Inching to victory!
The day Daryl’s dream was realised
ONE OF the biggest targets for any National Hunt jockey is to win the Aintree Grand National, and British-based Daryl Jacob from Davidstown, near Enniscorthy, inscribed his name on the roll of honour in 2012 by the narrowest margin in the 165 runnings of the famous race, prevailing by about an inch on 33/1 shot, Neptune Collonges, after the marathon four and a half miles.
It was so close he did not know if he had actually won until his number was called over the public address.
‘I was looking up to the gods saying “Please call number four, please call number four”, and thankfully they did!’ He had won the National and it was his first time to ride the horse!
Seabass, trained by Ted Walsh and ridden by his daughter, Katie, disputed the lead over the last with Sunnyhillboy, ridden by Richie McLernon for JP McManus, with Neptune Collonges in contention, not too far back in fifth.
On the famed and gruelling 494yard run-in to home, it developed into a three-way battle.
Seabass was first to crack slightly and, a hundred yards from the finishing post, Sunnyhillboy held a one-length lead over Neptune Collonges, but Jacob kept forcing his horse up and the two flashed past the post locked together, impossible to separate with the naked eye.
It was a first win in the race for many times British champion trainer, Paul Nicholls. Seabass was third five lengths back, giving Katie Walsh the best-ever National finish by a woman, at her first attempt.
Daryl is a columnist with ‘Sporting Life’ and he recently recalled that great day with them. Here are a few extracts:
‘It was actually quite late when I found out I had the ride on him. Obviously Ruby Walsh was stable jockey at the time and they’d offered the ride to Noel Fehily as well, so by the time they’d committed to other rides in the race it was about six or seven days before the race I picked up the ride on him.
‘I had never ridden Neptune Collonges before his big day. I have a 100 per cent strike-rate on the horse! It’s something I’ll always be immensely proud of.
‘I thought 33/1 on the day was a bit big. He’d obviously won Grade Ones and was third in a terrific Gold Cup behind his stablemates, Denman and Kauto Star, so we knew he had the class.
‘He was getting a bit older, which was on my mind…that’s why in the early part of the contest I just wanted to get him enjoying it and get him into a rhythm.
‘I remember sitting with Aidan Coleman and Sam Twiston-Davies in the weighing room beforehand. Sammy said “I hope one of the three of us come out of here with a Grand National to our name”, and luckily it was me. It’s a very difficult race to win and you need an awful lot of things to go right. It was my day.
‘I finished fourth on my first ever ride in the Grand National on Philson Run in 2007. That was a great day and I’ve always felt comfortable riding around those fences since then.
‘I was a long way back over the first two or three, but he jumped them well and he popped the open ditch really nicely. From there on I knew he had a feel of what we were trying to achieve and he was very good at his fences.
‘He got me out of a lot of trouble. Horses fell either side of him at Becher’s and he managed to go through a gap and the same thing actually happened at the Canal Turn. He was very experienced and that stood him in good stead.
‘Going out on the second circuit it wasn’t like I was in a race. I was just letting him take me through, aware that I didn’t want to get into race mode too quickly. I felt as if there was a little bit left in in the tank crossing the Melling Road.
‘Neptune wouldn’t be a horse that had instant toe. He responded really well after winding him up quite early turning for home. It might’ve looked like he was off the bridle, but I could feel he had more to give.
‘I jumped two out and felt I had a really good chance. Then they’ve quickened from the back of two out going to the last and he was left a bit flat-footed. Then he jumped the last well and I knew he’d stay really well from there.
‘Seabass and Sunnyhillboy had four or five lengths on me still, though, and it wasn’t really until the Elbow where I started to make inroads on them. I passed Katie Walsh on Seabass and then it was Sunnyhillboy to chase down. Pure stamina won him the day, he just ground it out.
‘Richie McLernon is a wonderful horseman, is very strong in a finish and his horse was giving everything, too. For the last 150 yards it was two horses and two jockeys giving everything and we had no idea passing the line who’d won.
‘At that moment I’d have taken a dead heat. To be beaten a whisker would’ve been gut wrenching.
‘I didn’t even know where the winning post was, both of us pushed our horses out about 50 yards after the winning line, heads down, giving our all. We looked at each other afterwards and neither of us had an idea.
‘It felt like an awful long time for the result to come through. I looked at my number cloth and was looking up to the gods saying, “Please call number four, please call number four”, and thankfully they did.’
The race was a nightmare for multiple champion jockey, Tony McCoy, on the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner of a few weeks earlier, Synchronised, going for a remarkable double on the Noreen McManus-bred, J.P. McManus-owned and JonJo O’Neill-trained top weight.
Synchronised unshipped McCoy in the warm-up and got loose on the course, but was eventually allowed to take his place in the delayed start.
He only got as far as the sixth fence, Becher’s Brook, before falling; the horse continued riderless and apparently unharmed until falling again at the eleventh, and this time his leg injuries proved fatal.
There just couldn’t be a greater contrast between the fortunes of 36 years old Jacob and McCoy, two great riders, on that April 14 at Aintree, eight years ago today (Tuesday).
Jacob’s parents are Des and Ann from Davidstown, and a 2012 wonderful weekend was further enhanced when younger brother Alan helped Enniscorthy to success in the Provincial Towns Rugby Cup. Daryl has been plying his trade in Britain since 2003.