Freewheelin Dylan sprang a 150/1 surprise when making all to win the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.
It was a red-letter day for trainer Dermot McLoughlin and jockey Ricky Doyle and their winner showed tremendous resolution.
He was strongly pressed from the third last fence by eventual runner-up Run Wild Fred (9/1) but he could never quite get to his rival.
Another fluent jump at the last sealed the victory, Freewheelin Dylan running out a length-and-a-quarter winner.
Enjoy D'allen (40/1), Latest Exhibition (9/2 favourite) and Sempo 20/1 filled the minor placings but the day belonged to McLoughlin, Doyle and their shock winner.
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No surprise to winning trainer
McLoughlin said: “It’s great – it went to plan. I said to Ricky ‘he likes to bowl along in front and jumping is his forte, so use him up’.
“I was a bit concerned about not getting a run into him. I said turning into the straight that we’d better start shouting, because I knew he’d stay going.”
He added: “It’s a race I always wanted to have runners in, let alone try to win it. My father (Liam McLoughlin) rode the winner in 1962 (Kerforo), so I was always trying to follow.
“We’re based three miles down the road and we’ll keep progressing the best we can. I was 47 the other day. We have good help and good staff and we have some nice horses. Coming here I thought we had a good chance and thankfully it’s worked out.”
Winning jockey stunned by success
Doyle told ITV Racing: “I could not believe it – I thought everything was too good to be true! His jumping is just out of this world, but how well he travelled and the rhythm he was in (was unbelievable).
“Turning in I could feel horses on me and I could feel him picking up. I was trying to do the maths in my head and was thinking ‘did I jump the last the first time’? I was in a dream the whole way.
“He’s a proper summer ground horse. I won a Midlands National on him in the same way. I was just so happy with everything that I couldn’t believe it.
“This means everything to me. I love this sport and I love horses – I couldn’t care if there was nothing to the winner. I’m over the moon.”