UK Horse Racing Tips

Down the years, several men, including the inimitable Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain, trainer of Red Rum and Amberleigh House, and Trevor Hemmings, owner of Hedgehunter, Ballabriggs and Many Clouds, have been known as ‘Mr. Grand National’. However, the first man to lay claim to that title was Fred Rimell who, between 1956 and 1976, saddled four winners of the world famous steeplechase. In so doing, he set a record which, while equalled by McCain in 2004, has never been beaten.

As a trainer, Rimell had few peers, but few that argue that his first Grand National winner, ESB in 1956, was due more to luck than judgement. In a bizarre incident, Devon Loch, with the race at his mercy, inexplicably fly-jumped and slithered to the ground just yards from the winning post, leaving ESB to gallop by and win by 10 lengths. Winning jockey Dave Dick later admitted, ‘Devon Loch had me cold.’

Five years later, in 1961, Rimmel won his second Grand National as a trainer, in more conventional fashion, with Niklaus Silver, who remains one of just three grey horses to have won the Aintree marathon. Ridden by Bobby Beasley, the 10-year-old beat the previous year’s winner, and favourite, Merryman II by 7 lengths.

Win number three, which proved to be the easiest of all, came courtesy of Gay Trip, ridden by Pat Taaffe, in 1970. Having previously run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the 8-year-old outclassed the opposition, winning by 20 lengths. Last, but by mo means least, came the Welsh National winner, Rag Trade who, in 1976, completed a notable double when denying dual winner Red Rum his third win the Grand National, for the second year running.

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