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Many Clouds

admin March 11, 2026

The ill-fated Many Clouds made headlines for all the wrong reasons when, on January 28, 2017, having beaten Thistlecrack, hitherto undefeated over fences, by a head in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham, collapsed and died due to severe pulmonary haemorrhage. He is best remembered, though, for winning the Grand National in 2015, which he did under second-top weight of 11st 9lb in a time of 8 minutes and 56.8 seconds, the second fastest time in history.

Owned by Trevor Hemmings, trained by Oliver Sherwood and ridden, in all 27 of his starts under Rules, including the Grand National, by Leighton Aspell, Many Clouds was always prominent at Aintree and left in the lead when The Druids Nephew slithered to the ground and unseated Aidan Coleman at the fence after Valentine’s Brook on the second circuit. Thereafter, he was never headed, but, having held a three-length lead at the final fence, had to be kept up to his work close home to maintain his advantage over Saint Are, who stayed on well to finish second, beaten a length-and-three-quarters.

Many Clouds was, in fact, a second National winner in as many years for Aspell, who rode Pineau De Re to victory in 2014. He was also the first horse in history to complete the Hennessy Gold Cup/Grand National double in the sames season. Indeed, he had also started 7/1 joint-second favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which he finished a never-threatening sixth, hence his seemingly generous starting price of 25/1 at Aintree. Aspell said of him, “He’s all heart and he gave me the best ride I have ever had over these fences. I was just hoping that the battery life would last.”

Many Clouds ran in the Grand National again, off a 5lb higher mark than the previous year, in 2016. He was sent off at 8/1 joint-favourite but, having reportedly suffered a breathing problem, was virtually pulled up after the final fence and walked up the run-in to finish tailed off last of 16 finishers behind Rule The World. He won once more, at Aintree in December 2016, before meeting his tragic demise at Cheltenham the following momth.

Lord Gyllene

admin March 11, 2026

Owned by Sir Stanley Clarke, trained by Steve Brookshaw and ridden by Tony Dobbin, Lord Gyllene won the 1997 Grand National by 25 lengths, the widest margin since Red Rum completed his unprecedented hat-trick in 1997. Sadly, though, the so-called ‘Monday National’ will always be best remembered for being postponed for 48 hours after a bomb scare forced the evacuation of Aintree on Saturday, April 5, 1997, the day for which the race was originally scheduled.

At 5pm on Monday, April 7, 36 of the original 40 runners reconvened for the rearranged race, with the Cheltenham Gold Cup fourth, Go Ballistic, sent off favourite at 7/1. Once underway, though, Lord Gyllene took the lead at the second fence and, with the exception of the loose horse that ran across his path approaching the Water Jump towards the end of the first circuit, barely saw another rival.

Jumping well, he held a clear lead turning for home and, although his nearest pursuers, Master Oats and Suny Bay, did their level best to reduce the deficit, Lord Gyllene just drew further and further clear. Suny Bay finished a gallant second, two lengths ahead of 100/1 chance Camelot Knight, who was, in turn, a length-and-three-quarters ahead of Buckboard Bounce in fourth place. Master Oats, anchored by top weight of 11st 10lb, weakened to finish fifth, a similar distance behind. Brookshaw, who was, at the time, in just his second year as a trainer in Uffington, Shropshire, said later, “It was my 15 minutes of fame.The biggest day of my life.”

Lord Gyllene ran twice more, dismally on both occasions, in 1998/99 and, despite being transferred from Brookshaw to Martin Pipe, never ran again and was retired, due to injury, in 2001. He died on December 12, 2016, aged 28. Reflecting on his past glory, Dobbin, who retired from the saddle in 2008, said, “He [Lord Gyllene] took to it like a duck to water and his ears were pricked all the way round. I was just a passenger; he took me around the place. It was the greatest day of my riding career, a very much cherished success for everyone involved and one I will continue to treasure.”

Don’t Push It

admin March 11, 2026

The subject of a huge public gamble, from 20/1 on the morning of the race to 10/1 joint-favourite at the ‘off’, Don’t Push It won the 2010 Grand National, forging clear in the closing stages to beat Black Apalachi by five lengths. His victory in the world-famous steeplechase was a first for owner John McManus, trainer Jonjo O’Neill and, in particular, jockey Tony McCoy. McCoy, who had never finished better than third on 14 previous rides in the Grand National, said afterwards, “I’ve won a few races over the years, but this one is the one that everyone has heard about. It means everything to me.”

A quirky character, Don’t Push Me had been placed in two of his three previous starts over fences in 2009/2010, but pulled up, when tailed off, in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival on his most recent outing, having “lost interest”, according to O’Neill. Nevertheless, the 10-year-old was one of just four horses in serious contention turning for home, flew the final fence to take the lead and, once galvanised by McCoy on the run-in, never looked like being beaten.

After four unsuccessful starts over hurdles, including the Pertemp Final once again, in 2010/11, Don’t Push Me and McCoy returned to Aintree for the 2011 Grand National. Raised 7lb in the handicap, and therefore saddled with top weight of 11st 10lb, Don’t Push Me was sent off 9/1 second favourite, behind only 17/2 favourite The Midnight Club, trained by Willie Mullins. He again ran creditably, but could only stay on to finish a modest third behind Ballabriggs.

Don’t Push It ran just once more, when unplaced, under McCoy, in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham in November 2011. He was retired from racing the following January, having “not really been sparkling”, according to O’Neill, and transferred to Martinstown Stud, County Kildare, which is owned by McManus and has been described as a “holiday camp” for racehorses. At that point, McCoy said, “The last thing we wanted to do was for something to happen to him, so the decision was pretty easy to make.”

Amberleigh House

admin March 11, 2026

On April 3, 2004, Amberleigh House won the Grand National, at the third attempt, staying on well from an unpromising position three out to collar the wandering leader, and co-favourite, Clan Royal, inside the final hundred yards and win by three lengths. In so doing, he allowed his trainer, Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain, who saddled the legendary Red Rum to three wins in 1973, 1974 and 1977, to equal the record of four Grand National winners previously held jointly by George Dockeray and Fred Rimmell.

On his first attempt in the Grand National, in 2001, when ridden by Warren Marston, Amberleigh House was sent off at 150/1 and brought down, along with seven other horses, in a pile-up at the Canal Turn on the first circuit. Having run in the Topham Chase, rather than the National, in 2002, he tried again in 2003, when ridden for just the second time by Graham Lee, finishing a one-paced third, beaten 14 lengths by the winner, Monty’s Pass, at 33/1.

After just being touched off by Clan Royal in the Becher Chase the previous November, Amberleigh House was 2lb better off in the National and sent off at 16/1 to make it third time lucky. That he did, coming from a seemingly hopeless position to win, and confirming his trainer’s opinion that he needed to “creep, creep and be held up for one good, long run.”

Amberleigh House ran in the Grand National twice more, finishing tenth behind Hedgehunter in 2005 and being pulled up before the fence before Becher’s Brook on the second circuit behind Numbersixvalverde in 2006. By then a 14-year-old, he was retired immediately afterwards and spent the remainder of his life at the National Stud in Newmarket and later, at the yard of trainer Lisa Williamson, the sister-in-law of John Halewood, in Kelsall, Cheshire. He made his last public appearance on April 8, 2017, but fell ill after parading on Grand National Day and died of complications, after contracting colic, later that month. Williamson said, “We did everything we could to save him. He was operated on, but unfortunately he didn’t make it.”

Grand National Repeat Winners

admin November 13, 2025