grand national 2013 / entries/result /

ROBERTO GOLDBACK (IRE) FACTFILE

b g Bob Back (USA)-Mandysway (IRE) (Mandalus )

11-11-06  Form: 153126/52F113FB/23220/1U39432887-1U355

  Owner: Simon Munir

Trainer: Nicky Henderson  Breeder: Simon Young

Roberto Goldback
© Racehorse Photos

Roberto Goldback, born on April 7, 2002, was bred by Simon Young and sold for 15,000 euros as a foal in Tattersalls Ireland. He has had three different trainers in as many seasons. He joined his current handler, Nicky Henderson, after being bought privately (having been unsold at £38,000 in the ring) out of Dessie Hughes’s yard at Doncaster Sales in May, 2012. His career began with Jessica Harrington, winning a Fairyhouse bumper on his debut in December, 2008 and a Grade Two novice hurdle at Leopardstown the following month. He was sent over fences the following season at won a Grade Two novice chase at Leopardstown in January, 2010. His next victory came in the Listed Imperial Call Chase at Cork in April, 2011, and he was leading in the following month’s Grade One Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown when unseating his rider at the last, handing the race to fellow outsider Follow The Plan. He joined Dessie Hughes during the 2011/12 season and his best effort came when second to Quel Esprit in the Grade One Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown. The 11-year-old made a successful winning debut for Henderson and new owner Simon Munir at Ascot on November 3, when seeing off 13 rivals to win the United House Gold Cup Handicap Chase. He most recently finished fifth behind Opening Batsman in the Racing Plus Chase at Kempton on February 23.

Race Record: Starts: 34; Wins: 6; 2nd: 6; 3rd: 6; Win & Place prize money: £230,844

Simon Munir

He was born in October, 1964, and educated at Harrow, where trainer William Haggas was a friend. He lives in Hertfordshire. He hoped to play for Arsenal when younger and is still an enthusiastic supporter of the team, with a box at the Emirates Stadium. The CEO of Galaxy Asset Management, he previously worked for Merrill Lynch, based in Geneva for 10 years and then ran its Monaco operation. Also owns Galaxy Sports Management, His first horse was No Speeches, owned in partnership with four colleagues, and a winner on the Flat for them at Lingfield in 1996 when trained by Simon Dow. He sponsored Jack Berry’s yard and has had horses with Haggas and Sir Mark Prescott before upping his involvement in jump racing in recent years. His horses are principally with Nicky Henderson, Alan King and Paul Nicholls and he has around 20 in training in Britain. He won the 2010 JCB Triumph Hurdle with Soldatino. Most of his horses are sourced in France by Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock and he has a big team in training across the Channel. He currently has around 40 horses registered with France Galop, principally with Guillaume Macaire, Guy Cherel, Jacques Ortet, Yannick Fouin and Guy Henrot.

No previous John Smith’s Grand National runners

Nicky Henderson (Lambourn, Berkshire)

The all-time leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival with 50 successes. His half century was reached when Bobs Worth won this year’s Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup. Twice the winner of the jump trainers’ championships, in 1985/86 and 1986/87, he has sent out approaching 2,500 winners and is hot favourite to capture another trainers’ title this season. Born in Lambeth, London, on December 10, 1950, he is the son of financier and amateur jockey John Henderson MBE, who founded the Racecourse Holdings Trust, the forerunner for Jockey Club Racecourses, Nicky was educated at Eton and the Royal Agricultural College. He worked for stockbrokers Cazenove in London and Australia, where he gained experience riding work at Randwick, before devoting himself full-time to racing. He first made his name in Britain as an amateur rider, finishing runner-up three times in the non-professional championship. His main wins as a jockey came on Happy Warrior in the 1977 Fox Hunters Chase at Aintree and on Acquaint in Sandown’s Imperial Cup in the same year. He recorded his 78th and final win on Rolls Rambler in the Horse & Hound Cup at Stratford in June, 1978. He became assistant trainer to Fred Winter in 1974 and received his own training licence in July, 1978, taking over from Roger Charlton at Windsor House Stables in Lambourn. Moved to Seven Barrows, to the north of the village, in 1992. First winner as a trainer was Dukery at Uttoxeter, October 14, 1978. See You Then won three consecutive Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham -1985-87 inclusive – and has captured the two-mile hurdling championship twice more with Punjabi (2009) and Binocular (2010). Bobs Worth was his second Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, following Long Run in 2011, and he also trains the hugely exciting Sprinter Sacre, winner of this season’s Sportingbet Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham. Henderson has won most of the major jump races through his glittering career with one major omission being the John Smith’s Grand National, though he has sent out the runner-up twice, Zongalero in 1979 and The Tsarevich (1987).

John Smith’s Grand National Record: 1979 Zongalero (2nd);1980 Zongalero (Refused 20th); 1981 Zongalero (Fell 22nd); 1982 Sun Lion (Fell 3rd); 1983 Spartan Missile (Unseated 22nd); 1984 Spartan Missile (16th); 1985 Classified (5th); 1986 Classified (3rd), The Tsarevich (7th); 1987 The Tsarevich (2nd), Classified (UR 25th); 1988 The Tsarevich (7th); 1990 Brown Windsor (4th), 1991 Ten Of Spades (14th), 1991 Master Bob (PU bef 19th); 1992 Brown Windsor (Fell 6th); 1994 Henry Mann (Fell 1st); 1995 Tinryland (Fell 1st); 1998 Pashto (Fell 1st); 1999 Fiddling The Facts (Fell 22nd); 2000 Esprit De Cotte (Fell 22nd); 2001 Esprit De Cotte (UR 11th), 2002 Marlborough (Fell 1st), Goguenard (Fell 1st), 2003 Katarino (UR 15th); 2005 Fondmort (PU 28th); 2006 Juveigneur (Fell 1st), Iris Royal (PU bef 17th), 2007 Liberthine (5th); 2009 Golden Flight (Fell 1st); Fleet Street (UR 18th); 2012 Shakalakaboomboom (9th).