Grand National 2017: One For Arthur Cruises to Easy Victory
One For Arthur and jockey Derek Fox dominated the field on Saturday to win the 2017 Grand National, breaking free on the final straight and easily leaving his competitors behind.
After two false starts, the pack got off to a clean standing start. Rogue Angel set the pace and was still near the front by the second passage of Becher's Brook. Blaklion opened up a three-length lead with three fences still to go, but One For Arthur broke impressively in the final straight and easily galloped to the win.
Here's a look at the order of finish, complete with payouts, courtesy of Sportinglife.com:
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| 1 | One For Arthur 14-1 | £561,300.00 |
| 2 | Cause Of Causes 16-1 | £211,100.00 |
| 3 | Saint Are 25-1 | £105,500.00 |
| 4 | Blaklion 9-1f | £52,700.00 |
| 5 | Gas Line Boy 50-1 | £26,500.00 |
| 6 | Vieux Lion Rouge 12-1 | £13,200.00 |
Blaklion was one of the favourites to win this year's race and seemed to be delivering on those expectations, but contact with the eventual winner seemed to unsettle the horse. One For Arthur never broke stride, while Blaklion fell back momentarily before rallying for a top-four finish.
As shared by ITV Racing, there was excellent news at the conclusion of what was a chaotic race:
Racing UK shared these video highlights:
The sunny conditions at Aintree Racecourse meant the sod dried out during the day, and the course was soft to good in most places by the start of the Grand National.
That start was a nervy one, and there were early fallers at the first fence. Vicente was one of the victims, which was a big blow for punters backing the winner of last year's Scottish Grand National.
Lord Windermere and Rogue Angel set a solid pace, while in the background, Definitly Red, one of the most popular horses among punters, disappointed a lot of viewers.
Betting company Paddy Power was shocked:
Blaklion's burst came a little early, and it would cost the 9-1 backed horse. The contact with One For Arthur certainly didn't help, but the eventual winner had already gained a lot of ground by that point.
Per Racing UK, winning jockey Fox was overjoyed:
It's a great day for Scotland and a bit of a coming-out party for One For Arthur, as the horse showed a stunning burst in the final furlongs. Trainer Lucinda Russell has a gem on her hands, and the team likely can't wait to find out what the rest of the year has in store.
For more news, rumours and related stories about the Grand National and horse racing, check out the horse racing streams on Bleacher Report's app.
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