Comment
Tiger Roll’s Grand National omission robs us of the chance to watch an icon become an immortal
If Red Rum's three-time National winning record were to be equalled, the significance both within racing and beyond could not be overstated
17 March 2021 • 7:30pm
Even if he cantered off today into a happy and supremely-indulged retirement, Tiger Roll would have nothing left to prove. With his astounding fifth Cheltenham win, one to stand alongside his two Grand National triumphs, his horse-of-a-lifetime status is safe for posterity. And yet it is part of the restlessness of sport that when an animal of his pedigree demolishes the field by 18 lengths, a margin of victory so vast that broadcasters should have shown the finish in panorama mode, the appetite is whetted for an encore.