Owned by JP McManus and ridden by Paul Townend, last year's Irish Grand National hero represented winner number two in the Aintree showpiece for Mullins, who sent out Hedgehunter (Ire) (Montelimar) to success in 2005.

Returned the 7-1 co-favourite, I Am Maximus stormed clear of Delta Work (Fr) (Network {Ger}) in second with former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo (Ire) (Beat Hollow {GB}) back in third.

Betfair reacted to the victory by making Ireland's dominant jumps trainer an 8-15 favourite to clinch a breakthrough British Championship ahead of Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton at 2-1 and 5-1, respectively.

Mullins said, “I thought Paul was super on him as I'm not sure the horse was giving him a lot of help on the way round and I could see him just minding him the whole way round.

“We saw that last year in the Irish National and he has supreme confidence in the horse and he always has that bit in the tank. When he was cut off going to the second last or the last, you saw him coming out around and just biding his time waiting for his challenge to deliver.

“I could see Paul's body language and he was happy, so I was happy then. I don't think I said anything until he got over the last and then I let go (and gave him a cheer).

“I'm buzzing here now at the moment and it's huge. As far as I know our team is back in full order with no injuries or anything and I'm happy that we have a full complement of horses and riders coming back in.”

Mullins was winning the race for a second time but it was a first Aintree National victory for Townend.

The rider said, “I ended up being first down to the first to give him a look and as he got to the Melling Road he started backing off so it wasn't a great start, but the volume of horses pushed him down over the first three and he got a bit careful on the second circuit but I was trying to conserve as much as I could as well.

“He didn't get the clearest run from the second last to the last, but it kind of helped me and I had a feeling when I got him out he was going to start motoring in the clear air and he did.”

Townend added, “The ones in front of me, I'm sure they weren't looking for me but I had them well in my sights. I was hoping he would respond like I thought he would.

“Gold Cups are Gold Cups and Grade 1s are hard to win. But Grand Nationals are just a bit different. You just need so much luck and I can't believe it, I'm a lucky boy.”

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Consigned by Rob James Racing, the striking grey counts Fairy Tale (Fr) (Spanish Moon) as his dam, herself a half-sister to three black-type winners over jumps including the eight-time Grade 1 winner Master Minded (Fr) (Nikos {GB}).

JP McGrath Bloodstock signed for lot 23, Holloway Queen (Ire), also by Jukebox Jury (Ire). The £180,000 4-year-old filly was part of the Ballyboy Stables draft. Second in her first start, a point-to-point at Mongsgrange, she is a relative of G2 Kelso Novices' Hurdle winner Bywell Beau (Ire) (Lord Americo {Ire}).

Jonathan Fogarty Racing's first-out winner Flamingo Grove (Ire) (Blue Bresil {Fr}) (lot 5) was knocked down for £150,000 to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and Jonjo O'Neill. She is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Pistol Whipped (Ire) (Beneficial {GB}).

Of the 28 catalogued, 26 were offered and 23 (88%) marked as sold for a gross of £2,075,000. The average was £90,218 and the median reached £75,000.

Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent, “It is always a highlight to be here at Aintree and it's been a pleasure to watch this sale become a part of the iconic Randox Grand National Festival since its launch in 2016. Today's sale had plenty of highlights, including a top price of £300,000, but the results also reflect a difficult few weeks for us and our vendors.

“The inclement weather has meant a large number of point-to-point meetings have been postponed or cancelled so it has been very difficult to compile a catalogue to meet the high expectations for which this sale has become renowned. That being said, we exist to provide a stage from which vendors can sell their stock and we are grateful to everyone who have supported the sale this year. The Aintree Sale has a wonderful record of producing high-class racehorses, as evidenced by the five Grade 1 winners coming from the first five-sales, and we are confident that more will emerge from this year's offering.

“As ever, we would also like to extend our gratitude to the Aintree executive for their help and enthusiasm towards this fantastic event and we look forward to our return at next year's Grand National Festival.”

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Fennor Cross was another horse to fly the flag for the stable with great distinction. Again, a cheaply-bought recruit, Fennor Cross won races at the Punchestown and Aintree festivals. 

However, in what came as a bitter blow to all associated with the horse, Fennor Cross was killed at home in the spring. 

What started out as a brilliant start to 2023 turned into something of a nightmare as another promising young novice hurdler, Kinbara, suffered a fatal injury while prominent owner Derek Kierans decided to move the talented Encanto Bruno to rival trainer Gavin Cromwell.

Not only that, but the McConnell stable struggled for form in the second half of the year due to aspergillus in the hay. It never rains but it pours. 

Thankfully, things have been going a lot better for the Naul-based trainer, who splits his string between Flat and National Hunt horses, with three winners in the past two weeks alone.

From blooding future Group 1-winning sprinter A Case Of You, wanting to break into the top bracket of the training ranks and dealing with the disappointments that come along the way, McConnell makes for a fascinating interviewee with Brian Sheerin in this week's Q&A.

Seddon | Racingfotos.com

How would you reflect on 2023?

It was a year of two halves, really. It was a brilliant first half of the year but a very average second half. On one hand, we had a winner at all of the top spring festivals–Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown–and then on the other, we lost some talented horses–Fennor Cross (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) and Kinbara (Ire) (Mahler {GB})–while Derek Kierans moved a smart horse in Encanto Bruno (Ire) (Mahler {GB}) to another stable and then we hit a bad patch of form. It was very up and down. 

It's the old cliche that this is a game that would tame lions. How do you deal with all of those ups and downs that come with training?

I don't know how other trainers do it but I tend to lock myself away into a cupboard or something to think about what has happened! Obviously I'm only messing but it is very hard for a stable like ours to lose a few 140-rates horses in the one year. They were Saturday horses and we don't have them anymore. Replacing them is not easy. But, to be honest, I think I was better prepared than most people associated with our yard were. I knew we were overachieving with the resources that we had. I was ready for it, but that doesn't mean it was easy to take. What was difficult was how people started to question you when things weren't going well. We found aspergillus in the hay. It was a difficult few months but thankfully we got to the bottom of it and the horses are back healthy and well, which is the main thing. I also think we had a below-average bunch of horses running at the time and that maybe over-egged how bad we were going over the winter. I can remember a pundit on Racing TV talking about my lack of form and he made the point that, if you looked at the prices of the horses running, they weren't running any better or worse than market expectation. I think it was a combination of those two things. You don't become a bad trainer overnight but it certainly tested my view of humanity because there were some people who were wobbling in their faith. That was frustrating.

You feel like you have been over achieving with the horses you have?

Yes, definitely. With the money we have to work with, I think we have done well with the horses. Okay, Encanto Bruno cost a lot of money [£210,000] but, to do what we did with Fennor Cross and Seddon (Ire) (Stowaway {GB}), both of those horses over-achieved. When you don't have a batch of those six-figure horses coming through the system, you know it's going to be hard to hit the heights at some of the bigger festivals, so I am a realist in that sense. It doesn't mean I am okay with that because I am extremely ambitious and I want winners on the big stage. 

You are not on your own, certainly in terms of National Hunt racing in Ireland, in feeling frustrated by not being able to compete at the top level. The Dublin Racing Festival, where Willie Mullins completed a clean sweep of all eight Grade 1 races, is a case in point. 

Ambition is a curse because you never want to settle. It would be worse if I thought I was not capable of training those big horses or if I was underachieving but I don't feel I am. At the end of the day, you need to have the backing and, at the minute, I don't and it's very frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I have some great owners and the majority of them are very supportive and obviously Derek Kierans has put a lot of money into our yard as well. The McNeill family and loads more people have been very supportive of me but, the reality is, the top yards have stacks of six-figure horses and only a small percentage of those horses go on to be good horses. You need the numbers coming through to give yourself a chance. 

I would put you down as a good man to get owners into the yard. 

I suppose everyone has a different mindset and some are hungrier than others. That's cool but I never wanted to be second best. That's just the way I am, be it playing a computer game or training horses. I often wish I was easier to please but I suppose that's what keeps me so driven to keep going and keep searching for that next nice horse. If you looked at it logically you might say you may never get to where you want to be but, the great thing about this game is, it might only take one horse or a couple of different things to spiral and you could be operating at the next level. For all bar about four trainers over jumps in Ireland, it probably looks a long way away. 

What's your approach to getting owners into the yard? Is it as simple as just putting yourself out there?

It's wide scale harassment! I talk to as many people as I can when I go to the sales or the races and I have made contact with a lot of owners through Instagram and Facebook. We have gotten horses through social media, with the McNeill family and Jimmy Fyffe good recent examples of that. You just have to have a brass neck. You are going to get a lot of nos but I find, even if people don't send you a horse, they respect you taking the time to reach out and put your neck on the line. If you don't ask, you are never going to get. 

Just how difficult is it to compete against the bigger stable over both codes in Ireland? 

It's borderline impossible, which is why we try to run a lot of horses in Britain. If you have a 120-rated horse in Ireland, you could run in six maiden hurdles in Ireland throughout the winter and not win one of them. That same horse could win two races in Britain in the same space of time. That's just the way it is and I don't blame Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott for that. They've gotten to where they are on merit.

What did Seddon winning at Cheltenham mean to you?

I probably enjoy it more now than I did at the time. When things were going bad for us in the autumn, it felt like a long time ago. But winning a race at the Cheltenham festival was something that I had dreamt about as a kid so, to go and achieve it, it was better than I ever thought it could be. 

What drives you?

The ambition is to find a top horse and compete on the big stage but, I have to say, when Together Aclaim (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}) won at Dundalk last week, I got a great kick out of that as well. He was a 30-raced maiden coming into the race and, for him to finally get his head in front, it was a great feeling for everyone involved with him. The guys who own him were there and they got a great thrill. I just love horses and love racing and winning. Obviously, I'd love to be winning the big races but I get a thrill out of winning any race. Gordon Elliott is the same. He loves to win any race. It's a bit of an addiction. 

Depending on what way you look at it, some might view it as a weakness to keep a 30-raced maiden on the go. That's the one thing I would say about you, you always look for the positives in a horse whereas plenty of people would have been happy to move Together Aclaim long before his day in the sun came at Dundalk. 

You have to back what you believe in and, what we try and do when it comes to buying horses at the sales, is find angles and horses who may not be obvious, because that's the price range we are dealing in. It doesn't work every time but we have had a lot of success with small-money buys. I know what you mean about Together Aclaim but the syndicate were happy to keep going and so was I.

Well Seddon is an advertisement for what you can do with those second-hand small-money buys. How did you get him to train?

I was in contact with the McNeills and their manager at the time told me that they were moving some others on. The Galaxy Racing Syndicate had expressed an interest in finding a National Hunt horse and Seddon fitted the bill because he had a good enough rating to bring us to the big festivals. I thought he'd win somewhere but I didn't think he'd win twice at Cheltenham, again at the Punchestown festival and then run in the American Grand National. He has been some horse for us. 

What are the plans with Seddon and Coral Gold Cup runner-up Mahler Mission?

Seddon wasn't one hundred percent after America but he seems fine now again and hopefully we'll get him and Mahler Mission back for the spring festivals. Mahler Mission could run in the Grand National at Aintree. 

To a certain degree, A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) put you on the map. I'd imagine if a horse of his ability came through your system now, you would have enough owners to call upon to be able to keep him?

That was a very tricky situation because the horse had failed the vet to go to Hong Kong and America after he won the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh. It became very hard to push him onto owners. If Ado [McGuiness] hadn't come along, we probably would have been able to put together a syndicate or something, but fair play to him for taking a chance and I'm glad it worked out for him. That came at a very different time of my life. For starters, I had never owned anything before, so selling him provided me with some security in terms of buying a home. He did so much for me at the time but, I don't need anything else in life now so, if another A Case Of You came along now, I don't think I would sell him. 

How did you find him in the first place?

I was at Goffs for the Open Yearling Sale and I was standing down at the chute. I can remember this gorgeous horse walking down to the ring and opening up his page and thinking, 'ugh, Hot Streak.' I let him go in and he didn't sell. I ended up buying him privately and he just kept getting better and better. We never trained a Group 1 horse before him but we always felt he was very good. 

That goes back to your outside-the-box thinking. 

A bit like Seddon, we didn't expect A Case Of You to do what he did. We were thinking that, if he was placed in a maiden, we would have been able to get him away for anywhere between 30 and 50 grand and we would have been thinking 'happy days.' He was one in a million. 

Have you worked in many yards before setting up on your own or are you essentially self taught?

I worked for Michael O'Brien when I was younger but that's the only racing yard I have worked in. Obviously being a qualified vet helps and I did a lot of reading about training before I started. But, yes, I am basically self-taught.

There was a long time you were muddling away. What was the catalyst?

I don't know if there was one specific thing. Derek Kierens came into the yard and decided to put a good few quid in which meant we were able to buy nicer horses for a start. That was one thing. I got a lot of good young staff at the same time, the likes of Siobhan Rutledge, Ben and Alex Harvey, Thomas Reilly, Martin Fox and loads of others. That was another. That definitely helped. We have just developed a system that seems to work.

It's a vibrant yard with a lot of young people working for you.

We have great staff and everyone seems to be happy. I like having young people around the place because they are not soured and they are hungry. You can mould them to how you want things to be done rather than someone who has worked in five or six different yards and has their own ideas on how to do things. A lot of what we do is very different from other yards. We are way more relaxed and the lots go out a lot quicker than in other places, even for the jumps horses. When somebody comes to our yard, they think we are on Mars, but it works. They go quite quickly every day but they don't do many hard pieces of work, if that makes sense.

You've trained everything from a top-notch sprinter in A Case Of You to a cross-country chaser in Some Neck (Fr) (Yeats {Ire}). Is there a particular path you'd like to continue down or do you like both codes equally as much?

Not really, I get as much kick out of watching the two-year-olds as much as I do the National Hunt horses schooling. Both would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I love the jumps because it's not as much of a business. I do that more for a love of the sport whereas the Flat is very much business. It's much easier to train on the Flat and you don't get as many injuries. There is something very special about seeing a good two-year-old work. There are pros and cons to both codes and I love them as much. 

And how do you get to the next level in both codes?

Harass more owners maybe! Listen, there's not much more you can do bar keep trying. We've had some Grade 1-placed horses but finding that horse who could take us to the top level is what we really crave. There's no question that, the guys who are doing the best, they have the biggest backing. In many cases, they earned that backing and we just need to try and prove ourselves worthy of similar backing so we can kick on again. 

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Having canvassed the views of a wide range of racing industry stake-holders as well as World Horse Welfare, the Jockey Club has settled upon five key changes to the Aintree showcase, which will be run next year on Saturday, April 13. Last year's race was delayed by 15 minutes after protestors invaded the track. One of the runners, Hill Sixteen (GB), was fatally injured after falling at the first fence, an incident his trainer Sandy Thomson said was exacerbated by the heightened tension surrounding the delay.

Along with the reduction in the number of runners, the first fence will be moved 60 yards closer to the start line in order to minimise the horses' speed on approach to the fence. The start time of the race will also be brought forward in the day, and horses will no longer be led by a handler in a pre-race parade. Instead they will be released at the end of the horse walk to canter to post as is normal in other races. 

Other changes including lowering the height of the eleventh fence by two inches, alterations to the running rail to assist with the capture of loose horses, and further investment in the track's irrigation system.

The mimimim handicap rating for runners will be increased to 130 (from 125).

Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of the Jockey Club, said “The Randox Grand National is the most iconic race in the world and one which transcends our sport. It is part of the fabric of British sporting life alongside the likes of Wimbledon, the FA Cup and the Open golf and is loved and watched by millions of people all over the world every year. For many it is also their introduction to horseracing and I believe that a competitive, fair and safe Randox Grand National is one of the best ways of ensuring the sport continues to thrive for generations to come and remains an important part of Britain's culture and economy.”

He continued, “That means our sport, like many other sports have done, needs to recognise when action needs to be taken to evolve because the safety and care of horses and jockeys will always be our number one priority. In making these changes at Aintree we are underlining our relentless focus on welfare and our commitment to powering the future of British racing.”

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Successful in 2017 with One For Arthur, Russell and Fox repeated the trick with Corach Rambler, who had enough in reserve to hold off the fast-finishing Vanillier at the winning line. 

A winner at the past two Cheltenham Festivals, Corach Rambler was sent off an 8-1 favourite in a race that was delayed by over 15 minutes due to the protests that led to Merseyside Police arresting nine people.

Russell said, “Those guys that went out to protest on the course, they think it's about horse welfare but that horse loves the sport. He loves everything that he does. He's kept in the best condition and I'm just so delighted that he can run in a race like that and perform like that.

“He has got greatness and it's what he deserves. Corach Rambler, in our hearts, is just the best horse. Now in the public hearts he is as well. To win the National, I know how important it is, I know how it changed my life with Arthur–for Corach to achieve that too is just fantastic.

“It's all about the horse, for me it's not about the betting–though I did back him and quite a lot actually!”

She added, “I hope those guys who were protesting will look at our website and our Facebook posts and see how they are looked after. It is so important they understand how we care for them every inch of the way.

“It is about Corach, he is just amazing. He took to those fences brilliantly, he understood them, he worked them out–he loved it.”

Fox had sat out the first two days of the meeting in order to recover from injury in time to ride Corach Rambler.

The jubilant rider said, “He is just the most wonderful thing ever, he deserved to win this. I got a fall last week and banged my shoulder, it was far from ideal. I was worried all week. I thank God I was back in time because it was the thrill of my life to ride him.

“It's thanks to the support of Lucinda and Scu [Peter Scudamore, assistant trainer and Russell's partner] for having the faith in me to put me up after not riding all week. I feel very lucky to be working for these great people.

“I think he'd the profile and he's loads of class–I just can't believe it.”

Animal Rising had threatened to disrupt the Aintree showpiece and were protesting from early on Saturday morning outside the track.

As the National runners were in the parade ring, a number of people breached security fences around the venue and ran on to the course, with at least two people affixing themselves to a jump using glue and lock-on devices

All of the intruders were apprehended, and the Merseyside Police commented afterwards, “We can confirm that nine people have been arrested at Aintree Racecourse today.

“Just after 5pm, a large number of protesters attempted to gain entry on to the course. The majority were prevented from breaching the boundary fencing, but the nine individuals who managed to enter the course were later arrested by officers.”

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Among the additional entries are lot 5, Lady Jago (Ire) (Getaway {Ger}) a winner of her debut for Terence O'Brien at Rathcannon; lot 14, the 5-year-old gelding Caher Roes Den (Ire) (Soldier Of Fortune {Ire}), the winner of his most recent PTP for Colin Bowe at Castletown-Geoghegan; and lot 21, last out point-to-point winner Rokathir (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}), who will also be offered by Bowe.

The Goffs UK Aintree Sale will be held in the winners' enclosure following the last race on the card at Aintree Racecourse. For more information on the sale or to view the catalogue, visit the Goffs website.

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Blackmore became the first woman to claim the Cheltenham Festival Leading Jockey title with six winners. She found Champion Hurdle success with Honeysuckle (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}) on Tuesday, a Triumph Hurdle score with Quilixios (GB) (Maxios {GB}) on Friday and also won races in the middle of the meeting with Bob Olinger (Ire) (Sholokhov {Ire}) and Sir Gerhard (Ire) (Jeremy) on Wednesday and Allaho (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) and Telmesomethinggirl (Ire) (Stowaway {GB}) on Thursday.

She became the first woman to ride the winner of the iconic G3 Grand National with her success on Minella Times (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}) described as “historic” by President Michael D Higgins, “a truly amazing achievement” by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D, saying, “You are once again a history maker and have done Ireland proud.”

Suzanne Eade, interim CEO of Horse Racing Ireland, said, “Rachael's achievements on two of jump racing's biggest stages are truly historic. Not only was she the first woman to ride the winner of a championship race at Cheltenham, but Rachael also became the first woman to win the Leading Jockey Award at the festival. It is remarkable that her six winners included five at Grade 1 level.

“Her Aintree Grand National victory made headlines all over the world and that accomplishment alone will resonate with so many within the racing industry and beyond.

“Rachael has become more than a role model; she is a true icon of our wonderful sport and a most fitting winner of the 2021 Irish Racing Hero Award.”

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In her post-race interview, Blackmore told the world: “I don't feel male or female right now, I don't even feel human. This is just unbelievable.”

Blackmore told BBC Sport on Tuesday that the victory still hasn't really sunk in.

“It's been such a whirlwind since it happened,” the jockey said. “I haven't really processed the fact that I have won the Aintree Grand National. I've watched the replay a few times – but it's still just hard to comprehend it all.”

She added that the gender disparity hasn't been a major issue for her in her career as a jockey.

“For me in racing it's been extremely level,” Blackmore told BBC Sport. “I think the achievements of Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh, when I entered the weighing room were so big that the gender thing was never an issue.

“I've just carried that forward. For me personally it's never been an experience I have had in racing in recent times, and that's something that racing should be very proud of.”

Female jockeys were first allowed to enter the Grand National in 1975, when the Sex Discrimination Act was passed. Blackmore is the 20th female jockey to compete in the race.

In case you missed it

Or in case you just want another look at history being made

Yes, @rachaelblackmor #GrandNational @RandoxOfficial #MinellaTimes pic.twitter.com/jR3HgFR8Au

— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 11, 2021

Read more at BBC Sport.

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Paterson's husband Owen Paterson, MP for North Shropshire, announced the launch of the Rose Paterson Trust, which will raise funds for suicide prevention causes.

“For us it's just a very sad day,” he said. “Normally we'd have come in early and we'd have walked the course and she'd be picking out all the details, and she's not here. But what we've done–and I pay massive tribute to my three children–we've set up the Rose Paterson Trust. Our very simple aim is to raise money for suicide prevention and to publicise that in the next 90 minutes someone will take their life–which is nearly 15 jumbo jets per year. We feel very strongly that this should be talked about more and if we can possibly prevent one single family going through the extreme anguish that we went through.

“The reaction of racing has been quite extraordinary and I'd like to thank everyone who has pledged so far. We will put the money forward to projects and charities which we hope will prevent suicide and might just save that one family.

“Could I thank you all very much for the immensely kind reaction to what's happened. We look forward to coming back for future years and we'll be very proud to see Rose sitting proudly on the wall as an Aintree Legend.”

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“I'm aware of a photo circulating on social media,” the trainer tweeted late on Saturday night. “The IHRB have been in contact with me regarding this photo and I will be cooperating fully with their investigation.”

On Sunday evening, Elliott released another statement in addition which reads: “I would like to address the speculation and rumours that have been rife since an old photo of me began circulating on social media yesterday afternoon.

“Firstly, I apologise profoundly for any offence that this photo has caused and can categorically state that the welfare of each and every horse under my care is paramount and has been central to the success that we have enjoyed here at Cullentra.

“The photo in question was taken some time ago and occurred after a horse had died of an apparent heart attack on the gallops. I appreciate that an initial viewing of this photo suggests it is a callous and staged photo but nothing could be further from the truth.

“At what was a sad time, which it is when any horse under my care passes away, my initial reaction was to get the body removed from where it was positioned.

“I was standing over the horse waiting to help with the removal of the body, in the course of which, to my memory I received a call and, without thinking, I sat down to take it. Hearing a shout from one of my team, I gestured to wait until I was finished.

“Such background information may seem trivial at this time and will not allay the concerns of many people both within and outside the world of horse racing.

“However, I feel it is important to provide people with some context surrounding this photo. To the racing community, to anyone who has worked with and loves horses and to anyone offended by this image I cannot apologise enough.

“Horse welfare and the care and attention to detail involved is absolutely at the core of everything we do here and both myself and all of my team pride ourselves on those standards.

“Again I apologise for any offence caused and ask people to consider this statement as opposed to the various falsehoods and misinformation being circulated on social media.

“At this time I would like to stress that I continue to extend my full cooperation with the ongoing IHRB investigation.”

Early on Saturday the IHRB said that it was “aware of an image circulating on social media and the matter is under investigation.”

An IHRB spokesman added to the BBC on Sunday,” The investigation is ongoing and will be dealt with as quickly as possible.”

The British Horseracing Authority has been made aware of the situation and is in contact with the Irish authorities.

Said a BHA spokesperson, “We hope the Irish authorities will quickly confirm how this shocking picture originated. Respect for horses is a fundamental value of our sport, contrary to the impression in this picture. The IHRB have assured us that the investigation will be carried out as quickly as possible and that they will keep us informed as more information becomes available.”

Elliott is currently readying a strong squad of horses to contest the upcoming Cheltenham Festival. Among his stable is two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) who is targeting the Cross-Country Chase there before a potential record-equaling third National at Aintree in April.

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