Where, and what, is the Knavesmire?

Historically, ‘Knares Myre’ and, later, ‘Knavesmire’, was the name given to one distinct portion of an area of open land, known as the Micklegate Stray, within the with the City of York, to the southwest of the city centre. Unsurprisingly, the name was derived from the sodden, waterlogged nature of the terrain but, nowadays, the Knavesmire is best known as the site of York Racecourse, a busy Grade One track, which stages some of the best Flat racing in the country. Consequently, in the horse racing world, ‘Knavesmire’ has become a byname for the racecourse.

Following major levelling and drainage work, York Racecourse staged its first meeting in 1731. In 1756, the first modern grandstand built anywhere in the world was opened on the Knavesmire. York Racecourse was originally a dual-purpose venue, patronised by the Yorkshire Union Hunt, but National Hunt racing ceased in 1885. Likewise, York Racecourse was originally horseshoe-shaped but, prior to the ‘Royal Ascot at York’ meeting in 2005, the original horseshoe was extended by three furlongs to create an oval, 15 furlongs in circumference, capable of accommodating the Gold Cup and other long distance races.

Which current jockey has won the Grand National most often?

The most successful jockey in the history of the Grand National was George Stevens, who rode five winners between 1856 and 1870. However, in the last two decades or so, the most successful jockeys in the Grand National have been Ruby Walsh, Leighton Aspell and Davy Russell, all of whom have ridden two winners apiece. Walsh won on Papillon, trained by his father, Ted, in 2000 and Hedgehunter, trained by Willie Mullins, in 2005. Aspell won back-to-back renewals in 2014 and 2015 on Pineau De Re, trained by Richard Newland, and Many Clouds, trained by Oliver Sherwood, respectively, while Davy Russell did likewise in 2018 and 2019 on Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott.

Of course, Ruby Walsh and Leighton Aspell have now retired, Walsh in May, 2019, immediately after winning the Punchestown Gold Cup, and Aspell in February, 2020, with much less fanfare, at Fontwell. Davy Russell, 42, was also urged to retire from race riding by Michael O’Leary, owner of Tiger Roll, after sustaining serious spinal injuries in a fall in the Munster National at Limerick in October, 2020. However, having missed most of the 2020/21 National Hunt season, Russell – who has been riding out for Gordon Elliott – announced in August, 2021, that he would be returning to the saddle ‘in a fortnight or so’. When he does, he will have the distinction of being the current jockey who has won the Grand National most often.

 

What happened to Cloth Cap in the 2021 Grand National?

In 2021, despite lacking experience over the Grand National fences, Cloth Cap was sent off one of the shortest-priced favourites in recent history, at 11/2. When the weights for the National were framed, in February, Cloth Cap was officially rated 148, but subsequently won the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso with plenty in hand, earning himself a 14lb rise in the weights. However, because the Grand National is an early closing race, he could run off his ‘old’ handicap mark and carry just 10st 5lb, giving him a significant weight advantage over his rivals.

Extraordinarily well-handicapped he may have been but, having travelled well within himself for most of the way, Cloth Cap weakened quickly after stumbling at the fourth-last fence and was pulled up by jockey Tom Scudamore. Scudamore reported that Cloth Cap started ‘gurgling’ or, in other words, made a respiratory noise and connections suggested afterwards that a wind infirmity may have been the cause of his poor performance.

Of course, Cloth Cap is owned by Trevor Hemmings, who is already, jointly, the most successful owner in the history of the Grand National. Hemmings will, no doubt, be keen to record a fourth win and Cloth Cap appears to be a ‘dyed-in-the-wool’ National type, who jumps well and has stamina in abundance. Of course, he’ll have to race off his revised mark in 2022 but, at 50/1 in the ante-post market, could yet make his mark at Aintree.

Why is the Mildmay Course at Aintree so-called?

The Mildmay Course at Aintree was the brainchild of Anthony Bingham Mildmay, a celebrated amateur jockey, who rode in the Grand National before and after World War II. Indeed, he may well have won the National, but for his reins coming unbuckled on Davy Jones in 1936 and a debilitating attack of cramp on Cromwell in 1948.

Known to his friends as ‘Nitty’, Mildmay originally devised what became known as the Mildmay Course as a training ground for horses with Grand National aspirations, complete with the same idiosyncratic spruce fences, albeit on a smaller scale, as those on the National Course. In any event, Mildmay died prematurely in a swimming accident, once again caused by a crippling attack of cramp – the result of a neck injury, sustained during a fall at Folkestone in 1947 – off the coast of Devon in 1950; he was just 41.

The Mildmay Course did not officially open until 1954 and, when it did, the departure from traditional, birch fences did not go down well with trainers of the day, resulting in small fields. Nevertheless, the spruce fences remained until 1975, when they were replaced with conventional park fences and, in 1990, the water jump was removed and the layout modified to create the Mildmay Course as ut is today.

1 … 96 97 98 99 100 … 146