Has Donald McCain Jnr. won the Grand National?

As far as the Grand National is concerned, the name ‘McCain’ will always be most closely associated with the late Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain, who saddled the legendary Red Rum to three victories, in 1973, 1974 and 1977. In 2004, with his glory days seemingly far behind him, McCain saddled Amberleigh House to win the Grand National for a fourth time, thereby joining George Dockeray and Fred Rimmell as jointly the most successful trainer in the history of the Aintree showpiece. McCain saddled his final National runners in 2006 and retired from the training ranks, turning over the licence at his stables, on the Cholmondley Castle Estate in Cheshire, to his son, Donald Jnr..

McCain Jnr. Did not make an immediate impact at Aintree, although he did saddle Cloudy Lane, owned by Trevor Hemmings, to finish sixth in the National in 2008 and eighth two years later. However, on an unseasonably hot day in April, 2011, McCain Jnr. followed his father – who watched on, calmly, but proudly, from the paddock – into Aintree folklore by winning the Grand National with Ballabriggs. Also owned by Trevor Hemmings, and ridden by Jason Maguire, Ballabriggs withstood a strong challenge from Oscar Time on the run-in, staying on well to win by 2¼ lengths, with defending champion Don’t Push It a further 12 lengths away in third place.