A New Story storms to National glory

IT’S hard to keep a good man down. On Saturday Michael Hourigan kept hitting the bar, but roared back to the top of the tree at Cork yesterday when the progressive A New Story stormed away with the Paddy Power Grand National.

The seven-year-old was racing from 5lbs out of the handicap, but made a mockery of that assessment, scoring unextended by a whopping eight lengths. In truth, he got a terrific drive from Niall Madden, who sat out the back for much of the marathon three and a half mile journey.

A New Story was only sixth heading to the home turn, but a confident Madden produced him with impeccable timing to stride on just after the penultimate obstacle and the winner quickly stretched clear to beat the always prominent Fatherofthebride.