ARTHUR, THE £1M HOBBY HORSE!
Two Scots friends bought the National winner as a pastime ...now he is worth a fortune
HE was bought as a hobby horse to keep them entertained while their husbands played golf.
But as hobbies go, Grand National winner One For Arthur has proved to be well worth his owners’ time.
The eight-year-old gelding was bought by Scots friends Belinda McClung and Deborah Thomson for £60,000 in 2013.
On Saturday, the pair of self-described ‘golf widows’ saw their investment pay off in full, winning £600,000 when jockey Derek Fox rode to victory in the four-and-a-quartermile steeplechase.
Arthur became only the second Scottish trained horse to win the prestigious race, the previous one being Rubstic in 1979.
Yesterday, the owners saw their fortunes increase again as it was revealed the extraordinary performance has boosted the worth of their champion to up to ten times what they paid for him.
After the 14/1 win, expert Susan Bradburne from Cupar, Fife, estimated Arthur would be worth hundreds of thousands at auction in the unlikely event his loving owners were willing to part with him.
The horse trainer – responsible for rearing Blue Charm, who came second in the 1999 Grand National – estimated he would be worth in the region of £400,000.
She said: ‘The top auctions you get now for the top geldings are about £400,000 – that’s for unproven. But for Arthur you might get £600,000.
‘He’s got quite a few years in front of him. He’s sound and he’s big and he’s safe. It could be more.’
The news came as it emerged Arthur’s racing team paid an emotional tribute to former colleague Campbell Gillies during the race.
Travel manager Jamie Duff wore the socks of the late East Lothian jockey – who drowned in a Corfu swimming pool in 2012 at the age of 21 – as he helped lead Arthur around the paddock.
Discussing the tribute to Gillies, who worked at the stables where Arthur is trained and was widely considered to be one of the sport’s brightest prospects, Mr Duff said: ‘I was wearing Campbell’s lucky socks and I suddenly remembered after Arthur won and I was in floods of tears.
‘It was fantastic for Derek on Saturday and he and Arthur are a perfect partnership but you wonder if Campbell would have ridden him if he was still with us.’
After the emotional win at the weekend, the coming months are set to be less intense for Arthur.
Following an honorary appearance today at Kelso Racecourse – where he cut his teeth – as a result of his newfound fame the prizewinning steed will be rested in a secret location until he returns to racing in October.
Speaking yesterday before she was reunited with Arthur at a champagne reception at his stable outside Kelso, co-owner Mrs McClung from Ancrum, Roxburghshire, said his summer location would ‘absolutely’ be kept secret.
She said: ‘He’ll go on his holidays now. He comes down to the Borders and a friend of mine has him for the summer.’ Discussing future plans for the horse, Mrs McClung, 45, said they are tentatively setting their sights on a second win of the Grand National.
She said: ‘Next year I don’t know what will happen. He’ll obviously probably run in the National again next year.’
Speaking of the win that has left her and co-owner Mrs Thomson, 46, in a daze, she added: ‘It’s a bit mad really. We still can’t believe it. It’s not really sunk in yet.’
Lucinda Russell, who trains Arthur at Milnathort, Kinrossshire, said: ‘It’s been a fantastic journey and everyone’s been so behind us – it’s been amazing. I’m just really proud for Scotland.’
Down the road from the stables, the Thistle Hotel in Milnathort was still buzzing yesterday following the win, which has left many patriotic Scots flush with cash. Kenny Duncan, 50, who had a £10 each way bet on the horse, said: ‘Everyone had a punt on him.’
Bookies William Hill has said it expects to make significant losses north of the Border as a result of Scots cashing in.