April 2025

Grand National 1973

admin April 29, 2025

It is difficult to argue that Red Rum is not the greatest Grand National horse of all time, having won the the world-famous steeplechase an unprecedented three times, in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and finished second in both the intervening years. However, on the occasion of his first win, on March 31, 1973, despite being sent off as 9/1 joint-favourite, he actually turned out to be the villain of the piece to some extent.

Trained by the inimitable Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain and ridden by Brian Fletcher, Red Rum shared favouritism with the Australian-bred Crisp, trained by Fred Winter and ridden by Richard Pitman. Indeed, it was Crisp who made much of the running and, having established a sizable lead, was left even further clear when his nearest pursuer, Grey Sombrero, fell at The Chair towrds the end of the first circuit. Despite top weight of 12 stone, continued in tremendous style throughout the second circuit and jumping Becher’s Brook was still 20 lengths clear of Red Rum.

Red Rum, who was carrying 10st 5lb, 23lb less than his market rival, started to make steady headway on the run to the third-last fence, but was still fully 15 lengths behind as the pair started off up the infamously long-run in. Agonsingly, approaching the Elbow, Crisp started to wander around under pressure and inside the final furlong the writing was on the wall for the ailing leader. Sir Peter O’Sullevan described the action thus, “Crisp is getting very tired, and Red Rum is pounding after him. Red Rum is the one who’s finishing the strongest. He’s going to get up! Red Rum is going to win the National. At the line Red Rum has just snatched it from Crisp!”

Just three-quarters of a length separated the pair at the line, with a yawning, 25-length gap back to the third horse home, L’Escargot, who had already won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice and would win the Grand National in 1975. Red Red also set a new course record of 9:1.90, which would stand until 1990.

Grand National 1956

admin April 29, 2025

On March 24, 1956, ESB, trained by Fred Rimmell and ridden by Dave Dick, won the Grand National, coming home 10 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, Gentle Moya. However, the bare result masks the fact that, moments earlier, the race had produced one of the biggest shocks in the history of the celebrated steeplechase.

Devon Loch, owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, trained by Peter Cazalet and ridden by Dick Francis, jumped the final fence ahead of ESB and extended his advantage on the run-in. Just yards from the finish line, though, with the race seemingly at his mercy, Devon Loch slithered to the ground in an unflattering belly flop, with his forelegs splayed out in front of him, and his race was over. Devon Loch regained his feet but, believing his mount was injured, Francis quickly dismounted.

However, the racecourse veterinary surgeon subsequently reported Devon Loch perfectly sound afterwards, so the cause of his mishap remains an abiding mystery. Various theories have been suggested, including that Devon Loch slipped on a patch of false ground, collapsed due to cramp and exhaustion or was confused by the sight of the Water Jump – which is jumped only on the first circuit of the Grand National – on his inside. Newsreel footage of the incident does show his front feet leaving the ground, in a fly-jump of sorts, but also that he pricks his ears immediately beforehand. It may well be, as Francis suggested, that Devon Loch, who was making his Grand National debut, was simply overwhelmed by the rising cacophony of noise from the grandstands, in anticipation of a popular Royal winner.

Victory for ESB may have been overshadowed by the bewildering failure of Devon Loch, but he turned out to be the first of a still joint-record four Grand National winners for Fred Rimmell. ‘Mr Grand National’, as he became known, went on to saddle Nicolaus Silver (1961), Gay Trip (1970) and Rag Trade (1976) and shares the record with George Dockeray and Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain.

King George VI Chase 2011

admin April 29, 2025

The King George VI Chase has been a fixture of the Boxing Day card at Kempton Park since 1947 and its roll of honour includes the likes of Arkle, Pendil, Wayward Lad, Desert Orchid and Best Mate, to name but a handful of its illustrious winners. However, any of those famous names would do well to match the in-running comment recorded in the ‘Racing Post’ following the victory of Kauto Star on December 26, 2011. It read, “Jumped impeccably, prominent, tracked leader 6th, led 8th, stepped up the pace from 12th, about 4 lengths clear from 15th, never going to be caught after, ridden out flat, awesome.”

Superlatives were definitely in order for the by then-11-year-old, who was in the twilight of his racing career, but both trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Ruby Walsh deserve plaudits for devising, and executing, tactics that allowed Kauto Star to beat his old rival Long Run. Long Run had beaten an out-of-sorts Kauto Star by 19 lengths in the rescheduled renewal of the 2010 King Geoge VI Chase, run in January 2011 and, again, by 11 lengths, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup two months later.

Long Run started even money favourite at Kempton despite being beaten eight lengths by Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock the previous month, but the latter was not to be denied in his attempt to win the Boxing Day showpiece for the fifth time in six years. To his credit, Long Run kept trying, despite a mistake at the final fence but, although he closed on the run-in, he was never able to challenge and Kauto Star passed the post a length and a quarter to the good. In so doing, he beat the previous record set by the inimitable Desert Orchid, who won the King George VI Chase four times, in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990, and made his swansong appearance in the 1991 renewal.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 1989

admin April 28, 2025

History records that the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup was won by the 5/2 favourite by 1½ lengths. Nevertheless, for reasons that will, hopefully, become obvious, the race was subsequently voted the “Greatest Race of All Time” in a poll conducted by the ‘Racing Post’. The aforementioned 5/2 favourite was, of course, the ever-popular grey Desert Orchid who, despite his cramped starting price, actually defied considerable odds to achieve Cheltenham Festival immortality.

Trained by David Elsworth and ridden by Simon Sherwood, Desert Orchid faced 12 opponents, including the two previous Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, The Thinker and Charter Party, and the Irish Gold Cup winner, Carvill’s Hill. Aside from the quality of the opposition, connections were concerned about the state of the going, turned heavy by persistent rainfall, and the fact that, according to Sherwood, “He [Desert Orchid] never liked going left-handed and always lent to the right going on to a fence.”

In any event, Desert Orchid set off in the lead, as was customary, and was left in the lead again at the third-last fence when Ten Plus took a crashing, and ultimately fatal, fall. Rounding the home turn, the mud-loving handicapper Yahoo went on and jumped the second-last, in the words of Sir Peter O’Sullevan, “full of running”. Desert Orchid rallied between the final two fences, though, and was just a length behind Yahoo as the pair cleared the twenty-second and final obstacle. On the infamous climb to the line, Desert Orchid drifted across to the stands side and then, under a right-hand drive from Sherwood, back towards the far side, but continued to make headway with very stride.

“There’s a tremendous cheer from the crowd, as Desert Orchid is gonna win it,” exclaimed O’Sullevan in the closing stages, and he did just that, passing the post 1½ lengths to the good over Yahoo. Charter Party finished third, a respectful eight lengths behind the leading pair, while Bonanza Boy and West Tip were the only one other finishers, beaten a further distance and the same.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 1986

admin April 28, 2025

Thursday, March 13, 1986 proved to be a red-letter day in the history of National Hunt racing. It was, in fact, the day on which Dawn Run became the first, and so far only, horse to win both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Owned by Charmian Hill and trained by Paddy Mullins, father of Willie, Dawn Run narrowly justified odds-on favouritism in the 1984 Champion Hurdle, under Jonjo O’Neill, coming home three-quarters of a length ahead of 66/1 outsider Cima.

However, prior to her Cheltenham Gold Cup bid, Dawn Run had run just four times over fences and unseated her regular jockey, Tony Mullins, at the last open ditch in the Cotswold Chase – run, like the Gold Cup, on the New Course at Cheltenham – two months previously. Consequently, Mullins was replaced by O’Neill at the behest of Mrs. Hill on the grounds that “He [Mullins] let her [Dawn Run] jump too free all the way.”

The bookmakers took no chances with Dawn Run, who started just 15/8 favourite to make history, despite facing a vintage field of 14 runners, including the likes of Forgive ‘N’ Forget, Wayward Lad, Righthand Man, Combs Ditch and Earls Brig. Indeed, it was one or other of the first-named pair that looked most likely to deny Dawn Run her date with destiny as they pressed on between the final two fences. Wayward Lad led on the run-in, but hung left, crossing in front of Dawn Run, as his stamina his stamina. Asked for everything by O’Neill, Dawn Run finished by far the stronger and, accompanied by Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s famous, if slightly premature, “And the mare’s beginning to get up” commentary, charged past her ailing rival to win by a length, breaking the course record in the process.

Reflecting on the chaotic scenes that followed, O’Neill siad later, “At that time there wasn’t security and I’ve never seen a winners’ enclosure like it before or since. It was wild.”