 WHEN Timmy Murphy glanced over his right shoulder approaching the elbow, you instinctively knew the John Smith’s Grand National was in the bag. The veteran jockey had enjoyed as close as it gets to a magic carpet ride aboard Comply Or Die over 30 fences and just short of four and half stamina-sapping miles. It was time to close out the proceedings and the 33-year-old asked his blinkered companion for one last effort – and the big chaser stayed on bravely for a four length success. In so doing, he broke the run of three consecutive National wins for Irish-trained horses – though a trio from the republic, King John’s Castle, Snowy Morning and Slim Pickings, followed him home. A combination of determination, belief and unshakeable patience contributed to the popular victory. Rarely has there been a post-race reception to match the scenes of Saturday as Murphy constantly punched the air and saluted the 68,0000-strong crowd en route to the winner’s enclosure. As owner David Johnson related afterwards: “Comply Or Die had a leg injury and was off for nearly two years, but we were very patient and let nature take its course. “There’s no quick fix. You have to take your time and David Pipe and the team at Pond House stables have done that. “I thought Timmy was so cool. I am a big fan of his; that’s why he rides for me and he showed today what a good jockey he is.” Pipe himself attempted to deflect some of the glory onto his father Martin, who won 15 champion trainer titles before retiring two years ago. It didn’t work. “I only sweep the yard,” said Pipe senior, who himself saddled Miinnehoma to land the 1994 National. But the real accolades belonged to Murphy. He said: “It is everyone’s dream to win the National and the punters can’t be as happy as me. “I built a little National fence at home as a child, which I fell from more than I’ve ever fallen here. “This is the highlight of anybody’s career, when you think of all the great jockeys that have never won the National. “Comply Or Die jumped fantastically all the way and I was praying going to the last, concentrating on getting his stride right. I was worried because Paul Carberry was behind me and he’s not someone you like to see peering at you from behind.” Looking back is something Murphy prefers not to do. He’ll gladly reflect on last Saturday’s popular triumph or his big race wins of an hour earlier aboard Aintree favourite Al Eile and last Thursday on Our Vic. Question him about those dark times when his career was all but sunk in an alcoholic haze and how he spent four months cooped up in a prison cell following an air-rage incident on a flight from Japan, and the talented rider says: “Rock bottom? That’s when you’re dead, so I haven’t gone that far.” What he ensured on Saturday was a place in the record books. Despite Liverpool-born senior jumps handicapper Phil Smith’s ongoing policy of compressing the handicap – just 19lbs separated the top and bottom weights – the 2008 John Smith’s Grand |National once again confirmed that the race favours horses with less than 11st. Comply Or Die, backed in from 10-1 to 7-1 joint favourite, carried 10st 9lbs, while runner-up King John’s Castle had 2lbs more. Following home the placed horses in fifth was the 12-1 chance Bewleys Berry, while the Donald McCain-trained Cloudy Lane, co-favourite at 7-1, finished sixth. The trainer felt the eight-year-old’s lack of size contributed to the defeat as the little horse ran well without troubling the leaders. Just 15 of the 40 starters completed the course, the biggest hard luck story concerning champion jockey Tony McCoy, whose sequence of 13 losing Nationals continued when Butler’s Cabin fell at Becher’s Brook second time round. There was just one casualty, last year’s close second McKelvey being badly injured when unseating Tom O’Brie. | 
