Butler serves up a national treat for O'Neill

JONJO O’NEILL thinks yesterday was the first time he has ever been to Fairyhouse and it wascertainly a memorable trip, as hesaddled Butler’s Cabin to land thePowers’ Whiskey Irish Grand National.

The seven-year-old collapsed after winning the four mile chase at Cheltenham last month and, on this occasion, was dismounted by Tony McCoy as he returned to the winner’s enclosure, after giving his pilot plenty of cause for concern.

“I felt him going and that’s why I got off”, reported McCoy, like O’Neill, enjoying a first success in Ireland’s premier National Hunt race.