Andy’s peak Win in historic Grand National victory
For only the third time in nearly a century, the Australian Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase double has been completed as the Shane Jackson-trained Andy Win (NZ) (Almanzor) strode to victory by 12-lengths in the 2026 version of the feature over fences at Ballarat.
The jumping scene is certainly different compared to when Mosstrooper completed the same feat in 1930 at Flemington but the emotion around the achievement is just the same for participants especially when overcoming what could have been a disastrous injury for Andy Win ($3.30 favourite) in the days prior.
"I'm not an emotional sort of person but it has been a rollercoaster with this horse and it has been a stressful week," Jackson said.
"I can tell people now that this horse schooled here on Monday when it was waterlogged and on Tuesday evening he'd come out with a bloody foot abscess.
"I thought, 'I can't tell anybody about this and I can't tell jockey, for sure'.
"Thankfully I have a great farrier in Ballarat and my brilliant vets in Warrnambool. I'm lost for words. This is peak."
Prior to 2008, the Hurdle and Steeplechase features were run a week apart but the fortnight between the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown on August 2 and this test over 4600-metres put Andy Win's achievement alongside Tallyho Twinkletoe's same successes in 2019.
Significantly, Andy Win won his maiden over jumps as recently as last May.
Jockey Tom Ryan notched his second Grand National Steeplechase win since 2011.
"I wouldn't want to know, to be honest," Ryan said when told of the horse's injury prior.
"He was a bit flat over the third last fence but when I got stuck into him, he came alive."
Earlier on the card, Ryan steered short-priced favourite The Cunning Fox (NZ) (Reliable Man) to snatch a last gap win in the JJ Houlihan Hurdle after second elect chance led by as more than 20-lengths with a lap to go in the 3250m three-horse affair.
"Horses like Andy Win and The Cunning Fox, they're just warriors," Ryan added.
