Bookies' French fancy kid

IT HAD to happen some time. After years of being at least slightly predictable, the John Smith's Grand National yesterday threw up a completely unexpected combination of horse and jockey in the biggest shock since Foinavon won the race in 1967.

Winning at the record-equalling odds of 100-1 – the boomakers hailed it as their best result ever – Mon Mome also made more history of a sort as the first French-bred horse to win the race since Lutteur exactly a century ago.

It was the very first ride in the National for 23-year-old Liam Treadwell, the former Flat jockey who went over the jumps when his weight increased.

The winner's trainer, Venetia Williams, also became only the second woman to train the winner of the world's greatest jumps race, following Jenny Pitman's success with Corbiere in 1983. It was sweet revenge on Aintree for Williams, who fell on her only ride as a jockey in the National back in 1988. Unfortunately she was not so lucky two weeks later when she sustained a broken neck in a fall at Worcester.

In sweeping to a clear-cut victory, Mon Mome – it's French for "my kid" – also spoiled what would have been a remarkable double, as last year's winner Comply or Die came home second after briefly leading the field and looking like the winner over the last. It was a magnificent effort from the horse and from trainer David Pipe and jockey Timmy Murphy, and let's hope the handicapper gives him a chance next year.

Second favourite My Will led two out but just didn't have any pace in the final two furlongs under Ruby Walsh, though he finished third ahead of State of Play. In their worst result for years, the first Irish-trained horse home was Southern Vic in eighth, while the greatest National Hunt jockey of all time, Tony McCoy, finished one place ahead in seventh on 7-1 favourite Butler's Cabin, the only one of the JP McManus-owned quarter to finish the race. McCoy had earlier given Don't Push It a vintage ride to win the John Smith's handicap chase but that will have been no consolation to the champion who is now 14 runs, no wins, in the National.

It had been billed as the most open National in years, and so it proved, with a whole host of horses juggling for favouritism. On a warm day with the ground in perfect jumping condition, there were too many horses and jockeys eager to jump the gun and starter Sean McDonald called them back twice after two cavalry charges broke the tape. It was third time lucky, and very much so for Treadwell, who enjoyed the bit of fortune that all National winners need. "I missed the first two starts and was out the back, so it worked out smashing for me," he admitted.

The well-fancied Black Apalachi made much of the running on the first circuit, on which Himalayan Trail and Golden Flight fell at the first fence – "a bit of an anti-climax" said the latter's jockey Barry Geraghty. Ollie Magern, Brooklyn Brownie Reveillez and Chelsea Harbour were other early casualties.

Up ahead it looked as though Denis O'Regan might well steal the race with his forcing tactics, but Black Apalachi looked to be coming under pressure when he unseated O'Regan at Becher's Brook on the second circuit, by which time Rambling Minster, the last horse bred by the late great Scottish trainer Ken Oliver, had been wisely pulled up by jockey James Reveley.

Comply or Die was enjoying a dream run under Murphy, while Walsh always had My Will well placed. McCoy's hopes went when Butler's Cabin clattered late fences, but all the time Mon Mome was creeping closer.

Coming round the home turn, there was the remarkable sight for the National of a dozen horses being in contention and after My Will led briefly, it was Comply or Die who forged ahead over the last, encouraging thoughts of a new Red Rum – the only horse to win back-to-back Nationals, in 1973 and 1974.

But Mon Mome was resolute as it took the lead and pressed ahead, rounding the Elbow and coasting clear to win by 12 lengths from Comply or Die, with My Will just over a length behind in third. "He ran a great race," said Walsh. Sadly, Hear the Echo collapsed on the run-in and died of a suspected heart attack.

One person believed that Mon Mome could win. "I spoke to my mum Lorraine last night," said jockey Treadwell, "and she said, 'Are you going to have your hair cut in case you win?' and I said I'd just be delighted to get a clear round.

"I had a lovely run up the inner. He wasn't travelling well at first but we got caught in a pocket as we crossed the Melling Road and that worked out well."

Vida Bingham, owner of Mon Mome, is a thinking person – she once played bridge for England. She selected Venetia Williams as her trainer because she was "honest and trustworthy", and Williams certainly was forthright in talking about Mon Mome, who had previously threatened to hit the heights, having run second in the Welsh National as a novice back in 2006.

He showed what he could do last December in the big boylesport.com Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, but Williams felt that his tenth in last year's Grand National and eighth in this year's Midlands National showed that he could take the biggest race if she could get him ready.

"That race at Cheltenham was a career best and it put him up the handicap," said Williams, for whom Mon Mome was a lucky 13th runner in the National. "We thought he did well to finish tenth last year because he wasn't quite right.

"This is the race I have always said I wanted to win, but you assume it is out of reach. I said to Liam to try and not track anything, as light in front of you is gold dust, and by that I mean you need to be able to see the fences."

Mon Mome saw his fences, and deserved to win.

The race after the National, the John Smith's Handicap Hurdle, may have brought some consolation for Scottish punters as Milnathort trainer Lucinda Russell's Culcabock just scraped home under jockey Campell Gillies. "It continues a great season for us," said Russell.

But not too many will have bet on the 66-1 shot, or the 66-1 outsider Sitting Tennant who won the closing bumper.

It was the bookmakers' day.

1st MON MOME (100-1)

2nd COMPLY OR DIE (14-1)

3rd MY WILL (8-1)

4th STATE OF PLAY (14-1)

5th CERIUM

6th BIG FELLA THANKS

7th BUTLER'S CABIN

8th SOUTHERN VIC

9th SNOWY MORNING

10th ARTEEA

11th IRISH INVADER

12th IDLE TALK

13th DARKNESS

14th PREISTS LEAP

15th OFFSHORE ACCOUNT

16th BATTLECRY

17th CORNISH SETT

1ST FENCE: GOLDEN FLIGHT (FELL), HIMALAYAN TRAIL (FELL)

2ND FENCE: OLLIE MAGERN (FELL), BROOKLYN BROWNIE (FELL)

3RD FENCE: CHELSEA HARBOUR (FELL), REVEILLEZ (BROUGHT DOWN)

4TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

5TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

6TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

7TH FENCE: STAN (FELL)

8TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

9TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

10TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

11TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

12TH FENCE: MUSICA BELLA (FELL)

13TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

14TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

15TH FENCE: CLOUDY LANE (UNSEATED)

16TH FENCE: ZABENZ (FELL)

17TH FENCE: EUROTREK (PULLED UP)

18TH FENCE: FLEET STREET (UNSEATED), CAN'T BUY TIME (FELL)

19TH FENCE: RAMBLING MINSTER (PULLED UP)

20TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

21ST FENCE: FUNDAMENTALIST (PULLED UP), KILBEGGAN BLADE (PULLED UP)

22ND FENCE: BLACK APALACHI (UNSEATED), SILVER BIRCH (FELL) PARSONS LEGACY (FELL), KELAMI (PULLED UP)

23RD FENCE: NO FALLERS

24TH FENCE: NO FALLERS

25TH FENCE: KNOWHERE (PULLED UP)

26TH FENCE: NO FALLERS