2007

THE great race was overdue a major surprise, and it duly arrived last Saturday.

Starting at 33/1, and mentioned only in passing by most form students, Silver Birch narrowly won a delayed, but thrilling, John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree. In doing so he handed trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Robert Power the kind of instant fame that only ever seems to happen to lottery winners.

The 10-year-old always looked comfortable over these unique fences and stayed handy throughout. Making his move three out, he led at the last and stayed on gamely, just holding the well-backed, strong-finishing Mckelvey by three parts of a length, with Slim Pickings just over a length away in third.

These three had the finish to themselves, as Philson Run weakened into fourth ahead of the gallant mare Liberthine. Last year’s winner, Numbersixvalverde, raised 11lb this year, was sixth, with Hedgehunter ninth.

Silver Birch was giving Ireland a third successive victory in the race, and the sixth in nine years.

A powerful stayer who looked the perfect Grand National candidate when trained by Paul Nicholls, Silver Birch lost his way and, after coming down at The Chair last year, was allowed to go to the Doncaster Sales. Picked up for just 20,000gns, he joined Elliott’s Co Meath yard as a prospective cross-country horse and hunter, and started to recover his form in those spheres.

That level of form might not have persuaded the purists, but he was virtually certain to stay, and benefited from the watering that left the Liverpool turf like a bright green carpet.

Pipe connection

Amazingly, Elliott (29), who rode as an amateur for Martin Pipe, has not saddled a winner in Ireland in the year since taking out a licence. His only other three successes had come when sending horses on the long trek from Trim to Britain last summer, so those who relied on his good record were in clover last Saturday evening.

“We thought he would run a good race, but this is a dream come true,” the trainer said. “We sweetened him up with some cross-country races, and he is an outstanding hunter. Everyone in the yard has contributed to this, including Jason Maguire who is my best friend. I wanted him to ride Silver Birch but he committed to Idle Talk. Robert was a good substitute though.”

Power rode a cool, confident race, and the four-day ban he picked up for excessive use of the whip in the closing stages will not have spoiled an unforgettable day.

“Everything went right,” he reported. “The only problem was at Becher’s second time when Bewleys Berry fell in front of me, and we managed to avoid him.

“Nothing seemed to be going better than Slim Pickings in front of me and, going to the second last, I thought I might not get to him. But my fellow still had plenty left, and when I heard something flying down the outside he still stuck his head out.”

Youngsters

This was certainly a victory for the youngsters, because owner Brian Walsh is only 26.

“Silver Birch was surprisingly cheap for a Welsh Grand National winner, and looked A1 at the time, but whDen he walked off the box at Troytown he looked in a right old state. We opted for injections to cure his lameness and he was grand after a month, and has never given us bother since.”

Ireland seemed to have lost a key contender when Point Barrow, normally the safest of conveyances, overpitched and came down at the first. The other two 8/1 co-favourites were never going to win either, Joes Edge dropping away tamely before being pulled up, and Monkerhostin, the gamble of the race, refusing at the seventh after earlier mistakes.

Only 12 of the 40 runners completed, although 30 were still in with some sort of shout at the end of the first circuit.

Ballycassidy was right there but blundered and unseated Denis O’Regan at the 24th, with Slim Pickings going on soon afterwards. L’Ami gradually found the demands too great and dropped back to finish 10th.

“He’s broken down and that’s why he went across the track. It’s probably cost him the race,” said trainer Peter Bowen of the runner-up Mckelvey. Bowen won the Topham with Dunbrody Miller and his horses are in excellent fettle.

If Mckelvey was a shade unlucky, the other hard luck story belongs to Simon who was still travelling strongly when coming to grief at the 25th.

Heatwave

The race was run in a mini-heatwave, the shirt-sleeved crowd enjoyed a magnificent spectacle, and there were no fatalities or nasty accidents for the watching millions. With a 33/1 winner and only Mckelvey at 12/1 taking a bit of each-way money out of the ring, it goes without saying that the men with satchels were happy.

It might be argued that Merseyside’s big day was in need of a name from well and truly out outside the recent tried and trusted winning formula. In Silver Birch it certainly found one.

The singing

Count quits racing

1932

COUNT John McCormack has announced that he will retire from racing.

His announcement was made in these terms: “I don’t mind singing for unemployed musicians, but not for unemployed racehorses. So I am looking for a buyer.” His dissociation from the turf will be regretted.

He has had a not inconsiderable measure of good fortune, for many of his horses have won important races in this country and in England. His horses in Ireland were trained by R. More O’Ferrall at Kildangan, Monasterevan, and those in England by C. Leader at Newmarket.

His chief winners in Ireland were Salome (three races), and Beaudelaire (two races, one of which was the St Leger, £2,027). In England his winners were Salome (Two races – Atlanta Stakes, £1,720, at Sandown Park and the Newmarket Oaks, £990), and Santillo (two races – Red Rose Stakes, £2,044, and Farewell Handicap, both decided at Manchester).

Costello senior and junior combine

1982

THURSDAY was a day to remember for Newmarket-on-Fergus trainer Tom Costello and his 18-year-old amateur rider son and namesake.

Deep Consolation, Arapahos and Animahron completed a Ballinrobe treble for Costello senior, and young Tom was abroad the last-named pair, having ridden the same horses to victory at Tralee a fortnight earlier. Young Tom deserves high praise for his performance in steering Animahron to victory in the hunter chase.

At the fence before the stands, with a circuit to race, he lost an iron. After trying unsuccessfully to recover it, he decided to kick his other leg free. After passing the stands Animahron’s rider was ironless as he led his seven rivals.

When Castle Warden blundered five from home, and again at the regulation, it was only a matter of Animahron and his rider maintaining their partnership, as Ballygeehan and Nickys Joy were in vain pursuit. Costello’s long legs saved him when Animahron stumbled at the last, and to a rousing reception from the stands the odds-on favourite passed the post 12 lengths clear of Ballygeehan.

Opportune time

to call it a day?

1982

IN spite of excellent weather the attendance seemed moderate at Navan on Wednesday last, and this was reflected by a drop in the totalisator aggregate.

While the money was on Triple Decision in the last race, the sympathy was with Diamond Do, the mount of Mrs Chamian Hill, in her sixties and a grandmother. Diamond Do made the running but was joined, if not actually headed, by Triple Decision inside the final furlong. However, the former rallied and at the post was a length to the good.

As the pair came close together there was a stewards’ inquiry, but as expected no change was made. Mrs Hill received serious injuries in a fall last year, and it was a near miracle to see her back riding again, never mid entering the winners’ enclosure. If there is anything in the theory of retiring on a winning note, now could seem an opportune moment for this gallant horsewoman to call it a day.