We’re just a few weeks away from the
world’s greatest horse race when another horse, jockey, owner and
trainer will have their name etched on the history of the National
forever. The UK public will be betting
multi-millions on the race, as ever, but perhaps it’s wisest to
start with the trainers?
Because whilst it takes a whole team of
people in different roles to guide the horse over the winning line,
it’s surely the trainer that is the single most important factor.
There are some trainers whose names
will forever be inextricably linked with the National – like the
late Ginger Mc Cain, of course; trainer of Red Rum and 2004 winner
Amberleigh House – and father of Donald McCain who also enjoyed
success with Ballabriggs in 2011.
Perhaps the most amazing feat of any
single National trainer, though, was that of the late Vincent O’Brien
who – during the 1950s – trained three consecutive Grand National
winners, each a different horse. He trained Early Mist in 1953, Royal
Tan in 1954 and Quare Times the following year.
Of course, Vincent O’Brien went on to
even greater international acclaim on the flat, but his Grand
National feat will surely never be matched?
The honour of the most successful ever
Grand National trainer, though, goes to the late Fred Rimell
(1913-1981) who managed to saddle four different winners between 1956
and 1976. Fred’s first winner was E.S.B. in 1956. This was the
horse which looked all over the runner up until the Dick
Francis-ridden Devon Loch famously sprawled on all fours yards from
the line. He also trained the grey Nicolaus Silver in 1961, Gay Trip
in 1970 and Rag Trade in 1976, who just got up to beat Red Rum from
whom Rag Trade was getting a massive 12lb pull in the handicap.
Of course, we
mustn’t forget Jenny Pitman the first ever female trainer to train
a National winner with Corbiere in 1983 – a feat Jenny managed to
repeat 12 years later with Royal Athlete. She also came agonisingly
close to winning the National with Garrison Savannah on 1991 (ridden
by her son Mark) who had won the Gold Cup just three weeks earlier.
Had Garrison Savannah won, he would have been only the second horse
ever to win the two big races in one year - the other being the great
Golden Miller back in 1934.
Jenny’s Esha Ness was also first over
the finishing line in the National that never was in 1993 – when
the race was cancelled after two false starts – though several
riders didn’t realise and completed the whole course.
In more recent years, NigelTwiston-Davies has trained two winners with Earth Summit in 1998
and Bindaree, the 2002 winner – and this year saddles longshot Same
Difference – currently a 33-1 shot. He’s the most likely of the
current crop of trainers to get his name in the history books three
times, though seven-time Champion trainer Paul Nicholls already has
one National winner to his credit with 2012 winner Neptune Collonges.