IT has been the long-held belief by many that Venetia Williams was the heir apparent to Jenny Pitman’s unofficial title as ‘Queen of Aintree’.

Following Mon Mome’s stunning and historic success in the John Smith’s Grand National on Saturday it is clear that just over a year before her 50th birthday she has now finally earned the right of succession.

While it was her seventh victory in the past 10 years at the Aintree Festival, her past experiences with the world’s greatest steeplechase have not been so good. As an amateur rider she was carried off the track concussed following a fall at Becher’s Brook aboard Marcolo 21 years ago. While in 10 previous attempts as a trainer, Mon Mome’s 10th-place finish last year was as near as she had come.

Williams, though, is now only the second woman in history to train the winner of the Aintree showpiece after Pitman’s triumphs with Corbiere (1983) and Royal Athlete (1995). And her 100-1 shot Mon Mome became the joint biggest priced winner of the National equalling Foinavon’s shock success in 1967 under debutant Liam Treadwell. The duo came home 12 lengths ahead of last year’s hero Comply Or Die (14-1) under Timmy Murphy with Paul Nicholls’ My Will (8-1) and State Of Play (14-1), trained by Welshman and Everton supporter Evan Williams, in third and fourth respectively, meaning for the first time in recent seasons all four of the first home carried 11st or more.

“It was just unbelievable,” Williams said in the immediate aftermath of the thrilling 4m4f marathon. But the Herefordshire-based trainer is no stranger to big-race success having claimed both the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and King George VI Chase with Teeton Mill 10 years ago as well as landing several Cheltenham Festival contests.

Now she has claimed the biggest prize of all.

The Vida Bingham-owned nine-year-old was given the ideal National ride by the 23-year-old Treadwell, who belied his inexperience by classicly hunting round in the early stages of the race before slowing weaving his way through the field on the inside.

Mon Mome, loosely translated from the French as ‘My Brat’, bustled up to his better fancied rivals to weave his way into contention crossing the Melling Road. But Treadwell held firm before making his move for glory. When he jumped the last upsides Comply Or Die, the jockey let him go and they scooted clear to take the honours to the delight of bookmakers and disbelief of most punters – and the trainer herself.

Williams said: “How can you ever expect that in a race like this? You just dream to have one winner when you start (training) and when you have one you dream to get to double figures, you don’t dream here, this is beyond dreaming.