The Randox Health Grand National |
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| Grade 3 Handicap, Aintree 17:15 £1,000,000 total prize fund, 7yo plus, 4m 3f 110y, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 8th April 2017 | |
1 One For Arthur 14/1
2 Cause Of Causes 16/1
3
Saint Are 25/1
4 Blaklion 8/1F
5 Gas Line Boy 50/1
40 ran Distances: 4½l, 3¾l, ½l
Time: 9m 3.50s (fast by 0.50s)
One For Arthur - the first winner for Scotland since Rubstic in 1979!
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One For Arthur was trained in Fife by Lucinda Russell, ridden by Derek Fox and owned by Two Golf Widows - Belinda McClung and Deborah Thomson.
Russell, who is assisted by her partner, former champion jockey Peter Scudamore, said: "It means everything, of course it does! It's incredible. I'm just so proud of the horse. He jumped fantastically and Derek gave him a great ride.
"He's done us proud and he's done Scotland proud, and he's done everyone at the yard proud.
"Derek is amazing -I know he's a horseman and everything, but his timing is fantastic as well, and the self-confidence he has is brilliant. He had him jumping brilliantly.
"Before the Melling Road, I turned to the owners and shouted, 'We're going to win the National!' With a horse like that and a jockey like that, what could be better? It was a bold call but it was right.
"It's really funny how everything has gone right. The preparation for the horse, everything - when we worked out what training he was going to have, we built in an extra week for something to go wrong, like losing a shoe. He did lose a shoe, but the farrier got up early on Saturday morning to put it back on. Everything's gone so smoothly, including winning the race! It's dreamlike."
Asked what the victory meant for her yard, she said: "I always say, it's fine, I'm the figurehead and I'm saying what's going on, but it's everyone back at home - from our farrier to our vet, who is here by one of the fences - we've got a great team and long may it continue. And the support we've had from the other owners - it can be hard when everyone is talking about the one horse, but hopefully we can continue to give them winners.
"Scu is wearing his dad's [the late Michael Scudamore, who won the Randox Health Grand National in 1959 on Oxo] tie, so I think that brought us some luck. I'm delighted for Scu - without him I couldn't do it."
Randox Health Grand National
Grade 3, £1,000,000 Total Prize Fund.
Four miles, three and a half furlongs.
40 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
| Pos | Dist | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | One For Arthur (IRE) 14/1 | D R Fox 10-11 |
Miss Lucinda V Russell | 8 | |
| 2nd | 4½ | Cause Of Causes (USA) 16/1 | Mr J J Codd 10-13 |
G Elliott | 9 |
| 3rd | 3¾ | Saint Are (FR) 25/1 | D N Russell 10-10 |
T R George | 11 |
| 4th | ½ | Blaklion 8/1f | N D Fehily 11-1 |
N A Twiston-Davies | 8 |
| 5th | 8 | Gas Line Boy (IRE) 50/1 | R T Dunne 10-7 |
Ian Williams | 11 |
| 6th | 10 | Vieux Lion Rouge (FR) 12/1 | T Scudamore 10-12 |
D Pipe | 8 |
| 7th | 1 | Lord Windermere (IRE) 33/1 | L P Aspell 10-10 |
J H Culloty | 11 |
| 8th | nk | Regal Encore (IRE) 33/1 | R M Power 10-13 |
A J Honeyball | 9 |
| 9th | hd | Pleasant Company (IRE) 11/1 | R Walsh 10-12 |
W P Mullins | 9 |
| 10th | 14 | Houblon Des Obeaux (FR) 50/1 | Charlie Deutsch 10-12 |
Miss V Williams | 10 |
| 11th | 2¾ | Ballynagour (IRE) 66/1 | David Noonan 10-11 |
D Pipe | 11 |
| 12th | 1¼ | Le Mercurey (FR) 50/1 | Sean Bowen 11-0 |
P F Nicholls | 7 |
| 13th | 3½ | Goodtoknow 66/1 | Jake Greenall 10-7 |
Kerry Lee | 9 |
| 14th | 3½ | Just A Par (IRE) 33/1 | Harry Cobden 10-9 |
P F Nicholls | 10 |
| 15th | 6 | La Vaticane (FR) 80/1 | R P McLernon 10-6 |
D Pipe | 8 |
| 16th | 7 | The Last Samuri (IRE) 16/1 | D Bass 11-10 |
K C Bailey | 9 |
| 17th | 6 | Tenor Nivernais (FR) 40/1 | Aidan Coleman 11-1 |
Miss V Williams | 10 |
| 18th | 7 | Roi Des Francs (FR) 50/1 | J W Kennedy 11-3 |
G Elliott | 8 |
| 19th | 11 | Wonderful Charm (FR) 28/1 | Ms K Walsh 11-2 |
P F Nicholls | 9 |
| PU | More Of That (IRE) 16/1 | B J Geraghty 11-6 |
Jonjo O'Neill | 9 | |
| PU | Shantou Flyer (IRE) 50/1 | Jonathan Moore 11-5 |
Miss R Curtis | 7 | |
| PU | Perfect Candidate (IRE) 33/1 | P J Brennan 11-5 |
F O'Brien | 10 | |
| PU | Wounded Warrior (IRE) 33/1 | S W Flanagan 11-2 |
N Meade | 8 | |
| PU | Drop Out Joe 33/1 | T J O'Brien 11-1 |
C E Longsdon | 9 | |
| PU | Definitly Red (IRE) 10/1 | Danny Cook 10-12 |
B Ellison | 8 | |
| PU | Double Shuffle (IRE) 33/1 | A P Heskin 10-12 |
T R George | 7 | |
| PU | O'Faolains Boy (IRE) 50/1 | P Townend 10-11 |
Miss R Curtis | 10 | |
| PU | Highland Lodge (IRE) 25/1 | Henry Brooke 10-11 |
James Moffatt | 11 | |
| PU | Bishops Road (IRE) 66/1 | J E Moore 10-10 |
Kerry Lee | 9 | |
| PU | Stellar Notion (IRE) 50/1 | D J Mullins 10-9 |
H de Bromhead | 9 | |
| PU | Rogue Angel (IRE) 20/1 | B J Cooper 10-8 |
M F Morris | 9 | |
| PU | Doctor Harper (IRE) 50/1 | C O'Farrell 10-6 |
D Pipe | 9 | |
| F | The Young Master 20/1 | Mr S Waley-Cohen 10-13 |
N P Mulholland | 8 | |
| F | Vicente (FR) 16/1 | B Hughes 10-10 |
P F Nicholls | 8 | |
| F | Cocktails At Dawn 33/1 | Nico de Boinville 10-8 |
N J Henderson | 9 | |
| UR | Saphir Du Rheu (FR) 16/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies 11-5 |
P F Nicholls | 8 | |
| UR | Ucello Conti (FR) 20/1 | D A Jacob 10-12 |
G Elliott | 9 | |
| UR | Measureofmydreams (IRE) 40/1 | D Meyler 10-9 |
N Meade | 9 | |
| UR | Raz De Maree (FR) 33/1 | G N Fox 10-9 |
G P Cromwell | 12 | |
| UR | Thunder And Roses (IRE) 25/1 | M A Enright 10-7 |
M F Morris | 9 |
CODD PROUD OF CAUSES
A 'disappointed' yet proud Jamie Codd finished a creditable four and a half-lengths second aboard 16/1 chance Cause Of Causes.
Always travelling well, Gordon Elliott's charge made stealthy headway entering the home straight to challenge for the lead but was unable to match the finishing speed of the winner One For Arthur, who stayed on powerfully in the closing stages.
Amateur rider Codd said: "He's a fantastic little horse. He's not that big and to do what he has done today is great. The winner has done it quite well in the end but my horse has galloped all the way to the line.
"He is a little star, he is great for the yard and to finish second in the Grand National and be a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner is incredible. He minds me, he is an idle horse but to be fair to him, he kept finding.
"If you have a willing partner you will always going to be there on the day - disappointed but he has run a great race."
Davy Russell had a good spin on 25/1 shot Saint Are who finished a staying-on third, three and three-quarter lengths behind Cause Of Causes.
Russell commented: "He just went through a flat patch. He was a bit slow at the last with a circuit to go. When we came around the bend, he came alive again.
"They quickened away from Becher's and I just couldn't go with them as I would have had to take him off the bridle too early so I left him off with the hope that he would pass tired horses and that happened.
"At any stage, I didn't think I was going to win it but I was riding for my best position and I think I achieved that."
Noel Fehily, rider of fourth-placed Blaklion, added: "He gave me a great ride, he jumped brilliantly but he just tied up a bit from two out."
Robbie Dunne, rider of fifth-placed Gas Line Boy, said: "He ran well. Probably didn't get home. I was travelling really well turning in and perhaps I would not have won but if I had held him onto a bit longer, I might have finished third. He has run a cracker. I had a lovely passage down the middle and I followed Blaklion [fourth]. I was always happy with where I was. He got in deep at a few fences but he has run well.
"He's run a super race. It's disappointing to finish second but he has run a belter. He is great little horse, I'm delighted with him. The winner had too much for me on the way to last but it was a great spin."
Sam Twiston-Davies, rider of Saphir Du Rheu, said: "He fell at the ditch but we were going fine at the time."
Brian Hughes, on board Vicente, said: "I fell at the first so there's not a lot more I can say. It was all ok up to then!"
Danny Cook, rider of Definitly Red, commented: "The tack slipped round his belly and there was nothing else I could do from there. He was juming and he got into a real nice rhythm. I thought I was going to have a nice spin round as he took to the fences, but it is just one of those things."
Barry Geraghty, rider of More Of That, said: "He was never really travelling. He faded out of it but he jumped like a stag."
