Jubilant jockey Jim Culloty completed a rare Cheltenham Gold Cup-Grand National double with a thrilling triumph on Bindaree.

He only secured the Aintree ride on the eight-year-old gelding, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, just days before the big race when rider Jamie Goldstein was ruled out with a broken leg.

Culloty had told BBC Sport Online on the eve of the 155th running of the Martell Grand National that he expected a bold showing from his mount.

"My horse definitely has a strong chance of finishing in the first four," said the 28-year-old Irishman.

Prediction

And he proved right as Bindaree saw off a determined challenge from What's Up Boys, with favourite Blowing Wind in third, and Kingsmark finishing fourth.

Culloty's biggest previous success had been in the Gold Cup just weeks earlier aboard Best Mate, trained by Henrietta Knight.

It was a second National success for the quietly-spoken Gloucestershire trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who won with Earth Summit in 1998.

And Twiston-Davies, who is assisted by former champion jockey and BBC pundit Peter Scudamore, made the surprise revelation later that he was considering quitting as a trainer.

He said it was becoming increasingly difficult to compete with other yards that were stocked with more expensive horses.

Jim Culloty with Best Mate after the Gold Cup win

It was an emotional result for Bindaree's owner Raymond Mould, who inherited a high-class string of horses when his wife Jenny died from cancer at the age of 54 in November 2000.

Drama

But there was ultimately disappointment for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup winner What's Up Boys, whose rider Richard Johnson took up the running close to home, but just could not stay in front.

And record-breaking champion jockey Tony McCoy has to settle for third for the second year running on Blowing Wind, who was sent off favourite.

McCoy will have to wait another year for his first Grand National win.

A maximum field of 40 lined up for the four-and-a-half mile marathon, but no horse carrying 11 stone or more had won the race since 1988 when Rhyme ' n Reason triumphed.

And the 2002 winner carried just 10st 4lbs, more than a stone less than What's Up Boys.

The Last Fling led for much of the way, but Bindaree took the lead going to Becher's Brook on the second circuit and jumped impeccably for Culloty.

He looked beaten on the run-in, and was being hampered by a loose horse, but rallied gamely for a thrilling triumph.