For most punters the dream is to bet on a winning outsider and pocket a lot of cash. When you consider since 1839 there have been just a handful of winners at 100/1 you may be pushing your luck for something more. However, never say never because one day you may be surprised.
For example, in 1967 Foinavon won at odds of 100/1. However, his price on the Tote was 444/1. Now that is what you call a big win. A bet of £50 (a lot of money in the 60s) would have seen a profit of £22,200.
So what was all the fuss about in 2013?
Auroras Encore won the 166th Aintree Grand National for trainer Sue Smith and jockey Ryan Mania in the ownership of Douglas Pryde, Jim Beaumont & David van der Hoeven. They pocketed a prize of £547,268. Not bad for a horse that cost just 7,000 (Euros) as a yearling, when purchased by Frank Barry. He was later purchased by the trainer’s husband Harvey Smith for 9,500 (3yo). Considering this son of Second Empire out of a once-race mare went on to win total prize money of £725,737 it was a good time had by all.
Auroros Encore was with his trainer (Sue Smith) for his entire career which started as a five-year-old making his debut on the 19th February 2007. He finished second at Market Rasen at odds of 25/1 in a National Hunt Flat Race (2m 1 1/2f).
He proved victorious on his fifth start of his formative season at Sedgefield (11th December).
In total, he ran 47 times and achieved 8 wins.
Noted wins included:
3rd April 2008 – Aintree John Smith’s Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race) £34,206 (50/1)
Another outstanding effort when runner-up in the Scottish Grand National (when headed close home, beaten a head.) He went for home at the fourth last, held a length lead at the last but couldn’t quite hold on. A brave effort and he lost nothing in defeat.
He won prize money of £38,466.
In a masterful decision, Auroras Encore would only race in the Aintree Grand National. On the 6th April 2013 this gelding took his chance with Ryan Mania in the saddle. The eleven-year-old ran off a light weight of 10-3 on going described as ‘good to soft’. A 40-strong field saw just 17 horses complete the course. Seabass, the 11/2f, finished tired in 13th place.
In an inspired ride, Auroras Encore tracked the leaders, made a mistake at the 10th, hit 4 out, stayed on to lead last, driven out to win by nine lengths at odds of 66/1 (133/1 on the Tote). Sue Smith said regarding the apparent improvement in form: ‘The gelding appreciated the better ground and the greater distance.’
All horses returned safely to their stables.
Sue Smith said: ‘I would have been happy to have been in the first four or five and we’ve won it. The horse ran a fantastic race, Ryan gave him a fantastic ride and always had the horse where he wanted to be. He ran so well in the Scottish National (2nd) that we knew he would get the trip.’
Ryan Mania said: ‘Everything went right. Crossing the Melling Road I thought we could be in the first three or four. I couldn’t believe the way the front two stopped in front of me at the last.’
He may have been an outsider but there was no fluke about this.
Auroras Encore would race just race three more time retiring after finishing 9th at Doncaster on the 25th January 2014 after he suffered a fracture to his right foreleg. He had an operation to insert screws into his leg.
Smith said: ‘I just want him to have a happy retirement. They got him up successfully after surgery and he was staying overnight in the operation box. Fingers crossed. He won the National for us. It doesn’t get bigger than that. He doesn’t owe us anything. This is a racing injury and I’m afraid that is what you have to expect from the job on occasion. I just want him back to his retirement.’