Liam Treadwell
Jockey
TO THE jockey Liam Treadwell, who has died at 34, the world of horse racing was second nature.
Born in West Sussex, where his parents worked for the great Arundel trainer John Dunlop, he loved the sport from a young age. But it was the jumps, and in particular the Grand National, that inspired him most.
It was no coincidence that the first stable he rode out when he was still at school was at
The Downs in Findon, where Aldaniti was nurtured back to full fitness, along with jockey Bob Champion, before his legendary win in 1981.
At that time, Treadwell was too light to be a jump jockey so went to a big Flat yard in the area, that of Amanda Perrett, whose father Guy Harwood had trained the brilliant Dancing Brave.
He had his first rides in 2002 at the age of 16 and then tried his hand in the North with sprint king Dandy Nicholls at Thirsk in North Yorkshire, before returning south and concentrating on becoming a jump jockey.
His first big success came on the 13-year-old veteran Bleu Superbe in the Listed Byrne Group Handicap at Ascot in November 2008 when he had stablemate Stan, ridden by Aidan Coleman, back in second place.
Stan and Coleman were the ones that would go on to see Treadwell get his dream ride on Mon Mome in that season’s Grand National.
Coleman, who had first call on the Williams’ runners, chose Stan. They only got as far as the seventh fence.
Treadwell, on the other hand, was able to fulfil his boyhood ambition – and what a story it was. He had only recently lost his claim and was of the youngest jockeys to win the National. The fact that Mon Mome was 100-1 and Williams was only the second woman to train the winner made it even more newsworthy.
He was one of those jockeys who was in his element over the Grand National fences – when third on 40-1 shot Monbeg Dude in the 2015 National and as winner of the Grand Sefton later that year on Bennys Mist. He also rode a winner at the Cheltenham Festival, Carrickboy in 2013.
But life changed dramatically for ‘Tredders’, as he was known by his fellow jockeys, following a fall at Bangor in March 2016. He was knocked unconscious when taking a tumble from Market Option.
He hoped to be back in time to ride Katenko in the Grand National the following month. But he was out for longer, and when he did return the winners proved harder than ever to come by.
Treadwell took the decision to retire from the saddle in February 2018 but regained his appetite for race-riding and returned in March last year.
He made a low-key comeback in a bumper at Taunton when he was just beaten on Czech Her Out for Michael Scudamore.
That was the closest he came to a winner that season, but he did have 10 last term when he was mixing riding with being assistant to Bridgnorth trainer Alastair Ralph.