Horses

Auroras Encore

admin March 19, 2025

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 166^th 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 19^th 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 (11^th December).

In total, he ran 47 times and achieved 8 wins.

Noted wins included:

3^rd 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 6^th 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 13^th place.

In an inspired ride, Auroras Encore tracked the leaders, made a mistake at the 10^th, 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 (2^nd) 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 9^th at Doncaster on the 25^th 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.’

Pineau De Re

admin March 18, 2025

Looking back to the Aintree Grand National 2014.

Pineau De Re, a French-bred son of Maresca Sorrento out of the unraced mare Elfe Du Perche. was born on the 8^th May 2003. Bred by Michael Hardy, he went through Goffs France Summer Sale at the age of three and sold by vendor Ecuries Bayard and purchased by Seamus Murphy for 20,000 (Euros).

Previously, in the ownership of Mrs A. Vaughan until 20^th December 2007, this bay gelding started his National Hunt racing career in the ownership of Barry Connell. He made his debut at Limerick, finishing second in a National Hunt Flat Race, trained by Philip Fenton ridden by his owner Mr B. Connell.

He would taste victory in the following season with an impressive ‘unchallenged’ victory at Fairyhouse in a 2m National Hunt Flat Race at odds of 8/1. He would head to Cheltenham finishing 7^th at odds of 66/1.

Pineau De Re would win 5 races with Philip Fenton before changing stables on the 24^th June 2013, at the age of 10.

At this point he was in the ownership of J. A. Provan. This must have come from a private sale as Mr Barry Connell had sent Pineau De Re to the Doncaster Horse In Training Sale on the 14^th May 2013 but he was withdrawn.

From that day until retirement at the age of 13 (30^th April 2016) he would remain in this ownership and trained Dr Richard Newland at Urloxhey Stables, Droitwich, Worcestershire.

You have to imagine Pineau De Re was purchased with the specific aim of competing in the Aintree Grand National. Certainly, the draw of exceptional prize money is enough to attract plenty with lofty hopes.

Take a look at his 8 career victories and spot the anomaly:

23^rd Feb 2008 – Fairyhouse 7,946.50 (Euro)

17^th Nov 2010 – Limerick 5,175 (Euro)

20^th Oct 2011 – Thurles 10,350 (Euro)

3^rd Jan 2013 – Thurles 5,520 (Euro)

3^rd April 2013 – Downpatrick 16,250 (Euro)

14^th Jan 2014 – Exeter £11,573.60

5^th April 2014 – Aintree £561,300

13^th Dec 2015 – Carlisle £12,021.30

In fact, in Pineau De Re’s total earnings were £677,271.

Let’s take a look at the Aintree Grand National 2014, which took place on the 5^th April (4:15pm).

The 167^th Grand National sponsored by Crabbie’s (Alcoholic Ginger Beer). 40 runners took their chance on going described as ‘good to soft’. The betting detailed an open race with Teaforthree and Double Seven 10JF (Joint Favourites). A false start delayed the race. While Battle Group (40/1) in the ownership of The Jolly Boys Outing, refused to race.

18 horses finished. All horse returned safely to their stables.

Pineau De Re was priced 25/1. He was ridden by Leighton Aspell (who would go on to win the following year with Many Clouds, trained Oliver Sherwood in the familiar silks of Trevor Hemmings).

The gelding was given a quiet ride settled in mid-division, led 2 out, drew clear run in to win by 5 lengths from Balthazar King (Philip Hobbs) (14/1), while Double Seven (Martin Brassil) finished a respectable third.

Pineau De Re carried a weight of 10-06. In a very classy field with multiple Grade 1 winners, Tidal Bay, Long Run shouldered much higher weights (11-10 and 11-09). Long Run won the Cheltenham Gold Cup (2011), while Tidal Bay had won the Arkle Challenge Trophy (2008). Neither horse finished the race with Long Run falling at Valetines (9) and Tidal Bay unseating his rider at the Canal Turn (8).

Pineau De Re ran out a good win at the age of eleven.

Dr Richard Newland said: ‘Two or three out we were getting excited. Aspell had a plan and delivered it superbly well. He’s a classy, classy horse, I’ve always thought that. He has a combination of stamina and a touch of speed and it was just a wonderful performance even though he made a few errors.’

The race was run in a time of 9m 9.9s.

Pineau De Re returned to defend his title in 2015. The 25/1 shot, ridden by Daryl Jacobs was prominent 3 out but tired in the closing stages to finished 12^th beaten 57 ¾ lengths. Leighton Aspell made a winning decision by riding Many Clouds (25/1), trained by Oliver Sherwood in the ownership of Trevor Hemmings.

It would be the last Aintree Grand National for Pineau De Re. He would race just eight more times (victorious at Carlisle).

His final race came on the 30^th April 2016. The 13 year old was priced 10/1 in a 3m Handicap Chase at Uttoxeter. He was pulled up before the 15^th fence. Jockey Nico de Boinville said: ‘The gelding was never travelling.’

Racing Post Analysis (Richard Lowther) said: ‘The 2014 Grand National hero now enters honourable retirement.’

Pineau De Re was a remarkable horse because he was predominately raced over hurdles but a classy chaser on his day.

Many Clouds

admin March 17, 2025

Looking back at the 2015 Aintree Grand National.

Many Clouds was given a lovely ride by Leighton Aspell, who held a nice advantage at the final fence, fending off the late charge of Saint Are and Monbeg Dude. Trevor Hemmings’ eight-year-old gelding, a son of Cloudings out of a thrice-raced mare, Bobbing Back, returned at odds of 25/1. Not only did this make back-to-back wins for Aspell, who steered Pineau De Re to success the previous year, but it also saw Hemmings achieve his third Grand National win, following in the hoof prints of Ballabriggs (2011) and Hedgehunter (2005).

Hemmings, a British businessman and billionaire, sadly passed away on 11th October 2021, aged 86.

He was a very popular owner and a charismatic man who loved his horses.

By all accounts, Many Clouds, racing in the familiar yellow and green quartered silks with white arms and hat, was the least likely of Hemmings’ trio of victors (at least according to the bookmakers), starting at odds of 25/1.

Trevor Hemmings’ Grand National Winners:

• 2005 – Hedgehunter (7/1f)

• 2011 – Ballabriggs (14/1)

• 2015 – Many Clouds (25/1)

Interestingly, Hemmings had horses with many trainers. For example, his Grand National winners were trained by Willie Mullins, Donald McCain Jr., and Oliver Sherwood, respectively.

This was the first Aintree Grand National winner for Oliver Sherwood. He started training in 1984 and retired in 2023. Sherwood trained over 1,100 winners in a 40-year career. He is presently an assistant trainer to Harry Derham.

Looking Back at the 2015 Aintree Grand National

The race took place on 11th April 2015. The official going was described as ‘good to soft’; however, the winning time of 8m 56.8s was the fastest since Mr Frisk broke the course record in 1990 (8m 47.8s).

The eight-year-old gelding carried a weight of 11st 9lb. A total of 39 horses took part, and all returned safely to the stables following the race. Carlito Brigante was a late non-runner—the first time the race had been run with fewer than 40 starters since 2004.

Many Clouds (25/1) won by one-and-three-quarter lengths from Saint Are (33/1) and Monbeg Dude (33/1), securing prize money of £561,300.

Shutthefrontdoor, ridden by Tony McCoy, started as the 6/1 favourite. He was trained by Jonjo O’Neill for owner J.P. McManus.

Nineteen of the 39 horses completed the course.

In 2016, Many Clouds returned to defend his Grand National title at odds of 8/1 joint-favourite (alongside The Last Samuri, who finished 2nd). However, Hemmings’ charge finished 16th, beaten by almost 150 lengths. After leading at the 19th fence, he blundered at the 26th, weakened three out, was virtually pulled up soon after the last fence, tailed off, and walked home from the elbow.

The vet said: “The gelding had lost his right front shoe.” While his trainer added: “The gelding had a breathing problem and will have a wind operation before his next run.”

Perhaps the slower ground affected his chances, especially as he was carrying 5lb more than in his 2015 victory.

Rule The World ran out a tidy six-length winner at odds of 33/1 for trainer Mouse Morris, ridden by David Mullins, for owners Gigginstown House Stud.

After a break of 238 days, Many Clouds returned to Aintree, this time contesting The Betfred Lotto ‘£100K Cash Giveaway’ Chase (Listed Race) over 3m 1f. He jumped well, made all, and stayed on strongly to win by three-and-a-half lengths at odds of 3/1.

Sherwood said: “I am chuffed to bits. His jumping was exemplary, and he was very relaxed in front. He had the wind operation. I am very honoured to have a horse like him.”

Many Clouds would not return to the Grand National. His final race took place on 28th January 2017. Heroically, he won the BetBright Trial Cotswold Chase (Grade 2) over 3m 1½f on soft going at odds of 8/1. Ridden by Leighton Aspell, he jumped well and ran on to beat 4/9 favourite Thistlecrack to win by a head. Tragically, Many Clouds collapsed and died after the finishing line due to a severe pulmonary haemorrhage.

The 12-time winner ran 27 times, achieving total prize money of just under £1M.

Sherwood said: “He wanted to win that race—by God, he wanted to win it. He was beaten at the last, but he fought the last 50 yards to get up and win. I always said he would die for you, and he has today, doing what he loved most.”

A very sad day for a true warrior.

Rule The World

admin March 13, 2025

Owned by Gigginstown House Stud, under the auspices of Michael O’Leary, and trained by Michael ‘Mouse’ Morris in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Rule The World had the distinction of winning the 2016 Grand National not only as a novice, but also as a maiden over regulation fences. That said, he had won his sole point-to-point start as Affmore as a four-year-old and five times over hurdles, as well as performing with credit in the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle at consecutive Cheltenham Festivals in 2013 and 2014. He had also finished second in seven of his 13 steeplechases prior to the Grand National, including the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

In any event, Rule The World lined up at Aintree on April 9, 2016 as a largely unconsidered 33/1 chance as he attempted to become the first novice since Mr. What, 58 years earlier, to win the National. Win he did, though, and in so doing provided 19-year-old David Mullins with a dream first ride in the race. A dream first ride, that is, apart from a shuddering blunder at the open ditch, four from home, which briefly catapulted Mullins forward up the horses neck.

Nevertheless, Rule The World recovered to make headway from the third-last fence and passing the famous Elbow was one of three horses still in serious contention. Galvanised by Mullins, Rule The World came home by far the strongest of the trio and passed the past 6 lengths ahead of the joint favourite The Last Samuri with 100/1 chance Vics Canvas a weakening third, 8 lengths further behind. Rule The World ran just once more, finishing unplaced in the Grade 1 Champion Novice at Punchestown less than three weeks after his Grand National triumph and was retired from racing the following month.

One For Arthur

admin March 13, 2025

Owned by Belinda McClung and Deborah Thomson – collectively known, for racing purposes, as ‘Two Golf Widows’ – and trained by Lucinda Russell in Arlay, Perth and Kinross, in eastern Scotland, One For Arthur had the distinction of being just the second horse trained north of the border, after Rubstic in 1979, to win the Grand National. Fresh from victory in the Classic Chase, over three miles and five furlongs, at Warwick in January 2017, the eight-year-old was sent off at 14/1 in the National but, in the words of his trainer, “breezed through to win a fantastic race.”

Ridden by Derek Fox, One For Arthur travelled and jumped well throughout and, despite jumping left over the last two fences, stayed on strongly in the closing stages to beat Glenfarclas Chase winner Cause Of Causes by 4½ lengths. Sadly, following that dominant performance, he suffered a tendon injury that kept him off the course for a year and eight months and he was never quite the same horse again. On his return to action, he unseated rider on his first two starts of the 2018/19 season, prior to finishing sixth, beaten 25½ lengths, behind Tiger Roll in the 2019 Grand National.

Having failed to trouble the judge in three starts in 2019/20 – and having been found to have a fibrillating heart when pulled up in the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park – One For Arthur was finally retired from racing in November 2020 at the age of 11. A winning pointer as a four-year-old, he won seven of his 27 races under Rules for Lucinda Russell, including four of his 18 steeplechases, and amassed nearly £675,000 in prize money. He died from colic in March 2023 at the age of 14. Paying tribute to her former charge, Russell said, “He was the springboard for our yard. He was a phenomenal athlete and it was fantastic to be involved with a horse who had such talent.”