Xuenou > Sports > Grand National Festival horse who was 199/1 makes everyone else ‘look like idiots’
Grand National Festival horse who was 199/1 makes everyone else ‘look like idiots’
Grand National Festival horse who was 199/1 makes everyone else 'look like idiots',Mark Walsh shocked punters at Aintree on Saturday as he rode the Gordon Elliott-trained Sire Du Berlais to victory in the Liverpool Hurdle at the Grand National Festival

Grand National Festival horse who was 199/1 makes everyone else ‘look like idiots’

Sire Du Berlais has made everyone "look like idiots" at the Grand National Festival by winning the Liverpool Hurdle.

Trained by Gordon Elliott, the horse claimed victory at Aintree under Mark Walsh despite being 199/1 on the live odds during the race. Having gone off at 8/1, victory looked unlikely during the race as the horse was scrubbed along miles from home and ran joint-last for much of the contest.

However, Sire Du Berlais surged up the field between the last two flights before overtaking Marie's Rock in the final furlong to claim victory in the grade one race at Aintree.

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Saturday's victory completed an impressive 305/1 Cheltenham and Aintree double for Sire Du Berlais following a win in the Stayer's Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

Punters were left stunned by the performance after watching the race, with one tweeting: "Sire Du Berlais has just made everyone look like idiots."

Another perplexed viewer also shared their reaction by writing: "Sire Du Berlais is a joke of a horse. Imagine travelling that poorly throughout a race and still bolting up."

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Sire Du Berlais
Sire Du Berlais had been 199/1 before surging up the field (Image: ITV)

Walsh was equally shocked he was able to win the race, telling ITV Racing: "I don't know [how I won that], he wasn't on the bridle at any stage.

"Turning into the straight I was creeping closer and closer. I thought I might have a little squeak here and then he started passing horses and just kept going."

Walsh went for another win in the Grand National later on Saturday on board Any Second Now, trained by Ted Walsh and owned by JP McManus.

Any Second Now was amongst the favourites for the big race, priced at 14/1 behind betting leaders Ain't That A Shame and Corach Rambler at 8/1 and 9/1.

However, the start of the Grand National was delayed indefinitely after animal rights activists and protestors stormed the racecourse at Aintree before it eventually got underway.

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