Speaking exclusively to BoyleSports, Dermot McLoughlin tells the story of what it was like to be the trainer of the biggest price winner in the history of the Irish Grand National.
McLoughlin also gave us his insight into Lord Lariat’s win in the 2022 BoyleSports Irish Grand National and what effect that 2nd National win had on his yard.
Freewheelin Dylan’s 2021 National Win
That was in the middle of COVID so there was a very small crowd [at Fairyhouse]. He was named after Bob Dylan and I bought the horse for a girl who works in our yard, Sheila Mangan. She calls him Bob and his nickname in the yard is obviously Bob.
He progressed, winning his point-to-point and then a Hunter Chase at Listowel. Then he won the Midlands National at Kilbeggan. After that I said to myself: “There’s only one place for you.” That was Fairyhouse as long as the ground was right.
In the Kilbeggan National he won on good ground, jumped out, made all and just got home. That was exactly the same at the Irish National. He bucked out, jumped like a stag and won.
It was a great experience and changed Shelia’s life. She was offered to sell the horse a couple of times but wouldn’t.
He is still up there on the comeback trail. He cracked a bone in the back of his knee in the cross country at Punchestown last April and we gave him the whole winter off. He will run again in a little race after the National if the ground dries out and we’ll have him back for the Spring.
*The 2024 BoyleSports Irish Grand National will take place on Easter Monday, April 1st at Fairyhouse in Co. Meath. You can bet on the big race with our Irish Grand National odds at BoyleSports.
My Phone ‘Never Stopped Ringing’ After The Win
Fairyhouse did their best to make an atmosphere, but obviously with no-one there it wasn’t the same.
The phone never stopped hopping after I came home. There were a few people in the yard wearing masks but the owner wasn’t there because she had left the yard after feeding the horses to watch the race on television.
It lifted her no end. She has had her ups and downs. At 150-1, he was the biggest priced winner in the history of the race.
It got him an entry to Aintree in 2022. There he just got tired but still finished seventh. It paid for his trip over, plus she got a few quid out of it! And she had a great time.
I Knew 2022 Winner Lord Lariat Would Be A National Horse
Now that was different! I had only had Lord Lariat for three or four months and he won a Ladies’ race. When he went by the line all he kept doing was galloping. I said to myself again: “I know where you’re going too.”
That was before Christmas. I gave him a run at Leopardstown in desperate ground in January and I put him away. He was very lucky to get in the National - one of the last.
Lo and behold, that was the start of the luck. Talking with Paddy (O’Hanlon) the jockey I said, “We’ll try and get moving early doors.”
The first mile of any National, there’s a lot of pace there. He was able to hold his position. He jumped so well. Paddy sent him for home and he stayed on the best and won at 40-1.
That was a completely different story. The whole place erupted. We came back, the road was lined, there were people in the yard and people in the yard ringing me from there to see when I was getting back. It was carnage down here!
I could take it all in a bit more because the previous year was a lonely place. People were coming into the yard for the next three or four days.
Now when you come into the yard there is a big picture of the two horses looking at each other. So when you’re having a bad day you can always look up and say to yourself that “whatever happens, that has happened and on you go.”
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Effect Of Second National Win On The Yard
It did and it didn’t. A lot of the owners here stay with the big lads. I got plenty of phone calls. We never have an empty stable, but the calibre horse I am working with is different. Lord Lariat cost €5,500, Freewheelin’ Dylan was €20,000.
A lot of people called afterward to have a chat about my father, Arkle, and Flyingbolt. I’ll talk to anyone because you never know who is ringing. But I don’t want a bigger yard, forty is a perfect number. But the calibre and cost of horses here has gone through the roof - and Willie [Mullins] and Gordon [Elliott] get the pick.
We had one runner at the Dublin Racing Festival - it’s all a one-way street.
It is the same in any sport. If you are at the top, you stay at the top and he is well able to stay there and can buy any horse he wants to. The National win didn’t have a material effect, we got no big clients in.
2024 BoyleSports Irish Grand National Odds
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