Horses

A National Treasure – Red Rum

admin January 2, 2025

What’s the most famous horse race in the world?

The Grand National!

A steeplechase which dates back to 1839.

As so many punters say: ‘It’s a Lottery.’

The Grand National is one of those races which captures the attention of the everyday punter, professional gambler and your old aunt who has a penchant for the number 13 and the colours red, white and blue.

It’s not just the population of the UK which takes an interest but people from around the world.

Millions of people.

If there is one racehorse synonymous with the Grand National then I’m pretty sure it is either in your mind, on the tip of your tongue or you just shouted out proudly – Red Rum. I’m pretty sure a good percentage of the population could tell me the years he won.

1973, 1974 & 1977.

Red Rum finished runner-up in 1975 & 1976.

He didn’t need to win those other two races, but I often wonder what would be his legacy if he had.

‘You remember Red Red? He won the Grand National 5 time!’

I guess what matters is that Red Rum, trained by Ginger McCain and owned by Noel Le Mare holds the record for the most wins. There were a number of other horses who won twice and a few of them on consecutive years.

1850 – Abd-El-Kader (no odds)

1851 – Adb-El-Kadar (7/1)

1852 – Adb-El-Kadar (PU)

1869 – The Colonel (100/7)

1870 – The Colonel (7/2f)

1871 – The Colonel (6^th)

1935 – Reynoldstown (22/1)

1936 – Reynoldstown (10/1)

1937 – Reynoldstown (Didn’t run)

2018 – Tigeroll (10/1)

2019 – Tigeroll (4/1f)

2020 – Tigeroll (Cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic)

These third races have been added for context as it helps appreciate if any of these horses went close to matching Red Rum.

You have to feel sorry for Tigeroll who may well have been favourite for the 2020 running. Whether Gordon Elliott’s horses, in the ownership of Gigginstown House Stud, would have achieved this goal no one can tell. This pint-sized horses was consider for 2021 but it didn’t happen and he was subsequently retired in March 2022.

Life is full of twists and turns. For the Grand National this was a big moment in time. I’m sure there would have been many horse racing fans wishing Tigeroll not to win three races on the trot. Sure, there would be many who would have been overjoyed to see him win.

In truth, it is difficult to write an original story about Red Rum. I’m sure there are people who say so much more.

Red Rum Achieved So Much:

• He never fell in 100 races

• That he dead-heated in his first ever race on the Flat in a five-furlong sprint

• Twice ridden by legendary jockey Lester Piggott (Flat, turf)

• That Red Rum used to gallop through the sea at Southport beach to treat incurable bone disease in his hoof

• He also won the Scottish National in 1974

• The only horse to win both races in the same season

• The retirement of Red Rum in 1978 was broadcast on the 9 O’Clock News on BBC1

• The biggest seller of horse racing merchandise ever

• Led the Grand National Parade for years after his successes

• He switched on the Blackpool Illuminations

• Appeared on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards (1977)

Red Rum lived to the grand age of 30.

He is buried at the winning post of Aintree Racecourse.

What is most fitting about the story of Red Rum is that even to this day he lives long in the heart of all who watched, read stories or told of the greatest racehorse who won the greatest most famous race in the world.

Three times.

Noble Yeats Wins The Grand National 2022

admin December 29, 2024

Since the first running of the Aintree Grand National, it has been a race full of surprises. In 1839, Lottery won the first National at odds of 5/1. The jolly went in and the crowd went mad as jockey Jem Mason punched the air in delight.

Perhaps we could be forgiven for thinking it was a race where you could back the favourite blind.

Time would tell, that the Grand National wasn’t a race of predictability. In fact, on many renewals it was a race of complete and utter mayhem. We all remember stories about Foinavon and the melee at the 23^rd fence. 1967 was a great year if you bet on horses priced 100/1. Jockey John Buckingham was given the chance to ride after three others declined the offer. In fact, the owner of the horse, Cyril Watkins, travelled to Worcester to ride another which he fancied to go better.

In 1984, Aintree executives renamed the 23^rd fence Foinavon.

In more recent times, there have been shock winners. From 2012 – 2016 it was something of a free-for-all.

2012 – Neptune Collonges 33/1

2013 – Auroras Encore 66/1

2014 – Pineau De Re 25/1

2015 – Many Clouds 25/1

2016 – Rule The World 33/1

Very few people realised there was a 50/1 shot gathering pace.

Let’ head to the Aintree Grand National 2022.

Noble Yeats Wins The Grand National at 50/1.

By all accounts it had been the long-held ambition for the Waley-Cohen family to win the Grand National.

This Irish-bred gelding, a son of Yeats, out of a twice-winning mare, was originally purchased as a three-year-old for the sum of 6500 (Euros). A year later, he would be sold for £75,000. He had showed ability in his sole point-to-point race when second at Ballindenisk, Ireland.

In the ownership of Paul Byrne, he achieved three wins in 2021 with trainer Emmet Mullins including a National Hunt Flat Race, Maiden Hurdle and Beginners Chase.

Clearly, there were bigger fish to fry. Even though this gelding had been racing over distance up to 3m 1f. there was speculation Noble Yeats could be a candidate for the Aintree Grand National.

This point was confirmed when he went to the sales on the 4^th February 2021. He wasn’t sold for 290,000 GNS. By the 23^rd February, he was in the ownership of Robert Waley-Cohen, an Eton-educated businessman including founding shareholder and director of Portman Healthcare, a dental business. In 2009, he had an estimated net worth of £30M detailed by the Sunday Times Rich List.

Sam Waley-Cohen had an interest in horse racing and an amateur National Hunt jockey first riding in the 2007 Grand National on his father’s horse Liberthine who finished 5^th.

In fact, Waley-Cohen was a very successful jockey with major race wins including King George VI Chase 2011 & Cheltenham Gold Cup 2011 with Long Run. He was the first amateur to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 30 years.

Nobel Yeats would mark a significant chapter in the career of Sam Waley-Cohen as he announced his forthcoming retirement from the sport.

He would be his last ever ride.

A prep race saw Noble Yeats finish down the field at Cheltenham when contesting the Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f).

On the 9^th April 2022 (5:15 Aintree), Noble Yeats took part in the 174^th annual running of the Grand National horse race. This seven-year-old gelding was priced at 50/1. Probably due to the fact the last horse to win the National at that age was Boskar (1940).

Noble Yeats carried 10-10. He had never faced anything like the Grand National stepping up to a trip of 4m 2 1/2f. 30 fences (one omitted) and 39 hard competitors including previous winner Minella Times (2021).

In the race, Noble Yeats was held up in rear, with steady headway from the 12^th fence, tracked leaders to the 23^rd (Canal Turn), disputed lead 2 out, headed when not fluent at the last, soon hard ridden, led run-in, stayed on final 110yds, ridden out.

Noble Yeats won by 2 ½ lengths from runner-up Any Second Now (15/2f) with Delta Work almost a distance behind in third. The winning time 9m 3.06s (fast by 0.94s).

Waley-Cohen said: ‘It’s horses for courses and he’s a horse who likes the course. There aren’t many horses that can stay the trip, jump the fences and handle the atmosphere as well as he can.’

It was a fairytale.

In 2023, Noble Yeats would try to defend his title. However, he had to carry over one stone extra weight in more testing conditions. This time ridden by Sean Bowen, the 10/1 shot (backed from 16s) was held up and ran on well for a gallant 4^th place, beaten 8 ½ lengths. He couldn’t match the winner Corach Rambler (8/1f).

In 2024, Noble Yeats took his chance again in the Grand National. The 12/1 hope was never travelled well and finished 19^th.

In two of his three Grand National races to date, Noble Yeats has won £565,000 in prize money, finishing first and fourth respectively.

Grand National Winner 2024: I Am Maximus

admin December 28, 2024

I Am Maximus.

Has there ever been a more gallant name for a Grand National winner? This son of Authorized – winner of the Epsom Derby in 2007 – out of a French-winning mare was made joint favourite for the 2024 Aintree Grand National, Liverpool.

Trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Paul Townsend and in the familiar racing silks of J P McManus, this eight-year-old bay gelding proved to be well found in the betting market when trouncing his rival at odds of 7/1.

I Am Maximus was given a quiet ride, biding his time, in fourth place at the final fence, but fairly flew home in the final furlong, soon clear to win by seven-and-a-half lengths from Delta Work (Gordon Elliott) and Minella Indo (Henry De Bromhead). In view of animal welfare concerns, only 32 runners took part rather than the usual 40.

This race saw previous 2023 Aintree Grand National winner Corach Rambler stumble and unseat his rider at the first fence.

On soft ground, the winning time of 9 minutes and 24 seconds was fair for the burden of carrying 11 stone 6 pounds.

It had been a good few years since trainer Willie Mullins had tasted success. In fact, you had to go back to Trevor Hemmings Hedgehunter in 2005, a popular winner (7/1f) when ridden by Ruby Walsh. As far as the winning owner, McManus, he was part of the history-making win in 2021 when Minella Times, was partnered by Rachael Blackmore, who was the first woman jockey to win the Aintree Grand National. However, this was for trainer Henry De Bromhead.

Many readers will remember J.P. McManus’ first Aintree Grand National winner – Don’t Push It – in 2010 being a particularly memorable year for Tony McCoy, his sole winner of the greatest race in the world. In addition, it was the first win for trainer Jonjo O’Neill.

Including his 2024 Aintree Grand National victory, I Am Maximus had run 15 times. He started his National Hunt career in fine style by winning an Open National Hunt Flat Race at Cheltenham (2m 87y) on the 24^th October 2020. He would have a break of over a year before making his return to racing, when a narrow lose, finishing third, at Exeter, this time over hurdles.

His early career, saw him in training with Nicky Henderson and in the ownership of Claudio Michael Grech. However, on the 28^th November 2022, I Am Maximus was moved to Willie Mullins’ stables at Closutton, Bagenalstown, Carlow, Ireland.

On the 22^nd March 2023, this gelding was purchased by J.P.McManus.This was followed by a win at Fairyhouse winning the Irish Grand National Chase (Extended Handicap Chase) over 3m 5f. A prize of 270,000 (Euros) must have gone along way to covering the purchase price.

Clearly, the Aintree Grand National 2024 was the plan.

I Am Maximus wasn’t seen until 3^rd December 2023 (237 day break) when winning a five-runner race at Fairyhouse.

He would race three more times in his build up to the Aintree Grand National, winning once at Fairyhouse (24^th February 2024) before the big day at Liverpool on the 13^th April 2024.

On the day Mullins said: ‘’It’s been an incredible season and Saturday was very, very special.’’

However, racing pundit Tom Segal said: ‘Jumping ability is no longer key when it comes to landing big races – as I Am Maximus’ Grand National win showed.’

Mullins continued: ‘After the National last year I thought he was a Gold Cup horse and I still do, but I think connections are much happier to go back to the National. Red Rum won three times and Tiger Roll won two, and I think JP [McManus, owner] would be keen to have a horse who can try to win two or maybe try for a third one. If you don’t try, you don’t succeed so that’s the plan.’