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Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary gives each passenger free drinks on flight after Tiger Roll’s win


‘You can buy your food in Dublin, on board we’re drinking’: Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary gives each passenger two free drinks on flight from Liverpool after his horse Tiger Roll wins back-to-back Grand Nationals

  • Michael O’Leary celebrated Tiger Roll’s Grand National victory with passengers 
  • Tiger Roll became the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Nationals
  • O’Leary provided two free beverages for those on the flight back from Liverpool
  • Tiger Roll’s trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Davy Russell were on board plane 

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary celebrated Tiger Roll’s second successive Grand National win with passengers on board the flight back to Ireland.

Tiger Roll, owned by O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, became the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Nationals on Saturday.

Following the nine-year-old’s success last year O’Leary treated passengers to one free drink and this time around he provided two beverages on the house.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary celebrated Tiger Roll's second successive Grand National win with passengers on board the flight back to Ireland

He provided two beverages on the house to each of them

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary celebrated Tiger Roll’s Grand National win with passengers

'You can buy your food in Dublin, on board this flight we're drinking,' he said on the intercom

Tiger Roll's trainer Gordon Elliott was on board the flight from Liverpool to Ireland

Tiger Roll’s trainer Gordon Elliott (right) and jockey Davy Russell were two passengers on flight

‘As is traditional on evenings when we win the Grand National and Cheltenham, we’re having a free bar on board this flight,’ he said on the intercom.

‘I got some criticism last year by limiting it to one drink per person so that the crew could get to the end of the aircraft but now you can have two drinks per person.

‘If anyone orders a ham and cheese panini or sandwich I’m offloading you personally. You can buy your food in Dublin, on board this flight we’re drinking.’

Tiger Roll became the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Nationals on Saturday

Tiger Roll became the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Nationals on Saturday

Tiger Roll’s trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Davy Russell were two of the passengers on board the flight home from Liverpool. 

O’Leary added: ‘I want to congratulate Gordon Elliot who is sitting in row 6C. And Davy Russell who is sitting down at 8D.’ 

Tiger Roll beat 66-1 outsider Magic Of Light by two and three-quarter lengths. 

Memorably, and with affection, 12 months earlier, O’Leary had called Tiger Roll a ‘little rat of a thing’. This time he simply said: ‘God, I am so in with rats’.

Owner O'Leary (left), trainer Elliott and jockey Davy Russell (right) celebrate at Aintree

Owner O’Leary (left), trainer Elliott and jockey Davy Russell (right) celebrate at Aintree

O’Leary added after the victory: ‘This is phenomenal. There was no pressure today. I did not think he would win. They don’t win two in a row and Red Rum was a legend and now Tiger Roll is a legend. I am floating on air.

‘The aim today was for him to come back in one piece. He is so precious to me and he is to everyone now. The cheering he got at the finish was great for the crowd and it was bad for the bookies which is always a good thing.

‘These are the most days in my life. You never expect to win one Grand National and we have now won three. Tiger Roll is not a Gold Cup horse but he is a legend in his own right now.

‘We will have a very good party tonight and the Ryanair flight from Liverpool will be going a few minutes late again I suspect.’

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