The Grand National Hurdle and Grand National Steeplechase double, a feat not achieved in nearly a century, was completed for the third time in history by the Shane Jackson-trained Andy Win. The gelding recorded an emphatic 12-length win in the 2026 Grand National Hurdle at Ballarat.
While the racing environment differs significantly from when Mosstrooper achieved the same double in 1930 at Flemington, the elation felt by participants remains potent. This was especially true for Andy Win ($3.30 favourite), who managed to overcome a potentially race-ending injury sustained in the lead-up.
“I’m not an emotional sort of person but it has been a rollercoaster with this horse and it has been a stressful week,” Jackson said.
“I can tell people now that this horse schooled here on Monday when it was waterlogged and on Tuesday evening he’d come out with a bloody foot abscess.
“I thought, ‘I can’t tell anybody about this and I can’t tell jockey, for sure’.
“Thankfully I have a great farrier in Ballarat and my brilliant vets in Warrnambool. I’m lost for words. This is peak.”
With the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown on August 2 and this 4600-metre contest now held a fortnight apart, Andy Win’s successful double places him in esteemed company alongside Tallyho Twinkletoe, who accomplished the same feat in 2019. This marks a significant change from the previous arrangement where the two feature races were run just one week apart prior to 2008.
It is noteworthy that Andy Win only made his debut over jumps in May of the preceding year.
Jockey Tom Ryan secured his second Grand National Steeplechase win, his first coming in 2011.
“I wouldn’t want to know, to be honest,” Ryan said when told of the horse’s injury prior.
“He was a bit flat over the third last fence but when I got stuck into him, he came alive.”
Earlier in the day, Ryan guided the heavily favoured The Cunning Fox ($1.60) to a thrilling victory in the JJ Houlihan Hurdle. The second betting pick had established a substantial lead of over 20 lengths with one circuit remaining in the 3250-metre race contested by only three horses.
“Horses like Andy Win and The Cunning Fox, they’re just warriors,” Ryan added.
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