Ginger McCain - A grand legacy

HE ALWAYS had something to say, however controversial or funny it might have been.  However, there aren’t many trainers around in horse racing like Ginger McCain, and it is unlikely that we will see any more like him again.  McCain’s brave battle with cancer ended as he passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday morning.  He was 80, just two days short of his 81^st birthday.  Ginger’s dedication into saving the Grand National in the 1970s and the relationship with legendary racehorse Red Rum will always be fondly remembered.  Sadly, he is no more.

     Mick Fitzgerald, who won the Grand National on Rough Quest in 1996 and rode for McCain on many occasions, summed up the feelings of many when hearing the news.  He told Sky Sports News; “Everytime anyone had anything negative to say about the Grand National, you could almost see Ginger’s blood boil.  He would fight for the National – as far as he was concerned, it was the world’s greatest horse race.”  Few could argue with that sentiment.

     Ginger McCain will always been best known for being the trainer of the greatest horse to have ever lived, Red Rum.  Although there have been great jump horses in more recent times, such as Desert Orchid, Best Mate and Kauto Star; none can hold a candle to Red Rum.  McCain would train Red Rum on a beach near Liverpool and the fond relationship between the pair would end up culminating in the greatest combination to have ever graced the Grand National.  Red Rum won the world’s greatest steeplechase three times for McCain, in 1973, 1974 and 1977.  He finished second in the same event in 1975 and 1976.  They still had a close relationship until 1995, when Red Rum was put down and buried on the Aintree racecourse.  There will only be one Red Rum, as he once famously said; “Losing the wife?  There are 2.5million women in this country – what a daft thing to say – but there was, and always will be, only one Red Rum.”

     Legendary retired horse racing commentator Peter O’Sullevan summed up the relationship, telling the BBC of the legacy between the pair; “Red Rum had very delicate, tender feet and had been with several skilful trainers before Ginger bought him.  Of course, he trained on the sands at Southport.  I don’t think we’d ever have heard of Red Rum if he’d gone anywhere else.  He will always be remembered for Red Rum – and rightly so because he and the horse appeared absolutely at the right time and were very much instrumental in saving the National at a period when it was very much in peril.”

     Red Rum wasn’t McCain only success in the Grand National and his legendary status was ensured when he won the race for the fourth time with Graeme Lee onboard, taking the spoils on Amberleigh House in 2004.  Only Fred Rimell can claim to have had as much success in the training stakes at the National.  Two years later, Ginger trained three horses in his final National before handing over control of his racing license and stables to his son, Donald.

      This April, a rather frail Ginger McCain would make his final appearance at Aintree, but would see success as Donald won his first National as a trainer.  Ballabriggs and Jason Maguire took the honours.  After the race, he said this about his son; “He’s bred to do the job and he’s done it, so why should I be proud of him?  Of course I’m very proud; he’s a bloody good trainer.”

     Despite never winning an event at the Cheltenham Festival, it is the Grand National that will always be remembered with Ginger McCain’s legacy.  Top jockey AP McCoy wrote on Twitter his thoughts on the sad loss of a racing great; “Sad to hear about the death of Aintree legend Ginger McCain, trainer of the great Red Rum.  My thoughts are with his family.  R.I.P.”

Ginger McCain - 21 September 1930 - 19 September 2011

     Born in Southport in 1930, Ginger McCain began training horses way back in 1962, using small stables behind his used-car store in the area.  He didn’t do bad then to win four Nationals and be part of some of Aintree’s greatest memories.  Horse racing has lost one of its most colourful figures and it now feels fitting that Ginger was there this year to see his son continue the proud McCain tradition of success at the Grand National.  He will be sorely missed by everyone in horse racing and next year’s Grand National meeting won’t quite feel the same without the presence of Ginger McCain – A Grand Legacy.

Ginger McCain – 21 September 1930 – 19 September 2011 - RIP

John Smith's Grand National - Sheer Delight For McCoy

On a sunny Saturday afternoon at Aintree, there was proof in horse racing that shows good things come to those who wait.  At his 15^th attempt, Tony McCoy finally won the Grand National, steering the 10-1 joint favourite, Don’t Push It around to an emotional Aintree success. 

The 35-year old has over 3,000 winners in his career, but success in the greatest horse race in the world had always eluded him.  A pair of third places on Blowing Wind at the start of the 20^th century was the closest that he came to achieving his ultimate aim.  It was clear when he crossed the line yesterday, how much pressure he was under and how must have been feeling, to end such a bitter and painful jinx.  Trained by Jonjo O’Neill, he held off a race-long challenge from the 14-1 charge, Black Apalachi, who was infront for most of the 4 and half miles.  State of Play finished third, with the other joint-favourite, Big Fella Thanks ending up fourth, fading badly in the closing stages. 

For Paul Nicholls, it has been a painful couple of weeks.  After seeing the Kauto Star vs Denman battle in the Cheltenham Gold Cup turn into an unexpected defeat at the hands of Imperial Commander.  Now, his trusted jockey Ruby Walsh missed the National, after a nasty fall in a warm-up race less than an hour before the 4.15pm start-time.  Walsh, twice a winner of the greatest steeplechase was rushed to hospital with a broken arm.  In-form jockey Barry Geraghty switched rides at the last moment to head up Big Fella Thanks, but with it being at such short notice, it was always going to be a tough task to achieve the top honours.

Following a false start and echoes of that 1993 farce, JP McManus horse, King Johns Castle refused to start, no matter what it took.  It left his jockey, the 1999 winner Paul Carberry feeling embarrassed and dismayed at his non-participation.  For much of the race, McCoy was always in contention, but was still only fourth with two fences to run.  However, Can’t Buy Time was strong right at the end, holding off the strong challenge from Black Apalachi, who at 14-1 was well-backed on the day.  Only fourteen finished this year, with last year’s winner, Mon Mome amongst one of the casualties.  Thankfully, unlike in recent years, all the jockeys and horses that took part on this gruelling course managed to get around safely, without any injuries or fatalities. 

He may have had over 3,000 winners, plus a deserved MBE from the Queen, but the final box off his CV has finally been ticked off.  On Saturday 10^th April 2010, Tony McCoy finally became a Grand National winning jockey.  Good things come to those who wait….

Cheltenham Festival 2010 - Kauto Star vs Denman, ROUND 3!

Tomorrow marks the start of one of, if not the most prestigious events on the Horse Racing calendar.  The four-day Cheltenham festival is always a popular feature on the sporting calendar, means the bookmakers will be flat-out over the next week, and will bound to cause some unlikely winners and historic stories.

All attention will focus on the battle for supremacy in the main event on Friday afternoon, as stablemates Kauto Star and Denman will do battle for the honours in the ToteSport Cheltenham Gold Cup.  For trainer Paul Nicholls, he can’t lose, but who will come out on top this year.  Kauto Star is probably one of the best jump horses of all time, up there with the likes of Desert Orchid and Red Rum.  He has won four King George VI consecutively and has won the Gold Cup twice, dismantling the competition in 2007 and 2009.  In-between, Denman, ridden by Sam Thomas (who won’t be competing this year, due to a cracked vertebra) stormed to victory in 2008, at his first attempt.  So its seconds out, round three.

What would be nice to see will be a closely-fought battle for honours in Friday’s big race.  On the two occasions they’ve met at Cheltenham, the victory margin has been a convincing one, which has disappointing many racing experts, after all the intense build-up.  Kauto Star comes into the spectacular event as the overwhelming favourite.  He hasn’t been beaten for nearly two years, whilst Denman unseated his jockey on his last outing, and has been plagued by injury since his 2008 success.  Make sure to watch, this should be a classic battle, quite possibly the last match-up between these two stunning horses.

Friday’s showdown will also pit the two best jump jockeys of all time against one another.  Friends they may be, but the competitive instinct is there as it is between Federer and Nadal, Button and Hamilton, Manchester United and Arsenal.  Ruby Walsh comes face-to-face with Tony McCoy on more than one occasion this week, but on Friday, they will be on the two favourites.  For Nicholls to snap up McCoy on Denman is a real coup.  AP has been a frustrated figure at the Festival in the last couple of years, rarely featuring.  However, they say form is temporary, class is permanent and having never won the Grand National, he is determined to come good in the other big jump meeting of the season.  By galvanising Qaspal to victory in the Imperial Cup on Saturday at Sandown, suggests he is in great nick. 

On the other hand, Walsh had an unforgettable Cheltenham in 2009.  Not only was on Kauto Star in 2009, he won seven other races, that included the Queen Mother Champion Chase on another outstanding chaser, MasterMinded.  Like Kauto Star, MasterMinded has great success at Cheltenham, having won the Champion Chase for the past two years.  The combination of him and Ruby will be hard to beat again in 2010.  With other strong rides in the Champion Hurdle and the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, Ruby Walsh could be set to add to his impressive Cheltenham record.  Currently, he has 24 wins at the Festival and with two more success in the next four days, will surpass Pat Taafe’s record to become the most successful jockey ever at the Festival.  Expect that record to be in his hands by the end of the week.  Follow all of this week's key races on Channel 4 from tomorrow.

Cheltenham has always been a winner on the Horse Racing calendar and will pit one of the most eagerly-awaited match-ups of the sporting year together.  So, get ready Kauto Star and Denman, it’s time for seconds out, round three.  And if I was a betting man, I would put my money on Kauto retaining his cup.