THERE was great excitement in a bookmaker's shop in Worcester at around 4.30 pm on Grand National afternoon recently.

As fancied horse after fancied horse either pulled up, fell or refused, two Irish stable staff were jumping up and down, hysterically shouting Silver Birch home at the top of their voices.

They had arrived in England in the early hours of that morning from the yard of winning trainer, Gordon Elliot.

The two horses, Miss Babs and Alpha Zula, who they had brought over on the ferry from Ireland stood quietly in the stables at Worcester racecourse, blissfully unaware that their stable companion had defied previous injury to win one of jump racing's most coveted trophies.

There was also the small matter of £399,140 in prize money as well as planting their little known trainer firmly on National Hunt racing's stage.

The thrills of Saturday spilled over into Sunday when a record crowd for an opening fixture at Worcester poured into the course and basked in glorious sunshine for the afternoon. However, the day was quite unique for another reason.

Race commentator, Graham Goode, who began his illustrious career at Worcester as a mere 18-year-old in 1967, was celebrating 40 years of calling by inviting colleagues including Channel Four presenter Mike Cattermole, Simon Holt, Richard Hoiles, Stewart Mach-in, Ian Bartlett, John Hunt and Darren Owen to join him for lunch at the course.

Never before have so many commentators been together at one course and never before have seven races on one day been called by seven different commentators.

I am reliably informed that this will probably never happen again either.

The team set themselves a challenge to incorporate certain catch phrases' into each of their commentaries and when Richard Hoiles called his runners around the Canal Turn', a huge cheer was heard from the Grandstand balcony where his colleagues were thoroughly enjoying the mo-ment.

When the ironically named Ain't No Sunshine' trained by Richard Phillips fell in the back straight during race three, Graham, who was calling that race named in his honour, managed to say ain't no sunshine and he's gone' - to rapturous applause from the stands.

Worcester's leading 2006 jockey and trainer both got off to flying starts with a winner apiece.

Richard Johnson brought Picacho home under a driving finish in the first, while the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Square Mile benefited from the last fence unseat of Adam Pogson from Major Catch in race three to give owner, JP McManus his first winner of Worcester's new season.

With Worcester's first 2007 evening meeting this Wednes-day and the annual Punch-estown Festival in Ireland, there is plenty of action for National Hunt racing fans to savour this week.

The first race at Worcester is due off at 5.05 pm. Admission starts from £6 per adult, children under 16 go free.