Grand National trainer honoured with OBE for services to racing

Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell was among the OBE recipients, for services to horse racing.

The national hunt trainer has clocked up 649 winners in her time working in the Kinross countryside.

It was at her Arlary House Stables in Milnathort that she perfected One For Arthur, Grand National winner last year.

The eight-year-old horse became the first Scottish-trained winner at Aintree since 1979.

Bookies surrounding Lucinda’s stables, where she lives with her partner Peter Scudamore, the eighttimes champion jockey, reportedly took a beating when One for Arthur took first place.

Ladbrokes said branches nearby paid out hundreds of thousands of pounds, and across the country the collective winnings are estimated to be in the millions as gamblers backed the Scot.

The historic win was celebrated across Perthshire and dozens of wellwishers and press descended on the stables to see One for Arthur’s return for a well-earned rest.

More recently Lucinda has clocked up 28 wins this year alone, including Boys on Tour in the Perth two-mile, four-feet handicap chase last month and the two-mile four-feet handicap hurdle, also at Perth, with Thorpe in April.

Just this week Lucinda took on two new arrivals for training, three-yearolds Billy and Toastie.

Picture: Steve MacDougall. Trainer Lucinda Russell is made an OBE.