Grand National 2016 Fact Files |
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Chance Du Roy (FR) 11-10-04 |
Breeding: ch g Morespeed – La Chance Au Roy (Rex Magna)
Breeder: Jean, Raymond and Jean-Claude Campos
Born: April 4, 2004
Owner: Daphne Du Pre
Trainer: Philip Hobbs
Form: 714515/ 93/94411/7313P/ 125412/ 0F0498/ 1P46-55
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*Sixth in 2014 Crabbie’s Grand National beaten 19 lengths.
*Has run six times over the unique Aintree fences in total.
*Won the Betfred Becher Chase in 2013. Has also finished ninth in the 2013 Crabbie’s Topham Chase, fell in the 2012 Betfred Grand Sefton Chase and beat all bar Always Waining in the 2012 Topham Chase.
*He cost €47,000 as an unbroken three-year-old.
*He is French-bred, as have been three of the past six winners. In 2009 Mon Mome became the fourth French-bred horse to win a National (100 years after the third, Lutteur), swiftly followed by Neptune Collonges in 2012 and Pineau De Re in 2014.
Race record: Starts 36; wins 8; 2nd 2; 3rd 3. Win & place prize money: £200,594
Daphne Du Pre
Daphne Du Pre is a retired teacher who lives in South Gloucestershire. She has been involved in racehorse ownership since 1988 and started owning horses in her own right at the turn of this century. Her horses have always been trained by Philip Hobbs and the best to date has been Kalca Mome, who won 13 times in a 49-race career, including when beating two-mile champion chaser Voy Por Ustedes in a handicap chase at Cheltenham. Du Pre is not from a racing background but has had a lifelong interest in the sport.
Previous Crabbie’s Grand National runners: 2014 Chance Du Roy (6th)
Philip Hobbs (Bilbrook, Somerset)
Born July 26, 1955 Background: Philip was brought up surrounded by horses. His father Tony Hobbs farmed, and had a permit to train for many years, breeding several good horses to run in the family colours. After school at King’s College, Taunton, Philip went on to Reading University and achieved a BSc honours degree. He rode at Hickstead, show jumping as a junior, and gained several point-to-point winners and winners under National Hunt rules as an amateur before turning professional at the age of 21. Partnered 160 winners in a 10-year riding career including the Black and White Gold Cup at Ascot, the Killiney Novice Chase and the Midlands Grand National on such good horses as West Tip and Artifice. Hobbs made four appearances in the Grand National as a professional jockey in the 1980s and, although one of the best horses he rode was West Tip, he didn’t get the leg up on him in the National, with those four rides resulting in two falls, one ninth place and an 11th. He started training in August, 1985, with only six horses and was successful with his very first runner, North Yard at Exeter. He is now one of Britain’s top jump trainers and has gone close to winning the Crabbie’s Grand National with What’s Up Boys, second in 2002, Balthazar King in 20914 and Samlee, third in 1998. Philip’s wife Sarah, whom he married in 1982, is the daughter of Bertie Hill, who won a gold medal in three-day eventing at the 1956 Olympics at Stockholm. They have three daughters, Caroline, Katherine and Diana. Achievements: has trained over 2,000 winners, including 18 at the Cheltenham Festival. Major Wins include: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (2002 Flagship Uberalles), Stan James Champion Hurdle (2003 Rooster Booster), Racing Post Arkle Chase (2011 Captain Chris).
Crabbie’s Grand National record: 1990 Gallic Prince (13th); Joint Sovereignty (Fell 19th); 1995 Gold Cap (13th); 1998 Samlee (3rd); Greenhill Tare Away (UR 27th); 1999 Samlee (10th); Bells Life (PU 26th); Mudahim (UR 6th); 2000 Village King (Fell 20th); Stormy Passage (Fell 22nd); 2001 Village King (Fell 8th); 2002 What's Up Boys (2nd); 2004 What's Up Boys (BD 6th); 2005 Double Honour (UR 21st); 2007 Zabenz (PU 7th), Monkerhostin (Ref 7th); 2009 Zabenz (Fell 16th), Parsons Legacy (Fell 22nd); 2010 Dream Alliance (PU 24th); 2011 Quinz (PU 16th); 2012 Planet Of Sound (12th); 2013 Balthazar King (15th); 2014 Balthazar King (2nd), Chance Du Roy (6th)
