TOMMY CARBERRY 1975 & '76 Brown Lad (6-4f & 7-2f) The first year he won it, I was after riding him at Cheltenham in the Gold Cup. He was after running well there, coming second and he turned out to be in or around 10 stone two in the Irish National. It looked to be a generous handicap and that's the way it turned out. He won very easy. He went up to around 12 stone the second time and won easy again. And that second victory was phenomenal given the weight.

But he was a very good horse. Truth be told, he was a class horse. He had to be to have that sort of success at the National. It was always a close, competitive race. Some years were obviously better than others but Brown Lad was a step above the rest. He was second in two Gold Cups as well, the best horse I rode that never won a Gold Cup.

He won it again a couple of years later (1978). I was riding one for Dan Moore in that race because he was always my first allegiance. Gerry Dowd had him that time and it was a little strange riding against him given the success we'd had. But I'd had my luck with him and it was a great feeling.

Definitely around Fairyhouse it meant a lot to people. A hero elsewhere? For a while, maybe. But you are just there to do a job. And that was job done.

ANN FERRIS 1984 Bentom Boy (33-1) I remember nearly it all still. There were 28 runners and he ended up winning by 10 or 15 lengths. Sure, he had long odds, the longest odds ever to win the race but that didn't matter. We sort of fancied him quietly at the back of our minds. My sister [Rosemary Rooney] came home third on another of my father's so it was a very memorable day.

The . rst time around I was about 12th but I had decided that I would ride the horse back in the . eld a little, so there was no great worry that I was trailing. At the top of the hill I moved up through the . eld a little. He was going very easy at that stage and I just new from that point that he was going much better than anything else.

There was never any scares, no near-misses.

I get asked a lot about being the only woman to win it but both myself and my sister, we were used to riding against men for years at point to point and it might have been a bigger race looking back but for us it was no different. And I don't think either Rosemary or myself realised we were unusual in what we were doing. We'd have always taken things with that attitude - that if it happens, it happens. Of course, with winning you are delighted but I was quite con. dent and it did cross my mind I could do this beforehand. The horse was going really well at the time and he was well handicapped, around nine stone eight. He was a good horse but he was terrible with rheumatism and he always had problems with his shoulders.

Looking back now, I suppose it's not a case of pride, I just remember being delighted to win it. I was delighted for my father because he trained the horse and my other sister did most of the hard work. I was only the rider.

CHARLIE SWAN 1993 Ebony Jane (6-1) You would have always had a good look at the list when the weights came out for a race like the National and I can still remember picking it up and having a good scan through. But immediately for me Ebony Jane stood out an absolute mile. So I went about trying to get the ride. In that regard I was pretty confident. I was excited because I thought this could easily go my way.

I was really looking forward to the whole thing and the race went so well. I went along throughout just off the pace but I suppose whenever you look at a horse that wins a race like the National, things always seem to go very well.

And it's a great feeling, coming home in a race with such history and a race that's spoken of so highly. But I suppose the other thing that stands out on that day was the following race. I was riding for Dessie Hughes in the Novices' Chase and came off.

I remember coming down pretty hard so I guess that brings you back down to earth very quickly.

TED WALSH 2000 Commanche Court (14-1) The Irish National is very special, but then again it all depends on how high the bar is for you. For any small stable especially, it means a huge thing because the bigger stables are presumed to have the firepower to go on and have success at it. So for me it was a phenomenal day but it was also a phenomenal month. Papillion had just won an English National and a week or 10 days later this horse goes and wins an Irish National. The idea that you'd win one brings a smile to your face but to think that you could do the two in a couple of weeks, I couldn't believe the race unfolded at Fairyhouse like it did.

Commanche Court was still a maiden but he was a smart horse and the only question mark hanging over him was would he get three and a half miles. We hadn't campaigned him over that far before. He was either not going to get the trip but if he did, we knew things would work out well for him. They did and he turned that race into a procession.

I was working for RTE as I normally do and he jumped very well. Ruby took his time on him, there was a little mistake at the . rst and after that he was going well. He passed the stands and, like a lot of the others, things were going smoothly. Around the corner he jumped absolutely super. You could see if you were any kind of a race reader that he was saddling really well.

I was pleased to see him win but you keep calm. I was working. I was doing the same job a few years earlier and I watched Papillion get beat by Bobbyjo. But having Ruby on board makes it so much more special.

There's nothing in the world like it. I mean, last year Jack High got beat in the National by Ruby on Numbersixvalverde. I'm a father first and a trainer second so whatever Ruby is on, whether it's for me or not, that's the priority.

But having the two come home together is a really proud and special moment.