Walsh: 'One day a woman will win National'
Ted Walsh insisted that “one day a woman will win the National” after the trainer saw his daughter, Katie, partner Seabass to finish third at Aintree.
Katie Walsh is regarded as one of the top female riders in the business and showed her talents in the saddle once again by becoming the highest-placed woman jockey in the famous race’s history.
For a long way it looked as though sporting immortality could be achieved as the well-supported 8-1 joint-favourite Seabass was jumping superbly at the head of affairs.
The nine-year-old was one of only a handful of runners still in with a chance rounding the home turn and remained close to the front jumping the final fence, but weakened afterwards to place third behind Neptune Collonges and Sunnyhillboy.
Walsh senior said: “I thought going over the Melling Road he was going to win and we’d see history, but Katie said there was nothing left at the last.
“But she’s got further than any other woman has, and one day a woman will win the National, as Katie has said.
“We’ll think about next year, but when Hilary got to the top of Everest you don’t ask him how he was going to get back up again!
“A real top-class horse has beaten him and also Sunnyhillboy, who ran well at Cheltenham. It was a good National and it was great to be part of it.”
Katie Walsh was delighted after unsaddling and is already relishing the prospect of tackling the giant fences again.
She said: “I had an unbelievable spin. It was a fantastic experience. It was great to get round. I can’t believe it’s all over and I can’t wait to do it again.
“At the third-last I was going OK. I pulled down my goggles turning in and Barry (Geraghty, on Shakalakaboomboom) said to me ’you’re not going too bad’ but I knew then I wasn’t going to win.
“I was just delighted to be placed.”
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