Mick Fitzgerald on Rob James: 'Him having a seven pound claim is like theft'

Mick Fitzgerald has compared runaway Coral Scottish Grand National winning amateur rider Rob James's 7lb claim as "like stealing".

James, the rider of 264 winners in point-to-points in Ireland and who Fitzgerald's fellow presenter Alice Plunkett addressed as "an amateur in name alone", had had one previous win in Britain when partnering Milan Native to victory in the 2020 Kim Muir.

He is one of the leading amateur riders in Ireland and part of the highly successful Colin Bowe team. He was able to take advantage of a claim designed for inexperienced riders who had ridden fewer than 20 winners because his successes had not come under rules. This was his 13th success.

Win My Wings secures flawless Scottish Grand National 1-2 for Christian Williams

"For Rob James the jockey, it's a huge day for him," said Fitzgerald. "It's a real compliment to his ability. It's like stealing. Him having a seven pound claim is like theft because he's so experienced. He was looking around for dangers going to the last."

Win My Wings was a dominant winner of the Scottish Grand NationalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

On Win My Wings victory, Fitzgerald added: "She's just revelled in conditions, the way the race was run and the long distance. We saw that when she won the Eider. The ref stopped the fight early [today] because it was game over.

"Christian Williams is fast getting a name as someone who can target a race and bring home not just the prize but all the prizes. He's had the first and second."

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second here, he had the first and second in a huge race at Kempton recently as well."