Where It All Began leads over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Where It All Began stayed on stoutly to overturn the 5/4 favourite We'llhavewan in the Quinnbet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Punchestown.
With Paul Townend getting down to a very light weight (put up 2lb overweight at 10-2) on We'llhavewan, who was running off a 21lb lower mark over fences than hurdles, punters latched onto Willie Mullins' charge and sent him off the short-priced 'jolly' in this 15-runner stamina test.
It looked good for favourite backers as We'llhavewan led after two out and set sail for home into the straight.
However, third-running Where It All Began (10/1) made relentless headway for Jack Kennedy and collared We'llhavewan just before the last.
He jumped it better than the favourite and powered home along the run-in to score by a widening 16 lengths from We'llhavewan who had no answers. Clonmeen was another five lengths back in third at 10/1.
Kennedy said: “He jumped great and never missed a beat the whole way.
“It probably looked turning in that I was going to finish third, but stamina really kicked in when we straightened up. I’m delighted with him.
“He’s not reliant on heavy ground, just a test of stamina is what he wants.
“He’d been running well and threatened to do something like that.
“That’s as light as I’d go (10st 5lb).”
Gordon Elliott added: “He could go for the Kim Muir at Cheltenham or an Irish National. It was a good performance and he stays really well.”
This gave Elliott his third National Trial in a row following on from victories by Death Duty and Coko Beach.
Paddy Power cut Where It All Began from 200/1 to 50/1 for the Grand National.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
