Nina’s National treasure
The six-year-old is trained by Arthur Moore and was ridden by his niece, Nina Carberry. Moore rode King’s Sprite to victory in 1971 and then 25 years later trained Feathered Gale to win the race.
In addition to that Moore’s father, Dan, also trained and rode the winner of the National. The Carberrys too have an amazing record.
Nina’s father, Tommy, also trained and rode the winner and two of her brothers, Paul and Philip, did the business in the past as well.
Arthur Moore has had a bad campaign, with the only real ray of light coming with the win of What A Charm at the Cheltenham festival.
“There’s life in the old dog yet,” said a very emotional Moore in the winner’s enclosure. “We haven’t had the best of seasons, but the staff have kept battling away and now they have been rewarded.”
Organisedconfusion was bred by Moore himself and Tim Murray, who was his first ever owner. To make it even better, he carried the colours of Grace Bennett, whose husband, Alan, was Moore’s second ever owner.
Deal Done was soon in front and held a huge advantage for much of the trip. He was headed over the seventh from home by Hughies Grey, but was back in front going to the fourth last.
Deal Done was always running with the choke out, though, and was legless shortly after the penultimate fence.
Carbery had now worked Organisedconfusion into the contest and he forged to the front, as Deal Done died.
Western Charmer and the gamble of the race, Sunnyhillyboy, tried to close but the winner never flinched and crossed the line a comfortable five lengths clear.
“This is fantastic, great, he is such a laidback horse,” said Moore.
The trainer has a long tradition of putting a trilby on his horse in the winner’s enclosure when the photographs are being taken, but he came to the races without the said hat.
Undaunted, he spotted a member of the public wearing one, asked if he could borrow it and was duly obliged.
Continuing, Moore said: “He was a bit free early on. We would have preferred to be further back, but then he got into a lovely rhythm.
“He will be hard to place after this, but will come back here next year. Aintree is on the agenda, but he is too young to go next year, but will do so down the road.
“He had the perfect preparation for this race, he was thriving and I’ve never seen him looking better.
“When L’Escargot won his first Cheltenham Gold Cup (trained by Dan Moore), we had the worst season ever here at home.”
Carberry, 26, is only the second woman ever to win the Irish National. The other was Ann Ferris in 1984 on Bentom Boy.
Said Carberry: “It is great to win this race, it is one of the highlights of my career, big-time.
“It didn’t ride like a National, they were so strung out and there was so much light. A loose horse helped me towards the end, it kept my lad going.
“Winning the National is always top of everyone’s list. It is just brilliant to be part of it and great of Arthur to put me up. I’m an amateur and he didn’t have to do that.”
Western Charmer ran the race of his life to claim second and his trainer, Dessie Hughes, indicated he could be a horse for Aintree next season.
Long-time ante-post favourite Beautiful Sound, who was second reserve, didn’t get into the contest, with all of the original 25 runners declared facing the starter.
