Bluesea signed off for season

James Motherway is still on cloud nine after Bluesea Cracker gave him the biggest success of his career in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse yesterday.

The eight-year-old mare stayed on best in the testing conditions to take the traditional Easter highlight by four and a half lengths.

And while she has taken those exertions in her stride, Motherway is unlikely to ask his star turn to go again this season.

“I still can’t believe it and it was a great performance on the day from her and from Andrew McNamara,” said the Co Cork handler.

“It was a fantastic day and we had a good celebration down at the local pub.

“Things are on a bit of a go-slow at the yard this morning but we’re trying to get on with things.

“I can’t believe how well she’s come out of it. She ate up every bit of food we put in front of her last night and trotted up sound this morning, it’s like she never even had a race.

“Having said that, I’d imagine she’ll head out for a summer at grass now as the Punchestown Festival is only two weeks away.

“She was a big price and I guess it was a surprise, but she had some good form in the book and that showed she had the capability to do it.

“It was a brilliant result for a small yard like ourselves – we’ve only got 13 horses in training at the moment and we haven’t had many runners this year.”

The obvious place for connections to be looking is next year’s Grand National at Aintree, but Motherway admits her potential value as a broodmare could mean the risk of tackling the giant fences would be too great.

“We’ve got plenty of time to sit down and make a plan for next season,” Motherway added.

“We’ll obviously have to have a think and a chat about Aintree, but the one concern would be the fact that she is a mare and a black-type-winning mare, so she is valuable.

“You would have to worry about her getting injured over those big fences, so we’ll see – there are no certain plans as yet.”