'It's a special win' - Screaming Colours lands Midlands National for Durkans

Saturday: Midlands Grand National, Uttoxeter

Screaming Colours stirred memories of one of the best steeplechasing mares of all time, Anaglogs Daughter, when the familiar blue and white silks of the Durkan family were sported to an emotional big-race success in the Boulton Group Midlands National.

The 11-year-old chaser built on his eyecatching fourth in this race last year to provide rider Conor Orr with the most high-profile win of his career and seal a second victory in the £150,000 event for Ireland in the past eight runnings.

It was a 1-2 for Ireland, following on from another impressive showing at the Cheltenham Festival, as Young Dev chased home the winner, albeit ten lengths back at the line. Last year's winner Time To Get Up fared best of the home challenge in third.

Screaming Colours was a poignant winner for trainer Bill Durkan and his family, with Durkan's son and assistant Neil speaking fondly of his late brother John, the amateur rider-turned trainer who famously bought three-time Champion Hurdle star Istabraq for JP McManus. He tragically died of leukaemia aged 31 in 1998.

Durkan said: "Dad will be delighted back home and John will be looking down smiling – he'd have wished he was out there riding him.

"It's a super day and the rain came just at the right time for us in the week. Screaming Colours is an 11-year-old with a nine-year-old's legs and frame as he's so lightly raced for his age and gives everything.

"We'd been targeting the Welsh National with him but he had a slight setback in December. We had him spot on for this and it's a special win."

Screaming Colours travelled strongly into contention on the final circuit and ranged upsides outsider El Paso Wood turning into the home straight. He was clear when approaching the last and stayed on relentlessly to provide Orr, who turns 26 on Sunday, with an early birthday present.

Orr finished third on Colonel Mustard for Lorna Fowler in the County Hurdle on Friday and certainly enjoyed this big-race triumph, spraying the crowd around the winner's enclosure with some of his bottle of bubbly before sinking the rest.

Conor Orr and Screaming Colours took the Midlands Grand NationalCredit: Steve Davies

Orr said: "This is definitely the biggest day in my career. I've had plenty of nice rides and great opportunities but this tops it.

"We were just hoping for some sort of give in the ground as it makes it a lot easier for Screaming Colours. He's not the quickest horse in the world but he ran a blinder last year and we were coming here confident.

"Everything went very smoothly – it's nice to ride any winner but these big winners are what we do it all for. He's a real old fashioned National Hunt horse, he does nothing quick but just keeps galloping. He has a big heart and wants to go and do it for you."

The runner-up effort of the Denis Hogan-trained Young Dev capped a memorable few days for Mark McDonagh, having landed the Martin Pipe on his first festival ride aboard Banbridge for Joseph O'Brien on Friday.

McDonagh said: "He ran a great race and if the ground was a bit slower it would have suited him better as he loves a slog. He's proved he likes the trip and I'm sure Denis will map out a plan to come back to England with him. There's more staying chases here and he's a nice horse.

"If I'd won on this lad the last few days would have been a little bit too good to be true, but it's been a great few days and I'm definitely going home happy."

The weekend could get even better for Orr and McDonagh as they ride leading contenders in Sunday's Ulster National at Downpatrick, with the former aboard Envol Pierji and the latter partnering Spades Are Trumps.

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