THE SPHINX 26

Racing10 Great Grand Nationals

James Muir

The 2012 Cheltenham Festival was one of the most record breaking in recent years, with a perfect mix of controversy, drama, emotion and excitement for National Hunt faithfuls to savour over the unique four day extravaganza.Atmospheric to a tee, the Festival was under way with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the start of the race accompanied by the ‘Cheltenham roar’ (this year they even roared twice) and the end with a famous victory for the North - Donald McCain’s Cinders and Ashes won in very nice style. Sprinter Sacre continued to look outstanding in winning the Arkle in spectacular fashion and he ensured that Nicky Henderson’s festival ball had been set rolling…at a rate of knots.Punters were in for a shock after a win for Rock On Ruby in the Stan James Champion Hurdle, with the apple of the Irish eye, good old Hurricane Fly, beaten into third. A

first Champion Hurdle for champion trainer Paul Nicholls and not likely to be the last.Cheltenham wouldn’t be Cheltenham without controversy, and this year it c a m e i n t h e h i g h - p r o f i l e sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase. Wishfull Thinking took a crashing fall through the rails and into spectators at the fence in front of the stands, sending jockey R i c h a r d J o h n s o n f l y i n g a n d photographer Jean-Charles Briens tumbling (all three have now recovered). The fence was omitted on the second circuit whilst Johnson received treatment, but inadequate course procedures led to confusion as to whether it was to be jumped or not. After taking what turned out to be the final fence, Andrew Lynch (riding Sizing Europe) seemed unsure whether or not to jump the omitted final fence and despite looking like committing his mount into the obstacle, eventually veered around it, but in doing so, gave Finian’s Rainbow a broadside. A tremendous tussle ensued up the hill, with Henderson’s nine year-old staying it out the best to win.

That was the third leg of a fabulous four timer for Nicky Henderson on the second day, which took him past Fulke Walwyn‘s Festival record of 41 winners. His luck continued on the third day, with his Riverside Theatre, owned by famous actor James Nesbitt, taking the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase. Big Buck’s stole the show though, winning an unprecedented fourth Ladbrokes World Hurdle, despite having been made to work harder than ever before.Of course, the feature race of the week is the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup, won this year by Synchronised and champion jockey A.P. McCoy, for popular connections Jonjo O’Neill and J.P. McManus. Using his abundant stamina to impressive effect up the hill, Synchronised drew away to score by over two lengths from The Giant Bolster with defending champion Long Run only third.Kauto Star, the most popular chaser in training and a perennial Grade 1 scorer, was pulled up early on despite having been fancied to land a momentous third win in the race, and owner Clive Smith is now leaning towards retiring his brilliant racing stalwart.Nicky Henderson aptly trained the winner of the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual, the race named in memory of his father, who saved

Cheltenham Racecourse in the 1960s. Bellvano supplied Henderson with this famous victory and took the Seven Barrows trainer’s tally for the meeting to a superlative seven.It was a truly memorable Cheltenham Festival: Nicky Henderson became the winning-most Festival trainer in history, Big Buck’s became the most successful stayer ever, the Irish went home with a measly five winners and perhaps most significantly, jump racing may have waved goodbye to it’s most popular chaser. The nostalgia will soon kick-in, but National Hunt fans are left with one consolation; the end of Cheltenham means that Aintree is on the horizon.

A Cheltenham to remember

James Muir

Cheltenham Gold CupPast Winners & Trainers

2012Synchronised/ Jonjo O’Neill

2011Long Run / Nicky Henderson

2010Imperial Commander / Nigel Davies

2009Kauto Star / Paul Nicholls

2008Denman / Paul Nicholls

2007Kauto Star / Paul Nicholls

2009 - Mon MomeNotable for so many reasons. Venetia Williams became only the second woman in the history of the race to train the winner. Mon Mome was the first French-bred winner in a century. Clare Balding infamously got into trouble after a gaffe about winning jockey Liam Treadwell’s teeth. Not forgetting the starting price of 100/1. His win was no fluke though, as he won in the style of an odds-on favourite.

2004 - Amberleigh HouseThere was not a dry eye in the house when Amberleigh House gave Aintree legend Ginger McCain an incredibly emotional fourth triumph in the race. H i s m a n n e r o f v i c t o r y w a s memorable - held up for the majority of the race, he still had many lengths to find over the final two obstacles, but flew home past the elbow to collar Clan Royal, in a way none too dissimilar to Red Rum’s 1973 triumph over Crisp.

2001 - Red MarauderThe worst jumper to win the Grand National, Red Marauder needed everything else to fall if he was to win…they did. A loose Paddy’s Return ran across the front of the field at the Canal Turn, bringing a substantial number of runners to a standstill or to their knees. Drama on the second circuit included Beau unseating Carl Llewellyn, who ran after him to remount - he wasn’t quick enough! Only two finished, with another two remounting to complete later on.

1997 - Lord GylleneMemories are sweet and sour. An IRA bomb threat to a Liverpool hospital led to a mass evacuation of the racecourse. Thousands of racegoers, jockeys, trainers, owners and press were left stranded, but the people of Liverpool opened their doors . Such f r iendl iness and hospitality has not and never will be forgotten. The race was rescheduled for the following Monday, when Lord Gyllene romped to success and the B.B.C’s Sir Peter O’Sullevan called the race for the final time.

1993 - Void (Esha Ness)The most disastrous event in the history of the Grand National. After a false start, the runners were called back. However, another false start occurred after the starting tape became tangled around Richard Dunwoody’s neck. Yet, the majority of the field raced on, unaware of the second false start, despite people out on the track waving flags and a booing crowd. Esha Ness won the ’National that never was’. The race was declared void following an inquiry.

1992 - Party PoliticsA h u g e l y a p t a n d p o s s i b l y superstitious renewal. Party Politics won the Grand National just days before the 1992 General Election. This huge horse bounded clear on the run in for Carl Llewellyn, who was on a spare ride. Incredibly, Llewellyn was in the same situation again in 1998 when Earth Summit should have been ridden by Tom Jenks. The latter broke his leg however, and Llewellyn steeped into the plate. Spooky.

1983 - CorbiereCorbiere’s win added a much welcomed addition to horse racing history books. The flashy chestnut provided Jenny Pitman with her first of two (although she trained the aforementioned Esha Ness) National victories. She was the first woman ever to train the winner and one of the first women to be granted a licence to train full stop, in a male dominated world. She will forever be known as the ‘First Lady of racing’.

1982 - AldanitiThe greatest Grand National fairytale. Winning jockey Bob Champion had recently recovered from cancer, having been told by doctors that he had just months to live. His winning mount, Aldaniti, had previously sustained career and life threatening injuries yet still managed to get to Aintree in one piece. So heart-warming, the story of Champion and Aldaniti was made into a film, named “Champions”.

1977 - Red RumThe most famous National horse and the one that everybody knows, Red Rum, gained his unprecedented third Grand National triumph in 1977, having already won in 1973 and 1974, and having finished second in 1975 and 1976. The scenes in 1977 were unlike any other. A deafening crowd was willing the old-timer home - scenes that will never be repeated on a racecourse again. His runaway success captured the hearts of the British public and led to Ginger McCain’s horse gaining universal celebrity status.

1956 - E.S.B.Famous for disappointing reasons. Well, disappointing for Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Her horse Devon Loch was clear up the run-in, with victory in sight, when he jumped into the air, landing sprawled across the Aintree turf. Theories as to his inexplicable ‘jump’ continue to reverberate around the national hunt game. E.S.B. overtook Devon Loch who could not carry on. The Queen Mother famously remarked ‘Oh, that’s racing’, coining a phrase which is used practically every day in the sport.