OpinionAnother View
premium

Hats off to Aintree for celebrating the two heroes who saved the Grand National

author image
Reporter
Nigel Payne and the absent Mike Dillon were honoured at Aintree
Nigel Payne and the absent Mike Dillon were honoured at Aintree Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend achieved something special on Saturday but it was just as important that two other heroes of Aintree were also honoured.

Completing a Champion Hurdle/Cheltenham Gold Cup/Grand National treble was an astonishing achievement by Mullins and Townend, who now just need to land the Eurovision Song Contest to complete a perfect spring.

But had it not been for the double act celebrated earlier, Becher's Brook could have been in somebody's back garden, while the Chair might actually have been a chair in a neighbour's front room.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock
  • Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
  • Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
  • Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
  • Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
  • Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
  • Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Subscribe

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on inAnother View

Last updated

iconCopy