A tale of the wholly unexpected

Considering that he had just scuppered a sporting fairytale, it was warming to see just how genuinely chuffed the racing world was for Leighton Aspell, who had scripted his own tale of the wholly unexpected at the Grand National and appeared not quite able to take it all in.

As the quiet, popular Dubliner, on Many Clouds, became the first jockey since Red Rum’s pilot Brian Fletcher in 1974 to ride back-to- back Grand National winners, even A.P McCoy, on whose emotional farewell the 168th edition of the race had been centred, instinctively recognised what an extraordinary feat he had just beheld.

“It’s an incredible achievement,” acknowledged McCoy, who had enjoyed an excellent spin on Jonjo O’Neill’s Shutthefrontdoor until Aspell, on his young gentle giant of a mount, shut the back door on any chance of the great Ulsterman bowing out in his 20th and last National appearance with a win for the ages.