Auroras Encore wins Grand National

LIVERPOOL (AFP) –

Solwhit ridden by Paul Carberry (third-right) clears the last fence on its way to winning the John Smith’s Liverpool Hurdle at the Grand National in Liverpool on April 6, 2013. Outsider Auroras Encore has won the Grand National.

Ryan Mania won on his first ride in the Grand National here on Saturday just two years after giving up riding as he guided outsider Auroras Encore to a shock victory at Aintree racecourse.

The Scottish jockey gave a perfect ride to the 66/1 chance – trained by Sue Smith wife of former leading showjumper Harvey – who beat home Welsh duo Cappa Bleu (12/1) and Teaforthree (10/1) while the 2011 runner-up Oscar Time was fourth.

Auroras Encore was a local win as one of the three owners Jim Beaumont is Liverpool-born and started his working life as a bellboy in the upmarket Adelphi Hotel.

Mania seized his chance when Teaforthree hit the last after looking set to give Wales their first win in the race since Kirkland in 1905.

He was never in trouble after that as Cappa Bleu, fourth last year, ran on to rob Teaforthree of second while Cheltenham Gold Cup winning amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen produced another fantastic ride to take fourth.

“He gave me a dream ride, he’s brilliant. I had the choice of two horses to ride, I wasn’t sure which one to go for,” said Mania.

“He loved every second of it, just class – he was second in the Scottish National last season. He made a couple of little mistakes then learned from them.”