Bonanza for bookies at the National

The 100-1 outsider Mon Mome romped home after finishing tenth in last year's race.

The nine-year-old - ridden by National debutant Liam Treadwell, 23, - had slipped off the radar of the vast majority of punters.

David Hood, William Hill spokesman, said: "This is definitely a bonanza day for the bookies. Such is the enormity of the Grand National that the first half-year profit-and-loss can rest on the result of this one race, and we could not have written a better script for a winner."

David Williams, of Ladbrokes, added: "The last time this happened was in 1967 with a 100-1 to shot. As bookies, if we could have written a name on the winner's board first thing this morning we would have written Mon Mome."

The world's most famous steeplechase was delayed by a few minutes by two false starts.

Glorious sunshine, which lasted throughout the day despite predictions of rain in Aintree, bathed the track as the assembled riders gathered to set off.

But tragedy struck when Hear The Echo collapsed and died just a few hundred feet from the finish. Nearby, much fancied Butler's Cabin collapsed, was covered by screens but fortunately got up.

Bookmakers said they saw little evidence of the recession spoiling the great British tradition with bets reaching the £200million mark.

Organisers and police praised the well behaved crowd and reported little trouble.