The Grand National, Britain’s best-known and also most controversial horse race, was won by the 25-1 shot Many Clouds, as Leighton Aspell became the first jockey since Brian Fletcher, on Red Rum in 1973-74, to win the gruelling four-and-a-quarter-mile race for two years running. The betting industry breathed a collective sigh of relief as the legendary rider Tony McCoy, in his valedictory season, could only pilot his heavily backed mount Shutthefrontdoor to fifth place. “Many Clouds [is] a real stayer, but I did think until about four-out, which is a long way from home in the Grand National, I did think the dream was on,” admitted McCoy, who had promised to retire early if he had won. His stellar, 20-year career will nevertheless draw to a close when the jump racing season ends later this month.
Hamilton wins in Shanghai
Formula One’s jangling, billionaire-fuelled circus pitched up in Shanghai, where to no one’s great surprise Lewis Hamilton claimed victory in the Chinese Grand Prix for the fourth time. Indeed, the main intrigue focused on some characteristic press conference chuntering about Hamilton’s tyre management from his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who finished second, evoking memories of the two drivers’ animosity last season. “It’s not my job to look after Nico’s race,” shrugged Hamilton. “It’s my job to manage the car and bring it home as healthy and as fast as possible. That’s what I did.” After Malaysia and China, F1 continues its tour of international human rights blackspots by moving on to Bahrain this weekend.
No fairytale end for Wiggins
There was to be no fairytale departure from road racing for Sir Bradley Wiggins in cycling’s Paris-Roubaix classic, the Briton finishing 18th in his final outing for Team Sky. “I’ve just kissed [the Team Sky chief] Dave Brailsford on the forehead and told him we’ve gone through a lot together. He’s known me since I was an 18-year-old streak of piss and now I’m a 35-year-old streak of piss,” said Wiggins, perhaps unintentionally coining a career epitaph to end all career epitaphs. Germany’s John Degenkolb took the honours for his second classic triumph in recent weeks, but the other main talking point centred on a near-disaster at a railway crossing – thankfully averted – when several riders were temporarily stranded in the path of an oncoming TGV train.
Oxford thrash Cambridge
Oxford achieved the unique distinction of winning the university boat race twice, the 186th version of the race being the first to include the women’s race on the same stretch of London’s river Thames. Cheered on from the riverbanks and bridges by an estimated 250,000 well-refreshed spectators, Oxford thrashed their old rivals Cambridge by the distance of six-and-a-half lengths in both the men’s and women’s races.
