Can Tom Cap it all for the Scudamore family?
Tom Scudmore was a teenager transfixed by family tales of the Grand National as he tucked into his tea.
The dinner table was frequently the forum for his grandad, Michael, and dad, Peter, to pore over the great renewals and discuss the good and bad of their experiences.
Young Tom digested it all and could have written a book based on the racing dynasty’s stories and summations.
But he’s since tried 18 times himself to follow his grandad into the annals of horse racing history.
His 19th attempt, next Saturday, provides the third-generation jockey with his bestever chance of dining out on his own Aintree victory story.
Cloth Cap, trained by Jonjo O’Neill, is no bigger than 4/1 favourite.
Tom recalls: “Growing up, I remember hours were devoted at Sunday lunches, talking about Grand Nationals.
“I could tell you every single ride they had, their characteristics and how they got on. It was an enormous part of my childhood.
“Grandad rode in 16 consecutive ones. Him winning in 1959 on Oxo is something the whole family is obviously very proud of.
“There was a big dinner in Hereford a couple of weeks later to celebrate and they’ve still got the menu and cards from then.
“For all myself and dad have achieved, wherever we went, it was always Michael Scudamore who won the Grand National. He always put us in the shade!
“It doesn’t add any more pressure that I’ve spent a whole career trying to do it. But, yes, it would be the pinnacle for me if I won.”
Eight-time champion jockey Peter was unable to emulate his father in 13 rides in the race, never finishing closer than third on Corbiere in 1985 and going like the winner before Strands Of Gold fell in 2018.
However, he’s been connected to a trio of winners as co-trainer with Nigel TwistonDavies (Earth Summit 1998, Bindaree 2002) and then with partner Lucinda Russell (One For Arthur 2017).
For all 38-year-old Tom’s experience, he still intends sussing out dad’s thoughts on how the race might pan out for Cloth Cap.
He said: “Fortunately, I’ve had enough success in the game that I generally know what I’m doing.
“But I’ll talk it through with him, and pick his brains on one or two things. He’ll want to go through it out of interest.
“The way I try to look at it is you can’t think of anything else other than it’s a fourand-a-quarter-mile chase.
“I can’t think: ‘I’m in the Grand National so I must force something different to win’.
“Being favourite is the privileged position you want to be in. I don’t want to be under the radar on an outsider.”
Soll, The Package and Vieux Lion Rouge, sixth four years ago, have given him some lovely rides in the world’s greatest steeplechase.
He’ll be wearing the silks of three-time National-winning owner, Trevor Hemmings, aboard Cloth Cap.
The Ladbrokes Trophy winner, prepped at Kelso for his big date and, carrying 10st 5lb, is a stone better off in the weights.
“He’s been a tremendous thrill to ride this season, and keeps going from strength to strength,” said Scudamore of the progressive nine-year-old.
“Cloth Cap has matured plenty. He’s pretty versatile and intelligent. You never know until he’s done it but he’s shown all the right attributes for Aintree.
“If it was any other handicap, being 14lb well in, he’d be even shorter than 4/1.”
Scudamore became a dad for the third time last month when daughter Ava Grace was born.
If Cloth Cap joins the greats, there will be few better bedtime – or dinner-time – tales for the next generation of Scudamores to hear all about.