LUCKY 15 AINTREE National fences
Olay for JP McManus with AP McCoy on was favourite and Jim had to lead him out as he wouldn’t go. Jim backed McCoy’s instead of ours!”
It was money misplaced as Goldie’s dream unfolded.
He added: “I went to my lucky spot at Aintree and it was incredible.
“Lampion pings the first. He pings The Chair, one falls in front of him and just side-steps like a cat. He turns away down the back straight and I thought, ‘ He’s winning this’. After that it was simply a demonstration.
“He won on the bridle. The jockey Phil Kinsella says the only picture he has on his walls at home from his career is Lampion over the big fences as it’s the closest he ever came to flying.
“To train one over those fences was the biggest moment of my life. Davy Russell said after he won the National on TigerT Roll that he’dh won it a thousands times before asa he used to build pretendp fences as a kid at home and jumpju them. Me anda my brother did thet same.
“I went out to getg him and the restr were puffing anda panting and LampionL wa s hardly out of breath. It was surreal. Rishi Persad did an interview and asked me if it was a surprise. I felt like punching him.”
Goldie’s heart was pounding as were his ribs with laughter afterwards as the celebrations kicked off in strange style.
He recalled: “John Connor had gone up in the Royal Box. Alex Ferguson was there with his wife Lady Ferguson.
“John’s not happy. He’d backed McCoy. He’s going daft and saying, ‘I saw Jim earlier at the stables. I said hello and not a word he said to me. A 66/1 winner and not even a nod’.
“Lady Ferguson turned around and said, ‘Well, I backed it. John said, ‘Eh? Why did you do that?’
“She said, ‘It’s from Glasgow. It says so on the racecard.’ Brilliant. Sir Alex was laughing.
“The prize money was £ 100,013. I remember the £13 as Orientor won me The Shergar Cup for £100,000, so Lampion beat him by £13. He made my dream come true. That’s why I smile every time I see him through the window.”