Another Irish Grand National fairytale for Dermot McLoughlin
Lord Lariat wins the BoyleSports Irish Grand National. Picture: Niall Carson/PA
The Boylesports Irish Grand National seldom fails to deliver a story and last year’s 150-1 victory for Freewheelin Dylan would take some beating. Step forward his trainer, Dermot McLoughlin. Twelve months on, the local man with the progressive yard relied solely on 40-1 shot Lord Lariat, ridden by 7lb claimer Paddy O’Hanlon, and, quite remarkably, the result was just the same.
Consecutive successes are, as one would suspect, rarities in the season’s most competitive and valuable handicap chase, and in achieving such a feat, McLoughlin became the first trainer to do so since his former boss, Jim Dreaper, completed a three-timer in 1976. For O’Hanlon it was quite a way to end a barren spell with a first victory of the year.
The race itself wasn’t quite a carbon copy of 2021, in which Freewheelin Dylan raced into a clear lead from an early stage and dug incredibly deep to repel all challengers. This was much more keenly contested with a tightly packed field racing together over the three-mile-five trip.
There were those for whom the obstacles proved too much, others for whom the occasion proved too much, and yet little more than three lengths covered 11 horses jumping the second-last fence.
From this point it was all about pure determination and Lord Lariat, owned by Pat Blake and PJ Casey, galloped on resolutely to record a decisive success over Frontal Assault, favourite Gaillard Du Mesnil and Screaming Colours.
“It probably won’t sink in for a while,” said McLoughlin, whose association with the race goes back into the middle of the last century, when his father, Liam, rode the 1962 winner Kerforo for legendary trainer Tom Dreaper.
“It’s great. Even to have runners in these big races is massive for us. It’s great for everyone in the yard. And it’s a big day for Paddy. He's been with us since he was a young fella, riding out, and we got him going.
“He lives down the road, and is with us a few mornings a week. We've been coming here since I was a young age. My father used to bring us here, and he rode the winner of it himself, in 1962. It’s mighty.
“And my wife and kids are here — they weren’t here last year — and that’s an unbelievable feeling, having them here today.”
Of Lord Lariat, who joined the yard following this meeting last year, he added: “This is a nice horse, and we laid him out for it since before Christmas.
“I was concerned he mightn’t get the trip, but I said to Paddy that we had to have a go at it. We said going out that we’d do something similar to last year, if we could, to jump out and be handy and let him utilise his jumping.
“He popped out in front and enjoyed himself jumping and travelled well. Paddy gave him a breather at the right time, and it all worked out well — though it doesn’t usually happen like that.”
O’Hanlon began his riding career on the Flat and made the breakthrough at Dundalk in 2015. Shortly afterwards he spent some time riding on the level in the UK but returned four years ago and switched his focus to the jumping side of the sport.
“Over the moon, I’m just over the moon,” said Glasnevin native O’Hanlon. “I got injured at the Dublin Racing Festival and was out for a while, and Jack Foley rode him the last day. He had a little break and Dermot was quite sweet on him after the break, said he had freshened up not a bother and was happy enough with him, coming with a hopeful chance. And he was fairly spot-on.
“I came back from England after a stint on the Flat, and I’ve been riding for him and a few other lads for the last four years, and I’ve been really enjoying it.
“Dermot is very straight-forward to ride for. There aren’t too many instructions. With the history behind him, his father winning this race and him winning it himself last year, it carries something. It’s going to take a while to sink in, but I’ll enjoy it.”
