Tiger Roll created significant history on Saturday when he became the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Grand Nationals at Aintree.

Gordon Elliott’s diminutive chaser was sent off the 4/1 favourite of a field of 40 and had a relatively stress free trip around the famous course. He did stumble slightly on landing at Valentine’s Brook the second time around, but he recovered quickly and from here he always looked set for his second win, holding off a rallying surge from Jessica Harrington’s mare Magic Of Light, who gave debutant rider Paddy Kennedy a brilliant spin into second. Rathvinden and Ruby Walsh were further back in third making it back-to-back 1-2-3 finishes in the race for Irish runners.

Aintree hosted a sell out crowd of 70,000 and there were rapturous scenes when Tiger Roll hit the front, with emotions running high, particularly from Russell and Elliott after the race.

Elliott famously won the Grand National with Silver Birch in 2007. Then, he had yet to train a winner in Ireland. Now he has joined a list of just eight trainers to have trained three Grand National winners.

Owner Michael O’Leary paid tribute to Elliott’s achievements saying: “There is a lot of criticism in racing of the big trainers and the big owners, and the answer I make all the time is Gordon Elliott.

“He started off with nothing, he has built an incredible training career, an incredible training operation with nothing.

“His record at Cheltenham, at Liverpool, he is an incredibly talented trainer and he is the answer to everyone else who says you need to have luck, or relations or money.”

Elliott dedicated the win to his father Willie and to Russell’s mother Phyllis who both passed away last year.

Tiger Roll returned home to Summerhill in Meath on Sunday evening and was greeted by a big crowd.