Local long shot wins for the ‘small guy’

The Ladbrokes Irish Grand National is one of the most precious jewels in Ireland’s racing crown, and it was Lion Na Bearnai who came up trumps, returning at odds of 33/1, with the crowds happy to cheer him into the winners’ enclosure with his popular local trainer Tom Gibney.

It was very much a result for the “small man”; Gibney trains only five horses and jockey Andrew Thornton is still a conditional, so for both of them this was overwhelmingly the biggest successes of their respective careers.

The winning Lock Syndicate are a seven-strong team. Some are old school friends of the trainer and live locally to him at his base near Kells, so no doubt there will be some big celebrations.