WHEN MOST horses are laid out for the Grand National for months on end and at times for a year or more it is remarkable that connections of Saturday's winner Rough Quest had no intentions of running their gallant Gold Cup runner-up so soon again. That is until the horse himself, so to speak, gave notice of his well-being and readiness.

It was not so much that Rough Quest was 50 well handicapped that tempted Casey to declare him a definite runner some five days after his hard race at Cheltenham - Garrison Savanah, Master Oats and others were also thrown in but could not win the National - but in the words of Terry Casey the horse was leaping out of his skin once he had got over his Gold Cup exertions.

Indeed, the Co Donegal born trainer went so far as to say that Rough Quest was better leading up to the National than before he went to Cheltenham and that if he was in the same form before the Gold Cup he might well have won it. (Fergie Sutherland would hardly agree!)

I have seen some patently good National winners in the past 30 years Red Rum, L'Escargot, Grittar and West Tip come to mind - and now Rough Quest, the undoubted class horse of Saturday's race, must take his place among the best of them.

The steward's inquiry - the first I can recall in a National - tended to spoil matters but it was inevitable after Rough Quest had crossed Encore Un Peu after the Elbow and caused his rival to switch.

Some years ago Rough Quest would have been disqualified but thankfully under the new ruling, which takes into account deliberate intention and improvement of the offender's position or placing as a consequence of interference, the result was allowed to stand. The stewards found the crossing was not deliberate and that Rough Quest had not improved his placing. He had won on merit.

I have not seen a better riding performance in a National, though his partner, Mick Fitzgerald, said modestly that Rough Quest had "done everything for him" and that all he had to do at one stage was to "take a pull".

But the horse has never been the easiest of rides. He must be held on to for a late run which was confirmed by the Cork born rider. "I just had to hunt him round for the first circuit and get him balanced. He did not make the semblance of a mistake. After jumping four fences I said to myself `this is it'. I couldn't produce him too soon so I took a pull and said `no, no, no - not yet!' He then quickened between the last two fences."

Bred in Fethard, Co Tipprary by Michael Healy, Rough Quest was bought by Arthur Moore on behalf of Andrew Wates, a member of the Jockey Club who lives in Dorking, Surrey and owns Henfold House Cottage Stables where Terry Casey trains.

The 10-year-old Crash Course gelding has won some good handicap chases, including a race at last year's Cheltenham Festival. He has suffered from a muscle enzyme affliction that has seen him fade at the end of races at Ascot and Kempton this season.

He fell in the 1994 John Hughes Chase over the National fences when going well and fell twice at park courses this season. But as he showed in the Gold Cup and on Saturday he is improving all the time.

After Cheltenham it was intended to run him in next Monday's Jameson Irish Grand National in which he was allotted top weight of 12st. He will now be retired for the season with next year's Gold Cup as his prime objective. He is quoted at 12 to 1 for that event and 16 to 1 for next year's Grand National.

Terry Casey (50) was born at Downings, Donegal. He ran away from school to the Curragh when he was 15 and was returned home by the Gardai to a severe lecture not to go into racing!

He later joined trainer Aubrey Brabazon and had 40 rides without success in a three-year apprenticeship. As a fully fledged National Hunt jockey he rode 46 winners for among others George Dunwoody, now Newmarket based father of Richard who was taught to ride by Casey. Casey also rode Grittar to win over hurdles.

Terry Casey first trained on the Curragh and then moved to Towcester and the Banbury stables of Derek Ancil and in 1994 he settled at Henfold House Cottage.

Mick Fitzgerald (25) was raised at Camolin, Co Wexford. He served with John Hayden and Richard Lister before moving to Britain to join Jackie Retter in Devon. He rode his first winners for Retter. Fitzgerald is one of the most stylish of jump jockeys and Rough Quest was his second Grand National ride. He fell with Tinryland at the first fence in last year's race.

Paul Carberry gave Three Brownies - who surprisingly proved the best of the Irish quintet - a fantastic ride. "I thought I would win going to the third last. Into the second last he got a bit tired but he was a great sport all the way."

Three Brownies, a three-parts brother to Grand National placed Lastofthebrownies, finished sixth, one place ahead of Life Of A Lord who did not appear to stay. "It was the weight. He missed the last three but the ground was not to blame," said his rider Charlie Swan.

Conor O'Dywer, who had no chance of staying aboard Son Of War after a disastrous blunder at the Canal Turn second time round, said: "He jumped away well from the start but got a bit close and had no chance of recovering."

Frank Woods sustained some muscular soreness after falling with Wylde Hide at the same fence. "He was in touch with the leaders when he fell," he said.

Sadly, Rust Never Sleeps pulled up at the 13th with a broken shoulder. "He was giving me a fantastic ride, the ride of my life," said Trevor Horgan.

Aidan O'Brien knew what he was doing when throwing the novice Urubande into the deep end for the Martell Aintree Hurdle. He has a high regard for the lightly raced six-year-old and declared after his success in Cheltenham's Sun Alliance Hurdle that this good actioned horse would improve with good ground.

As at Cheltenham, Charlie Swan elected to make the running on Urubande only this time reluctantly as he knew there was no real front-runner in the race. Urubande was not concentrating and belted the fifth last flight from which he was lucky to recover. However, the horse jumped very well once he had warmed to his task and kept going to hold by a neck the challenging Strong Promise who had finished 22 lengths behind Urubande at Cheltenham.

But Urubande is still a big baby. "He looks at everything but he will improve with time," said Swan who was returning for the first time after his Cheltenham suspension.

"He seemed to idle in front," said Aidan O'Brien, saddling his first ever runner at Aintree. "It is now back to the novices at Fairyhouse and Punchestown!" Urubande will be sent chasing next season.

Danoli, who was ridden by Swan to win the last two renewals of the Martell Aintree Hurdle, was beaten shortly after turning for home but stayed on to finish third.

However, he did have a hard race in the Champion Hurdle and like many other Cheltenham horses to run at Aintree, this race came too soon for him. He, too, will be sent over fences in the autumn.

Tom Foley said: "He was stiff after Cheltenham and lost a good piece of weight when he had no weight to lose. He has had no schooling over hurdles at home this season and is taking it from one race to the other.

"Danoli might not have jumped brilliantly today, but you can't expect him to with no schooling. We hope he will jump fences though he has not been tried over them at home."