Chepstow-Aintree connection is source of National pride
THERE is a strong connection between Chepstow and Aintree, with many winners of the Coral Welsh Grand National also winning the big prize in Liverpool.
Here we take a look at those great horses: RAG TRADE Rag Trade, trained by Fred Rimell and ridden by John Burke, won the Welsh National in February 1976 before going on to Aintree glory, where he beat the great Red Rum.
The year before he had been bought for £18,000 by the first celebrity hairdresser, Teasy-Weasy Raymond. Sporting a bogus French accent and smart but decidedly unconventional outfits, he had become a TV star in the 1950s and it’s said that he made British hairdressing glamorous. Vidal Sassoon learned his trade at his Mayfair salon.
Rag Trade may have been lucky when winning the Welsh National, for the Jenny Pitman-trained favourite Gylippus capsized at the last fence when still in front.
However, there was no fluke about his Aintree victory, as he took the lead off Red Rum at the elbow and stayed on well to hold off the triple-National winner, who had ten pounds more on his back. L’Escargot was the only other horse to beat Red Rum in five Grand Nationals. SILVER BIRCH From the start of his racing career, Silver Birch was regarded as a potential National horse. Trained by Paul Nicholls, he only ran four times over hurdles, scoring twice, before graduating to steeplechasing, winning the 2004 Welsh National.
Silver Birch was an obvious contender for the 2005 Grand National, but was ruled out by injury, and after being sidelined for a year he clearly wasn’t the same horse in 2006. In the National he fell at the Chair and later in the year, approaching his 10th birthday, connections decided to cut their losses and sell.
His new owner Brian Walsh sent him to rookie trainer Gordon Elliott, who nursed him back to form. Few punters latched onto him at 33/1, but Robbie Power had him up with the leaders from before halfway, sent him into the lead at the last and in a close finish held off McKelvey and Slim Pickings. CLOISTER Cloister was the first of six horses to do the Welsh and Aintree Grand National double, and one of just two that won the Liverpool race first. He was one of the best known, most controversial horses of the 1890s, and put up arguably the greatest National performance of all time.
In 1891 he finished second in the big race and filled the runner-up berth the following year behind another Aintree specialist, Father O’Flynn, carrying two stone more than that rival.
He made no mistake in 1893, leading all the way to win by 40 lengths, carrying a massive weight and setting a course record that lasted for 40 years.
In 1894 and 1895 he was made favourite, only to be withdrawn close to each race. His owner, a Caernarvonshire quarry owner called
You can watch Saturday’s big race at Aintree on the big screen at Chepstow Racecourse – as well as enjoying live racing from the Monmouthshire track.
As well as seven races from Chepstow starting at 2.15pm and the Aintree Grand National on the big screen at 5.15pm, there will be a live performance from Madness tribute act, One Step Behind around 6.15pm. It’s a Grand National Party Race Day.
Tickets and further details on http:// www.chepstow-racecourse.co.uk/ Charles Duff, was adamant he had been nobbled. Lameness troubled him and although a new trainer, Charles Thompson, had restored his fitness in 1896 he was now twelve years old and past his best, and his sights had to be lowered.
A huge crowd packed into the racecourse at Ely, Cardiff, to see Cloister and his old foe Father O’Flynn line up for the second ever Welsh Grand National, then run over two-anda-half miles. Cloister made almost all the running and won by a comfortable two lengths, with Father O’Flynn well beaten. CORBIERE The 1982 Welsh National was won by the seven-year-old chestnut Corbiere. He came with a powerful late run under Ben de Haan, who was riding his first big-race winner, to beat Pilot Officer by a head with the previous year’s victor Peaty Sandy a well beaten third.
A win at Doncaster and a second place at the Cheltenham Festival encouraged Corbiere’s supporters to back him down to 13/1 for the Grand National. De Haan was again on board and they disputed the lead with the future winner Hallo Dandy from fully a mile-and-a-half out before taking a clear advantage before the second last and kicking on after the last. Greasepaint gained on him in the closing stages, but not fast enough and Corbiere held on by three quarters of a length. EARTH SUMMIT Nine-year-old Earth Summit, who as a six-year-old novice had won the Scottish Grand National, went off at odds of 25-1 in the Welsh equivalent in 1997.
After getting the better of a long tussle with Indian Tracker, Earth Summit was 15 lengths clear approaching the second last. Those exertions began to tell as Don Samouri ran on strongly to get within a length and three quarters, but from that point Earth Summit rallied and the gap didn’t reduce any more.
Earth Summit was partnered by Tom Jenks there, but unfortunately he was sidelined through injury when the horse won the Aintree National later in the season under Welshman Carl Llewellyn. He came out the best in an epic battle on heavy going with the gallant Suny Bay. Earth Summit thereby became the first horse to win English, Scottish and Welsh Grand Nationals. BINDAREE Nigel Twiston-Davies, who had tasted Grand National success with Earth Summit in 1998, triumphed again with Bindaree four years later. This was the only one of his 40 races in which he wasn’t partnered by Carl Llewellyn, who opted to ride stable companion Beau.
Jamie Goldstein, who had been booked to ride Bindaree, broke his leg in a fall during a Ludlow novice chase a few days before the National. Jim Culloty, who had just ridden Best Mate to the first of his three Cheltenham Gold Cup triumphs, deputised.and completed the big-race double.
Bindaree wasn’t in the same form next season, but in the autumn of 2003 he showed distinct signs of recovery when finishing second to Sir Rembrandt at Chepstow. Three weeks later, the pair of them were back for the Welsh National, with Bindaree coming out on top in a thrilling duel.