National Winner Celebrated

The success of Co Antrim Jockey in Saturday's Grand National seems to have cost Northern Ireland bookmakers a lot of money.

A late flurry of bets on the champion jump jockey's mount Don't Push It saw his price fall from 20/1 to 10/1 favourite in the hour before the race.

McCoy, the 14-time champion jockey, has ridden more than 3,000 winners, but Grand National victory had remained frustratingly elusive, with three third-place finishes his best efforts before Saturday.

While McCoy's win is believed to have cost bookmakers £10 million across the UK, the industry in his homeland was particular badly hit, according to William Hill.

"It is a black-armband day for the betting industry," said Tony Kenny, spokesman for William Hill.

He told the Belfast News Letter: "Time and time again, McCoy heaps misery on the bookmakers, and this time he has done it on the biggest stage.

"The payouts in our shops in Northern Ireland will continue long into the night."

South Antrim Assembly member Thomas Burns, said: "This is a tremendous victory for the masterly Tony McCoy.

"It was an exceptionally exciting race and is a well-deserved win for an extraordinarily talented and perseverant jockey.

"This achievement has filled the people of Moneyglass with great pride and has made Tony McCoy an even greater horseracing hero and role model for those involved in sport throughout Ireland."

(BMcC/GK)