Grand National 2016: Winner, Payouts and Order of Finish
Rule The World and jockey David Mullins rode the perfect race to win the 2016 Grand National, beating The Last Samuri and Vics Canvas in an exciting sprint at Aintree Racecourse.
Mullins shielded his horse as long as possible and found himself chasing the leaders after the final fence, but on the heavy sod, Rule The World's raw pace was enough to take the win in the final stretch.
As shared by My Racing Tips, few will have expected Rule The World to win the Grand National this year, given the fact he had never won a race over fences:
Here's a look at the order of finish, courtesy of Racing Tips & News:
Here's the payout information, courtesy of Sportinglife.com:
| Rule The World | 33-1 | £561,300 |
| Last Samuri | 8-1 | £211,100 |
| Vics Canvas | 100-1 | £105,500 |
| Gilgamboa | 28-1 | £52,700 |
| Goonyella | 12-1 | £26,500 |
| Ucello Conti | 25-1 | £13,200 |
Recap
As shared by Channel 4 Racing, the pack of contenders was in for a rough day at Aintree Racecourse, as persistent rains had reduced the track to a soft goo:
The rains lessened before the start of the race, which was good news for the spectators, but there was no time for the ground to dry before the race started.
Slower tracks tend to favour the underdogs in long-distance races like the Grand National, leading to a late push from punters backing some of the horses with longer odds, and with Holywell taking a tumble on the second fence, one of the dark horses for the win was lost early, per Sports.JOE.ie:
Many Clouds positioned himself perfectly behind the horses setting the pace early, with Saint Are and Shutthefrontdoor also sitting pretty. Many Clouds took the lead heading for fence 23, with The Last Samuri sitting right on his tail.
Behind those two, numerous horses fell before the final stretch, as the heavy sod took its toll. This fan noticed one of the runners didn't need his jockey:
The Last Samuri took the lead after the Canal Turn and looked fantastic, as Many Clouds fell away slightly and started losing ground with two fences left.
Vics Canvas and the The Last Samuri seemed set to sprint it out for the title, but Rule The World, who sat quiet until the final fence, powered through the pack and overtook the duo in the final furlongs, emerging as the winner after one of the most exciting Grand National finishes in years.
Here's a look at the finish, courtesy of Racing UK:
As reported by Mike Henson of BBC Sport, winning jockey Mullins said he executed the plan for the race to perfection: "It's unbelievable. I couldn't expect things to have gone any better, it all went to plan. I'm very grateful for being given the chance to ride this horse."
Joint-favourite The Last Samuri finished second after running a fantastic race, while Vics Canvas held on for third.
Vics Canvas' third-placed finish may have been the most impressive performance of them all―take a look at the recovery jockey Robbie Dunne had to make earlier in the race:
The Scottish Grand National is the next major event on the British racing calendar, followed by the Guineas Festival at Newmarket at the end of this month. Expect the favourites who faltered on Saturday to aim for the first event and hope for firmer ground, on which they can better show their speed.
Per Racing Tips & News, all horses came in safely after the race.
