Racing Review – Page 9 – The A

Native River

Native River is an Irish bred, British trained horse who specialises in National Hunt races. To be more specific he favours long distance steeplechase events, or rather excels at them. With a positive approach to racing, Native River isn’t afraid to take the lead and dare others to take him on. This isn’t a display or arrogance by horse or jockey, but instead an approach that simply works for a horse with such immense talent, stamina and durability.

Native River has shown steady and impressive progress through the years. In 2015/16 he won the Worcester Novices’ Chase and the Mildmay Novices’ Chase. The following year, he’d made leaps and bounds in progress by winning the Hennessy Gold Cup and Welsh Grand National amongst others, and more importantly placing an impressive third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The following season he improved yet further in winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, beating favourite Might Bite into second place. Not bad going for a horse that was bought for €6,000! Despite the price tag, Native River was sired by Indian River who achieved much success in his own right, including a win in the Prix du Président de la République.

There’s nothing quite like a racing rivalry, and that is expected to continue between Might Bite and Native River as there are indications that they both have the Chase Triple Crown in their sights. Attaining the Chase Triple Crown involves winning the Betfair Chase, the King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same year. Doing so brings with it a cool £1 million bonus, so who can blaim them for being ambitious.

Races

Grand National

In terms of name recognision the Grand National is surely second to none. This national hunt race held at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool is emmersely popular with both ardent horse racing fans, but also those not typically interesting in following the sport. From work sweepstakes, to relatives scanning newspapers to place a small wager on a selection they like the name of, the nations eyes turn to the TV screen in their millions during the Grand National which takes place in April of each year.

The Grand National is run over a 4 miles 514 yards course, and those taking part are tasked with jumping 30 fences over two laps. The fences are of various levels of difficulty, but some of them are notoriously difficult such as Becher’s Brook and The Chair. The first Grand National took place in 1839 when the event was founded by Waterloo Hotel proprieter William Lynn on land he’d leased in Aintree. The Grand National meeting (and especially interest in the Grand Nation race itself) has gone from strength to strength since to the point where it now reaches worldwide audiences upward of 500 million viewers.

As with any event steeped in history the Grand National has seen several eras, or moments, that will forever be remembered. One of the first was the 100-1 win from Foinavon in 1967. Foinavon wasn’t given a hope beforehand, so much so that his owner didn’t even bother to turn up to watch the race. However in a stroke of astonishing good fortune while he was lagging 100 yards behind the leading pack, a loose horse veered across the field at the 23rd fence unseating some, and sending others in all directions. John Buckingham simply steered Foinavon around the carnage to claim victory.

Perhaps the era racing fans are most fond of though is the Red Rum period. Red Rum was originally bought as a yearling for just £420 and later by Ginger McCain (for Noel le Mare) for £6,300. McCain persevered with the horse through period of injury and it certainly paid off as Red Rum is today the only horse to have won the Grand National three times (in 1973, 1974 and 1977).

Modern highlights of the Grand National include Ginger McCain’s renewed success at the National 31 years on, with a win with Amberleigh House ridden by Graham Lee, and in 2004 Venetia William’s Mon Mome winning at huge odds of 100-1. The 2018 winner of the event was 10-1 shot Tiger Roll, ridden by Davy Russell and trained by George Elliot.

Races

Epsom Derby

The Epsom Derby takes place in June of each year over a 1m 4f 6y course at the Epsom Downs racecourse in Epsom, Surrey. UK. The group one race is steeped in history; and the first Derby was held in 1780.

It forms part of the Triple Crown which consists of the 2000 Guineas, The Derby and the St Leger Stakes. The Triple Crown was introduced or rather coined as way of ascertaining excellence in racing and it certainly has demonstrated that over the years. Only 15 horses have won all three Triple Crown races starting with West Australian in 1853, and most recently the legendary Nijinsky in 1970.

The Derby, named after the 12th Earl of Derby, is also one of the five British Classics, group one races for three year olds that are designed to display the pinnacle of achievement against peers. The two additional races that make up the British Classics are the 1000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks. Winning any of these five races is an indication of very significant ability. Only one horse, Sceptre has won four of the Classics (in 1902), incidentally the Derby was the only race that Spectre didn’t win.

Historically the race used to be paired with the Epsom fair, which by all accounts sounds like a riproaring affair that attracted people from all over the UK, but especially London. Charles Dickens is known to have visited the fair in the 1850s and enjoyed its mix of magicians, clowns and entertainers.

The Derby is held in such high regard that it’s been used as a template of sorts for races around the world, there would be no Kentucky Derby without the Epsom Derby. The purse for the event matches the prestige at £1.5 million in 2018, with £850,650 going to the winner.

With such an illustrious history it takes special individuals to stand out in this event, but one such person is Lester Piggott who won the Derby a stunning 9 times between 1954 (on Never Say Die) and 1983 (on Teenoso). He also had a memorable win on Sir Ivor. Interestingly each of his nine wins came on a different horse.

Owners

Saeed Suhail

Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail has owned racehorses in Britain, predominantly with Sir Michael Stoute, since the 1980s. However, despite being a close friend and associate of the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum, Suhail has never enjoyed the public profile, or equine firepower, typically associated with the Al Maktoum family. In fact, in those early days, Suhail remained something of a mystery outside his immediate circle, a situation not aided by his limited command of English.

In 2000, Suhail recorded his first, and second, victories at the highest level, with King’s Best in the 2,000 Guineas and Dilshaan in the Racing Post Trophy but, even so, in the season as a whole managed just three winners from 30 runners. From that point on, though, his blue and yellow silks became a familiar sight in major races in Britain and, in 2003, enjoyed his best season ever, numerically, with 17 winners. Helped, in no small part, by the victories of Kris Kin in the Dee Stakes and, particularly, in the Derby, he exceeded £1 million in total prize money for the first time.

In subsequent seasons, his fortunes ebbed and flowed and, while he collected several valuable prizes, including the Weatherbys Insurance £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes at Doncaster with Awinnersgame and the £250,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes at Newmarket with Kingship Spirit, both trained by Jeremy Noseda, in the autumn of 2008, he would have to wait another twelve years for his next Group 1 or Grade 1 winner. In October, 2015, Cannock Chase, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, won the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine and, although he was one of just four winners that season, he sparked something of a revival for Suhail.

In 2017, Ballet Concerto won the John Smith’s Cup, Sovereign Stakes and Superior Mile Stakes, while Poet’s Word won the Glorious Stakes and would go on to taste Group 1 success in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2018. Indeed, in 2018, Suhail enjoyed his most successful season ever, in pecuniary terms, with over £1.5 million in total prize money.