Factfiles for the 40 Declared Runners in the 2013
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FACTFILES FOR THE 40 DECLARED RUNNERS IN THE 2013 JOHN SMITH’S GRAND NATIONAL ACROSS THE BAY (IRE) FACTFILE b g Bob’s Return(IRE) - The Southern (IRE) (Glacial Storm (USA)) 9-11-02 Form: 3/14512/49312U2/PP1P8/782425P3-11271 Owner: Scotch Piper Syndicate Trainer: Donald McCain Jockey: Henry Brooke Breeder: Noel McLoughlin Across The Bay Across The Bay, foaled on April 9, 2004, has raced 31 times for seven victories, most recently a length and a quarter defeat of Trustan Times in a Grade Two hurdle on heavy ground at Haydock in February. The bay gelding, bred by Noel McLoughlin, started his career as a four-year-old with Noel Meade in Ireland, who acquired him for 25,000 euros as an unbroken three-year-old. Across The Bay won a bumper at Navan second time out, before adding hurdles at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown and a chase at Naas. Two weeks after finishing unplaced in a handicap hurdle at Punchestown in May 2011 he was sent to the Doncaster Spring Sales, where he was knocked down for £10,000, though he has carried on racing in the name of the Scotch Piper Syndicate. After he went under the hammer he transferred from Meade to Donald McCain, with all his 11 runs since in Britain. At the John Smith’s Grand National meeting last year he finished a creditable third to Big Buck’s in the BGC Partners Liverpool Hurdle. He resumed over fences this season with victories at Kelso and Carlisle on November 12, when he beat last year’s Grand National fourth Cappa Bleu by 28 lengths in heavy ground at level weights. His highest-rated performance came in defeat on his next outing, when he split Wayward Prince and Quito De La Roque on the Mildmay course at Aintree in December. Across The Bay, one of the best progeny of his sire Bob’s Return, the 1993 St Leger winner who died five years ago, is out of an unraced daughter of the mare Pixelated, a sister to Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Another Dolly. Race record: Starts: 31; 1st: 7; 2nd: 6; 3rd: 3; Win & Place prize money: £126,760 Scotch Piper Syndicate The Scotch Piper Syndicate derives its name from the Scotch Piper Pub at Lydiate north of Liverpool - dating back to 1320 it is said to be the oldest pub in Lancashire. Those who have slaked their thirst inside its ancient walls have included Aintree legend Ginger McCain and his wife Beryl when they lived at Southport. The current Scotch Piper Syndicate comprises Lancashire-based Graham Worsley and the brothers Anthony and Kevin Coyne, while past members have included Graham’s brother Mike and Ireland-based Frank Towey and Barry Brennan. The idea for racehorse ownership came together over a drink in the pub, and in 2008 the group travelled to trainer Noel Meade’s yard in Ireland, viewed half a dozen horses and bought an unnamed gelding for 25,000 euros - he turned out to be Across The Bay, one of three runners for the late Ginger McCain’s son Donald in this year’s John Smith’s Grand National. The syndicate came up with the name of their horse while taking lunch with Meade at a restaurant in Galway that looked ‘across the bay’. Initially their horse ran from Meade’s yard, but at Fairyhouse’s Irish Grand National meeting in April, 2011, the idea of moving him to Britain was discussed. With some syndicate members preferring to pull out it was decided to achieve the market value for Across The Bay at Doncaster Bloodstock Sales the following month. He was duly knocked down for £10,000 to Kevin Coyne, who was acting for himself and his brother, plus Graham Worsley. Donald McCain subsequently took on the training of the horse, and under his care Across The Bay has become a fancied John Smith’s Grand National contender. In the past three weeks the syndicate was approached with a six-figure offer to buy the horse plus a percentage of any prize money gained in the big race, but turned it down. Worsley, who says his interest in racing came from visiting the Grand National with his family, is head of St Helens-based GPW Recruitment. Kevin Coyne is a lawyer from Crosby, while his brother Anthony is a dentist at Netherton near Bootle. The trio will be joined by some 30 people involving family and friends at Aintree on Saturday, when their guests will include visitors from America and France. Across the Bay is the only horse they own, but Worsley says: “We’re waiting for a good result on Saturday and then we’ll be heading straight back to Donald’s to buy another one.” No previous John Smith’s Grand National runners Donald McCain (Cholmondeley, Cheshire) Born on June 13, 1970, Donald McCain is the son of the late Ginger McCain, trainer of the legendary Red Rum, the only horse to win the John Smith’s Grand National three times (1973, 1974 and 1977) and also Amberleigh House, the 2004 victor. Ginger McCain died at the age of 80 on September 19, 2011. Donald learnt to ride on his sister Joanne’s pony Gambol and rode in his first race on the Flat aged 15 (his father told a few white lies so he could ride) at Haydock Park. He subsequently became a jump jockey, firstly as an amateur and then a professional, partnering around 40 winners under Rules. He rode several times over the Grand National fences, finishing fifth aboard Harley in the 1992 Fox Hunters’ Chase and 17th on Sure Metal in the 1996 Grand National. He also spent time working for trainers Luca Cumani, Sir Michael Stoute and Oliver Sherwood. Donald subsequently became assistant trainer to his father at Bankhouse Stables at Cholmondeley in Cheshire and played a significant role in Amberleigh House’s Grand National victory in 2004. He was expected to take over the licence from his father at the start of the 2006/7 jump season, but had to wait until June, 2006, before he was able to train in his own name as he needed to complete the appropriate British Horseracing Authority courses. Donald’s first winner as a licensed trainer came with Bearaway in a handicap chase at Newton Abbot on June 8, 2006. He secured his first Cheltenham Festival triumph with Cloudy Lane in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase in 2007 and enjoyed 40 winners in his first campaign. In the 2007/08 season, he had 58 successes and a second Cheltenham Festival success with Whiteoak in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, while the 2008/09 haul of 62 winners included Cloudy Lane’s victory in the Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock Park. The 2009/10 season brought further success with a double at the Cheltenham Festival thanks to Peddlers Cross in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle and Ballabriggs in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase, and a career best 88 winners. The 2010/11 season yielded 100 winners including the John Smith’s Grand National when Ballabriggs stayed on gamely to score by two and a quarter lengths, while Peddlers Cross and Overturn also provided a number of highlights. Peddlers Cross landed the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle and was a gallant runner-up in the Champion Hurdle, while Overturn took the Northumberland Plate on the Flat in June and added the Galway Hurdle a month later. McCain sent out 153 winners last term and Overturn was the flag bearer for the yard, gaining his first success at Grade One level in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and finishing second in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, while Cinders And Ashes looked a potential star when annexing the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He has saddled 130 winners (April 3), so far this jump season, with Overturn becoming a smart novice chaser, winning three of his four starts impressively. He plans to saddle three horses in this year’s John Smith’s Grand National - Across the Bay, Ballabriggs and Weird Al. John Smith’s Grand National Record: 2007 Idle Talk (UR 19th); 2008 Cloudy Lane (6th), Idle Talk (14th); 2009 Idle Talk (12th), Cloudy Lane (UR 15th); 2010 Cloudy Lane (8th), 2011 BALLABRIGGS (WON) ; 2012 Ballabriggs (6th), Weird Al (Fell 26th) Henry Brooke Twelve months ago Henry Brooke had an unhappy time at Aintree’s John Smith’s Grand National meeting when taking a fall on the Friday that caused concussion and a badly sprained wrist. His visit this year offers a much bigger opportunity. Born in York on October 31, 1990, Brooke was raised at Easingwold in Yorkshire as the son of Glen and Julia Brooke. His parents now live in Middleham where Glen is a blacksmith, and Julia, who rode in point-to-points under her maiden name of Platts, runs a pre-training yard that also houses a veterinary clinic. They have one other son, Danny, who takes part in pony races and rides out for trainer Philip Kirby. Henry’s first ride in a race - in a point-to-point - came on Pikachu Blue, a horse that was gifted to him as a birthday present by trainer Sue Bramall. He finished third on that debut, but it took him another two seasons before he broke his duck in points. He subsequently decided to join a licensed trainer and become a conditional jockey, and is now in his third season with Cholmondeley-based Donald McCain. The move has been a great success, for Brooke rode 17 winners in his first season and 42 in 2011/12 when he was crowned champion conditional jockey.