Liberty Counsel and Ben Dalton, left, face a battle with Away We Go© Photo Healy Racing
Liberty Counsel showed great heart to take the Irish Grand National for Dot Love and five-pound claimer Ben Dalton at 50/1.
The pair jumped into the lead three out after a mistake by Panther Claw Dalton though was working hard on her on the turn in as Paul Townend looked to be sitting on plenty on Away We Go
Dalton conjured a good jump at the last from his mount and she kept finding more and battled to the line as Away We Go (25/1) couldn’t reel her in. He went down by half a length. Home Farm for Arthur Moore grabbed third, ahead of Paul Nolan’s Sweeney Tunes Nolan also supplied fifth-placed Panther Claw (12/1 to 9/1 on course) who gave Katie Walsh a great spin from the front.
“I’m over the moon. She deserved it. The ground didn’t suit at Cheltenham, but she really tried there [13th in Kim Muir Chase],” Dot Love said.
“It’s a team effort. Ciaran Murphy schools her. She’s a super mare and a very good jumper.
“Ben gave her a super ride. With a low weight and very good ground we were confident. I would have been happy if she had been fourth.”
Ben Dalton added: “She jumped great and is as honest as you get. She took me everywhere and winged every fence.
“I nearly got there too early. I thought Paul was going to stick it up to me at the last, but she winged it.
“She just kept finding more. I’m back here tomorrow so we’ll wait to the weekend for the celebrations!
"She was disappointing in Cheltenham becuase the ground was slower. I thought at best she could be fifth or sixth today.
"Last year was my first ride in the National [pulled up on Start Me Up . This was a better one. She just kept finding more.
"I'm still attached to Conor O'Dwyer's stable and I need five or six more winners to lose my five pound claim. He's a great help to me."
The mare is jointly owned by Irene Neale and Helen Murtagh. A jubilant Irene said: “I’m on top of the world. It’s the best day of my life apart from my daughter being born in 1986!
“Ciaran did say he would bring off a big one for us!”
Irene Neale added: “She’s a gutsy little mare and nearly died three times with ailments. This is all down to Dot and Ciaran.”
Dot Love is known for pre-training a lot of the O’Leary horses. She trains in Westmeath, but was born in Denmark. The last female trained Irish Grand National winner was Jenny Pitman's Mudahim in 1997.
Liberty Counsel paid 103.70 euro on the Tote.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
