Corach Rambler was a superb winner of the £1 million Randox Grand National at Aintree on Saturday for trainer Lucinda Russell and jockey Derek Fox.
Successful at last month’s Cheltenham Festival, the nine-year-old moved powerfully throughout after starting as the 8-1 favourite, in a race that was delayed by around 15 minutes after protestors gained access to the track.
Corach Rambler moves up powefully (Pic – Racing TV)
He jumped into the lead over the last and pulled away when passing the elbow, holding off a closing Vanillier with Gaillard Du Mesnil third and last year’s winner Noble Yeats running a gallant race under his big weight in fourth.
It was a second victory in the world’s greatest steeplechase for Russell and Fox, after One For Arthur in 2017.
Russell said: “Those guys that went out to protest on the course, they think it’s about horse welfare but that horse loves the sport. He loves everything that he does. He’s kept in the best condition and I’m just so delighted that he can run in a race like that and perform like that.
“He has got greatness and it’s what he deserves. Corach Rambler, in our hearts, is just the best horse. Now in the public hearts he is as well. To win the National, I know how important it is, I know how it changed my life with (One For) Arthur – for Corach to achieve that too is just fantastic.
Derek Fox celebrates his second victory in the testing conest (Pic – Racing TV)
“It’s all about the horse, for me it’s not about the betting – though I did back him and quite a lot actually!
“I hope those guys who were protesting will look at our website and our Facebook posts and see how they are looked after. It is so important they understand how we care for them every inch of the way.
“It is about Corach, he is just amazing. He took to those fences brilliantly, he understood them, he worked them out – he loved it.”
Fox had sat out the first two days of the meeting in order to recover from injury in time to ride Corach Rambler.
He said: “He is just the most wonderful thing ever, he deserved to win this. I got a fall last week and banged my shoulder, it was far from ideal. I was worried all week, I thank God I was back in time because it was the thrill of my life to ride him.
“It’s thanks to the support of Lucinda and Scu (Peter Scudamore, assistant trainer and Russell’s partner) for having the faith in me to put me up after not riding all week. I feel very lucky to be working for these great people.
“I think he’d the profile and he’s loads of class – I just can’t believe it.”
Cameron Sword, a 21-year-old student who forms part of the winning ownership syndicate, The Ramblers, said: “Derek rode a blinder!
“He was leading, he was at the front for most of that race, and we were thinking he should be a bit further back, but Derek Fox rode a blinder. And Corach Rambler – what a horse. I’m lost for words.
Watch the replay:
“How can people be protesting against horse racing when your protests are making these horses wait out in the sun for even longer? It makes no sense. They can do one – this is our sport and I love it.
“I’ll be out in Liverpool tonight!”
The start of the race was delayed after a number of protestors made their way on to the track at Aintree, breaching security fences around the Liverpool venue and running on to the course.
Some of the horses went back to the pre-parade ring, with the race delayed as police dealt with the intruders. The race, which was due off at 5.15pm, eventually got underway at 5.29pm.
Out of 39 runners, 17 horses finished the race with the Sandy Thomson-trained Hill Sixteen suffering a fatal fall at the first fence.
