Take a bow, Paul Townend, that was the greatest ride I have ever seen

AP McCoy might have gone too early. "As brilliant a ride as I've ever seen in any horse race," proclaimed the most successful jockey of all time after Paul Townend's Gold Cup-winning steer on Galopin Des Champs last month. 

McCoy may have to revise those thoughts after the same magician managed to pull another rabbit out of his hat in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National. This particular trick was extraordinary and left the audience of 16,165 at Fairyhouse, up 1,100 on last year, truly astonished. 

At Cheltenham, Townend didn't panic and let his horse do the talking. At Fairyhouse, he couldn't let his horse do the talking as it would have got him into awful trouble. He decided to take evasive action, to take care of business himself. I Am Maximus was brave, but the rider on his back was utterly brilliant.