Praise for Minella Indo after National third: “Unreal” performance for an 11-year-old, says Racing Post

The Henry de Bromhead-trained 11-year-old was bidding to become the first Gold Cup winner to land the National since L’Escargot in 1975. The horse raced prominently under Rachael Blackmore and jumped with aplomb, leading from Delta Work at the Elbow. Paul Townend came flying down the outside to pass him on I Am Maximus, while Delta Work rallied on the run-in to nab second close home.

A beaming Maloney described the horse as “the horse of a lifetime,” and expressed their thrill and delight with the horse’s performance. They commended Rachael’s report that the horse loved every minute of it, never missing a beat and jumping every fence for fun. Minella Indo’s first run since mid-December saw him narrowly miss the intended engagement at Cheltenham.

Remarkably, the second, third, and fourth horses were all set to run in the Cross Country Chase before it was called off. Three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Delta Work went one better than his third-place finish in 2022 under Jack Kennedy, while Galvin finished admirably in fourth under Sam Ewing. Both horses are trained by three-time National winner Gordon Elliott, who expressed pride in their efforts and acknowledged the dominant presence of Willie Mullins.

Elliott also shared his sentiments about the National, expressing his pride in the horses and his belief that it is the greatest race in the world.