- This topic has 24 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 2 months ago by
.
- Posts
My memory of the race only starts at about 1999. Not a winning ride but Ruby Walsh on My Will in 2009 has to be up there. The horse made 10-15 serious mistakes and practically ‘banked’ a couple of them. Amazing Ruby managed to get round, let alone finish third. Wouldn’t have got round in the old days though!
For a winning ride, I think Timmy Murphy’s effort on Comply Or Die was underrated at the time. The horse wore blinkers and was a bit sulky at that time in his career – he would drop the bridle if he had a horse in his line of vision. It’s not easy to keep 39 horses hidden without trying to make all in the National but Murphy rode a canny race, keeping very wide all the way and finding some genius angles at the Canal Turn both times. A fine bit of horsemanship.
Dunwoody’s ride on West Tip in 1986 for me. Tremendous pressure beforehand as he’d been travelling like a probable winner when coming down the previous year so the spotlight was one him. Was given the perfect ride and never looked in danger from a long way out.Also thought Bradley was terrific on Sunny Bay when runner up to Earth Summit. I know everyone goes on about ‘rhythm’, but jockey’s who are able to get horses into a rhythm stand out in these staying chases. A copy book example for me would be Francome’s ride on Brown Chamberlin in the Hennessy. However, we may have had egg rubbed on our faces as I’ve yet to see a convincing explanation as to why AP’s stats come out much better than Rubys in relation to falls in later stages of races ect
Graham Bradley’s ride on Suny Bay when second to Earth Summit in the 1998 match with Carl Llewellyn on Earth Summit. Top weight on very deep dround and a horse, who though a resolute stayer and proven on heavy, found the National trip a little too much; as was apparent the previous year, when too much use was made of him early on
Bradley gave him a sublime gently-gently energy-saving ride: man and horse in perfect coordination, appearing ‘as one’ particularly when soaring over the fences
Llewellyn’s ride was very good too, and though it could be argued that the most unusual circumstance of having the race to themselves for much of the second circuit flattered both horses I found it to be an entrancing spectacle
Edit: Crossed post. Glad you agree with me Cancello, or I with you
Unfortunate that Graham Bradley will now always be generally known for other reasons.We forget what a fine, top class rider he was,a level above the other Dickinson ‘in house’ riders, including Robert Earnshaw, and despite a good overall career, could and should have achieved far more than he did. Mind you,he did bring on his problems himself.
Can’t disagree with Bradley on Suny Bay, or Murphy on Comply or Die.
My favourite winning rides were Richard Guest on Red Marauder, Brendan Powell on Rhyme ‘N’ Reason, or Graeme Lee on Amberleigh House. How Guest got him round that day I’ll never know, while for Powell to get RnR back into contention after that mistake, I’ll never know. I thought Lee timed his ride to perfection, and though Cooper lost his whip, I doubt it made that much difference. For winning rides, I reckon those 3 are the standouts from my era, along with Timmy Murphy.
Quick mention to Jonathan Lower on Roc De Prince in 1994. Although the horse clearly hated every minute of it this time around, and clearly showed some reluctance to jump them, Lower somehow managed to get him round, albeit a distance behind the others.
Have to agree on the ride on Red Marauder (RIP), in that pure blood n’ guts race. Was also the last time I had the winner of the National – I backed 2 horses that day – Smarty (win only) and Red Marauder (E/W). I watched the race in a busy pub and was the only person who even had a sniff of any winnings, and they soon knew about it as I leapt around nearly having a bloody coronary
For me the best ride in the National has to be the late John Buckingham in 1967 on Foinavon. Although I didn’t watch it live I do have video of the race and after the famous pile up, Foinavon was doing his best to pull up (in my opinion ).
The best ride I’ve seen live has to be Daryl Jacob on Neptune Collonges with victory right on the last stride, although I’d backed Sunnyhillboy that year.
A special mention must go to Brian Fletcher on Red Rum in chasing down Crisp in 1973, in my opinion it could have been easy to settle for second, but he was relentless and grabbed a famous victory. Also in similar style Brendan Powell on Rhyme N’ Reason in 1988 and Robert Dunne on Vic Canvas in 2016 both had “nearly” falls early on but recovered to get competitive at the business end of the race.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.I knew there was a recent one I hadn’t mentioned, my minds going lol
RR, how did I forget Robbie Dunne, what a ride that was.A tough question and most of the rides mentioned above warranted serious consideration, eventually I settled on these:
10. Richard Guest Red Marauder 2001 – overcame the going, at least five significant errors and a loose horse running across his path at the second Canal Turn. However, perhaps another jockey could have got the horse jumping better and the time was the slowest since 1883.
9. Jim Culloty Bindaree 2002 – forced wide second Canal Turn, eventually lost long-time lead and 2L down Elbow, galvanised horse to win by 1 1/2L.
8. Bob Champion Aldaniti 1981 – apart from beating cancer he had to overcome the horse’s mistakes and a tendency to jump left.
7. Brendan Powell Rhyme N Reason 1988 – a remarkable recovery at first Becher’s where left virtually last, a gritty and determined ride. However, he was helped by the early pace collapsing and more than normal credit has to go to the horse who sustained a hairline fracture of a hock in the early incident.
6. Brian Fletcher Red Rum 1973 – he never gave up and settled for second as many jockeys might have, he judged pretty well when to go in pursuit of a record pace and when to use his whip. However, he did not need it from the Elbow and had he judged it to absolute perfection would have won by 7L.
5. Bob Davies Lucius 1978 – overcame two mistakes to lead well inside the last 100y and win by 1/2L.
4. Willie Robinson Team Spirit 1964 – brilliantly judged to run on well from Elbow and get up by 1/2L.
3. Daryl Jacob Neptune Collonges 2012 – slowly away/well held up, measured progress to win by a nose.
2. John Cook Specify 1971 – on a 2 1/2-miler from a small stable he found a gap and basically used only hands and heels to win by a neck in a blanket finish.
1. Hywel Davies Last Suspect 1985 – got a sulky and unreliable horse to overcome a mistake at the 28th and being an under pressure 10L down at the last to win by 1 1/2L while swishing his tail.
Too many to mention but I wouldn’t forget Derek Fox last year who had the confidence to go against the commonly accepted modern belief that you must be prominent throughout to win a National. Also, turning in, he was absolutely running away and Fox could have been forgiven for allowing the horse his head at that point.
I’m always aware here that our opinions as watchers will very often differ from that of jockeys themselves. I was reading yesterday that Francome considered his ride on Derring Rose in the 1981 Coltcar Hurdle to be of little worth whereas it was lauded at the time as a fabulous ride. (Derring Rose effectively pulled himself up going down the back but ended up winning comfortably).
Richard Pitman on Pendil. Superb ride and got caught by possibly the best National horse ever giving away lumps of weight
Always thought Dunwoody’s ride on the mercurial (Freddie Starr owned) Miinnehoma was a bit special – he was a tiny horse and it was run in desperatly heavy ground (only 6 out of the 36 finished the race) and came just over 2 weeks after he ran down the field in the Gold Cup.
On a horse that didn’t want to be in front too long he found himself up with the leaders going out on the second circuit where Dunwoody not only had to humour/kid him along and keep taking a pull but he also had to pick his nose up of the turf at Beechers (the proper version) second time around. Apart from that he was very clever at his fences under Dunwoody’s care and was obviously looking after himself accordingly.
With the favourite Moorcroft Boy leading him away from the last the little horse went quickly from being on the bridle to feeling the warmth of Dunwoody’s stick only to come back on the bridle immediately after to then find himself in front on his own at the elbow as Moorcroft Boy stopped. He pricked his ears and looked for all the world like he was thinking of pulling himself up, fortunately for both horse and rider Just So (or Just Slow as he was cruely renamed) appeared alongside ready to snatch victory from them but then Dunwoody got serious and the little horse found the reserves to draw away again at the line. It was a prime example of all of Dunwoody’s talents at work and it was such a pity that the cumulative injuries forced him into an early retirement.
Sadly the nature of the race did seem to take its toll on the horse as although he won first time out the following year (some 9 months later) and then ran a very distant 3rd in Master Oats Gold Cup, a repeat victory was never on the cards as on much quicker ground than the previous year he was tailed off after just 12 fences and was eventually PU – in his next four races he carded three more PU (making four in a row) and he was sensibly retired shortly after.
He enjoyed a long retirement, passing in 2012 at the age of 29 but for that one day in April 1994 he was quirky, brilliant and brave as the proverbial Lion.
Probably the most sporting behaviour from two jockeys comes from Ruby Walsh and A.P McCoy back in 2001. One riding Papillon and the other Blowing Wind. Both started with the aim to win, but with the heavy conditions being hampered and a few refusals both finished the race after remounting by helping each other and only after the final fence made a race out of it.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.Probably not the fondest remembered but a lot of credit to Steve Knight on Maori Venture’s completion let alone scooting away to win in good style. Mentions too for Jason Titley and Nigel Hawke.
Some good choices –
Brendan Powell on Rhyme “N” Reason for me. When looking at this I would hope the horse would be a winner and that they were the “proper” fences. The horse and race qualify on both counts anyway so no need to compromise on those issues.
Down on his haunches at Bechers first time, think a good percentage of jockeys would have just fell off there or not continued, he was last jumping the next fence. Powell gave him time to recover and going out on the second circuit had to take a pull. Nice touch from Powell after jumping The Chair, a few pats down the neck for the horse and no doubt a few words.
Have you ever seen a horse go wider taking Bechers second time (no horse went wider first time) defintely on the hare rail, a very wise move from the jockey, he would surely have been on the floor taking it anywhere near Strands of Gold.
Looked all over when Durham Edition when sailed past at the second last but not a bit of it. Powell galvanised the horse for one final effort despite the horse having fractured a hock at Bechers and the saddle slipping back. A courageous and fine effort from both horse and rider.
RR, how did I forget Robbie Dunne, what a ride that was.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.