Andy Win completes historic Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase double
In a remarkable feat not seen in nearly a century, the Grand National Hurdle and Grand National Steeplechase double has been achieved once more. Shane Jackson's charge, Andy Win, delivered a commanding performance, securing a decisive 12-length triumph in the 2026 edition of the premier jumps race at Ballarat.
While the landscape of jumps racing has evolved since Mosstrooper's 1930 triumph at Flemington, the profound significance of this achievement remains undiminished for those involved. This was particularly true for Andy Win ($3.30 favourite), who navigated a potentially race-ending injury sustained just days before the event.
"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."
The scheduling shift, with the Hurdle and Steeplechase features now separated by a fortnight after being held a week apart before 2008, means Andy Win's accomplishment is now bracketed with Tallyho Twinkletoe's 2019 double, following the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown on August 2 and this 4600-metre contest.
Remarkably, Andy Win only commenced his jumping career in May of the previous year.
For jockey Tom Ryan, this marked his second Grand National Steeplechase win, having previously saluted 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 program, Ryan guided the heavily backed favourite, The Cunning Fox ($1.60), to a narrow victory in the JJ Houlihan Hurdle. The second choice had established a commanding lead of over 20 lengths with a circuit remaining in the 3250m race featuring only three runners.
"Horses like Andy Win and The Cunning Fox, they're just warriors," Ryan added.
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