Grand National 2023: Triumph, tears and protest at Aintree as Corach Rambler wins
- Published
Derek Fox passed a late fitness test to ride Corach Rambler and win his second Grand National
Tears, triumph, tragedy, protest - it was a day of drama even by the Grand National's unique standards.
At one stage, it looked as though the 175th running of the race might not even take place as animal rights activists went ahead with their threat to storm the Aintree track.
Police arrested the protesters and after a 14-minute delay, the contest went ahead and delivered a race with mixed fortunes and a remarkable winner's story.
Corach Rambler won for a syndicate of seven owners including a 21-year-old student enjoying a spectacular windfall.
The winning jockey Derek Fox was doing press-ups in the morning for a doctor to pass a fitness test after suffering a shoulder injury.
And Lucinda Russell had every reason to feel emotional after she saddled only the third Scottish-trained winner of the race, six years after she and Fox triumphed with One For Arthur.
Russell's father and mentor Peter died earlier in the year, and she lost her 2017 National winner to colic three weeks ago.
After winning the big race again, she scattered some of One For Arthur's ashes by the winning post.
"I was in tears as the tapes went up, I cried for most of the race and then as he started [to get into it] I realised he loved it," said Russell, who trains with her partner and former jockey Peter Scudamore.
"He just loved the fences, he just loved everything about it. It's very personal this one. I'll always remember One for Arthur, he was a brilliant horse, but this is just very special."
Of her father, she added: "He would be so proud, he was beside himself when we won it with One For Arthur. He set me up and I hope we are doing his memory proud."
Lucinda Russell trained 2017 Grand National winner One for Arthur and now Corach Rambler
Russell had even spoken to Corach Rambler about Fox's injury in the build-up to the race.
"When we had the faller at Wetherby the other day we were really upset, the horse was fine but we heard Derek had hurt his shoulder again," she said.
"We went to his box - how sad is that - Scu and I went to Corach's box and said to him 'Derek's had a fall'.
"Can you believe that, we're supposed to be professionals! He looked really worried. It was as if he said, 'I know Brian Hughes is champion jockey but I just want Derek'. That's how mad we are anyways."
Cameron Sword (back) and fellow Corach Rambler owners celebrate their Grand National win
Fox had sat out the first two days of the meeting in order to recover from injury in time to ride Corach Rambler.
"He is just the most wonderful thing ever, he deserved to win this," said Fox.
"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."
Student Cameron Sword is likely to pick up the best part of £50,000 as his share of owning the winner.
"Basically I was just watching whatever sport I could during lockdown as I was bored and at home with nothing to do," he said.
"I started watching the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National and started looking at things like form and the breeding side of things.
"I think I just phoned Lucinda and asked if I could come down and have a look and Corach was the only horse for sale. I paid my £3,400 and that's how I got involved."
Watch: Protesters delay Grand National start
He disagreed with the protesters, arguing that making the horses wait would not have helped them.
"How can people be protesting against horse racing when your protests are making these horses wait out in the sun for even longer," he said.
"They can do one - this is our sport and I love it."
Those who oppose the Grand National will point to Hill Sixteen, a faller at the first fence, who died. It was the third equine fatality at the 2023 Grand National meeting.
Protesters from the Animal Rising group are threatening further action at big race meetings across the summer.
The ramifications could go on for some time, but while the protesters tried to stop the Grand National, no-one could stop Corach Rambler.