UK Horse Racing Tips

British businessman Trevor Hemmings, 83, who owns Blackpool Tower and Preston North End Football Club, became a billionaire for the second time in 2018, according to the Sunday Times’ Rich List. Aside from his business interests, which are many and varied, Hemmings also owns dozens of racehorses. By his own admission, he treats horse racing as an “expensive hobby”, but he is the most prolific winning owner this century and, jointly, the most prolific winner of all time, in the history of the Grand National.

Hemmings developed an interest in racing through his association with holiday camp tycoon, Sir Fred Pontin – whose company, Pontins, he later bought, and sold – and after meeting Noel Le Mare, owner of Red Rum, and his trainer, Donald “Ginger” McCain, was inspired to win the Grand National for himself.

So far, Hemmings has owned three Grand National winners, Hedgehunter (2005), Ballabriggs (2011) and, most recently, the ill-fated Many Clouds (2015), who collapsed and died after suffering a severe pulmonary haemorrhage at Cheltenham Racecourse less than two years later. Only the grandly-titled Captain James Octavius Machell, who owned Disturbance (1873), Reugny (1874) and Regal (1876), and, of course, Noel Le Mare, who owned Red Rum (1973, 1974, 1977), have owned as many Grand National winners.

Prior to the 2018 Grand National, Hemmings told the Northern Media Lunch at Aintree Racecourse, “The Grand National is extra special. No-one can describe the feeling when your horses cross the line and win. It’s been very special to win the Grand National three times and each race is special.”

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