Horseracing: Mason finding Marauder win hard to take in
Red Marauder was in rather better health today than his jockey and trainer in the aftermath of their glorious Martell Grand National triumph.
The 11-year-old chestnut happily posed for photographs when the media came to his stables in County Durham.
But jockey Richard Guest and trainer Norman Mason were feeling the worse for wear after celebrating the North East's first National win since Red Alligator in 1968.
Guest, also Mason's assistant trainer, ended more than three months of abstinence last night.
"I vowed on January 1 that I wouldn't drink until I won the Grand National or the Gold Cup," he said.
"I've stuck by that and I didn't start until 11.30 last night. The National win began to sink at 2 o'clock this morning and I didn't get any sleep at all."
Mason added: "I'm feeling tired now. I went to bed at 2.30 but couldn't sleep at all I was just so excited."
Red Marauder, meanwhile, was taking everything in his stride and appeared untroubled by all the attention.
"Sometimes it takes two or three days for them to take their feed after a race like that but he was eating this morning," said Mason.
"The race doesn't seem to have left its mark at all - there's not a scratch on him.
"But he'll be going on his holidays now and if all goes well we'll be bringing him back for next year's National."
It was in the balance whether Red Marauder would run in the National right up to the declaration deadline on Thursday morning.
"We had Red Ark and Red Marauder in the race and it really just depended on the ground which one ran," said Guest.
"But we spoke to the weathermen and they told us it was 100% certain there would be rain. So five minutes before the deadline we went for Red Marauder."
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