FAMOUS FIVE LIGHT UP 2018
A year to remember for the Turf stars
DESCRIBED as a ‘rat of horse’ by owner Michael O’Leary, Tiger Roll looked set to become one of the easiest Grand National winners for some years.
But after reaching the Elbow at Aintree with a six-length lead, Davy Russell’s partner hung on by just a head as David Mullins conjured an incredible run out of Pleasant Company.
For O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud operation, it was their second Grand National victory after Rule The World in 2016. But for veteran jockey Russell it was the fulfilment of a childhood dream.
When he was a young boy, he made pretend Aintree fences at home and jumped them on his pony. The combination will attempt to become the first back-to-back winner of the Aintree spectacular since Red Rum in 1973/74.
Tiger Roll, also a three-time winner for trainer Gordon Elliott at the Cheltenham Festival, has it all to do.
But with Russell in the saddle at Aintree the ‘little rat’ could surprise everybody again.
GODOLPHIN finally ended their Epsom Derby hoodoo when the Charlie Appleby-trained Masar was steered to victory by William Buick on the first Saturday in June. Masar put a
disappointing run on the sand at Meydan behind him when scorching home by nine lengths in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket in April. He returned to Flat racing’s HQ three weeks later to finish a highlyrespectable third behind Saxon Warrior in the 2,000 Guineas. But over half a mile further in the Derby, Masar – with Buick wearing Godolphin’s famous blue silks – turned that form around. He scored comfortably by a length and a half from Mark Johnston’s Dee Ex Bee, with Ballydoyle’s Saxon Warrior only a tame fourth.
A month later Masar’s season was over after he suffered a leg injury while being prepared for the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
However, his trainer fully expects him to return as a four-year-old with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe his ultimate target. So there’s plenty to look forward to for the horse’s fans and connections.
WHEN Poet’s Society repelled his rivals to win a valuable York handicap in August, a piece of racing history was made.
It was the 4,194th victory of Mark Johnston’s career – a new record.
It took him past the mark set by Richard Hannon Snr to make him the most prolific trainer of winners in British racing history.
It was a typical Johnston success, with Frankie Dettori making all on the 20-1 shot to beat off his 19 rivals.
After gaining a degree at Glasgow Veterinary School and marrying childhood sweetheart Deirdre, Johnston began his training career in 1987 with what he called ‘three and a half paying horses’ at a Lincolnshire yard whose gallops were part of an RAF target practice range. He moved to Middleham in 1988 – with 13 horses – and has transformed his 270-acre base into the Rolls-Royce of training yards.
Having reached 100 winners in a season for the first time in 1994, Johnston has repeated the feat every year since and made it to 200 winners seven times, with a high of 216 in 2009 and 2013.
NATIVE RIVER ran his 14 rivals into the ground in the Cheltenham Gold Cup – a masterful display that combined his two major talents, bags of bravery and unlimited stamina.
Setting off to make all the running in rain-softened conditions, Native River was superbly ridden by Richard Johnson. The duo jumped from fence to fence, putting in several prodigious leaps, but were headed two fences out by the equally courageous Might Bite, the 4-1 favourite.
However, defeat for the Colin Tizzard-trained Hennessy and Welsh Grand National winner was not on the agenda that day and Johnson galvanised his mount for a final lung-bursting effort up the daunting Cheltenham hill.
Gradually, they got back in front – and stayed there to the line, where they had almost five lengths to spare over the Henderson runner.
The rest were strung out like washing all over Prestbury Park with 65 lengths between the winner and the last horse home in ninth place.
ENABLE got to the top of the tree for the second year – and did so against all the odds.
Having swept all before her in 2017, including a marvellous Arc de Triomphe win, Enable’s career was derailed in 2018 by a knee injury.
Trainer John Gosden nursed the super mare back to health and she beat Crystal Ocean well in her September Stakes comeback at Kempton, albeit receiving 8lb.
A temperature post-Kempton was another hiccup and she was workmanlike in clinching a second Arc win, prompting her biggest fan Frankie Dettori to conclude: “She wasn’t the Enable of last year but she’s got the job done.”
After such an interrupted year, connections opted to send her to the States where she became the first horse to win the Arc and Breeders’ Cup Turf in the same year after a battle royal with Magical.
In terms of heart, she was undiminished, but she lost her Cartier Horse of the Year title to stablemate Roaring Lion.