiger Roll in numbers

1 Grand National win
3 Cheltenham Festival wins – Triumph Hurdle (2014), National Hunt Chase (2017), Cross Country (2018)
4 Graded wins
160 highest RPR rating
£827,047 prize-money won

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