Captain Martin Becher was a commissioned officer in the Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry in the first half of the nineteenth century, but is best known for his exploits as a National Hunt jockey. Indeed, on February 29, 1836, Becher won the inaugural running of the Liverpool Grand Steeplechase at Aintree on The Duke, following a protracted dual with the eventual runner-up, Polyanthus, from the Anchor Bridge Crossing, despite a slipping saddle.
Although subsequently excluded from the catalogue, the Liverpool Grand Steeplechase was run over more or less the same course and distance as the race that become known, unofficially, as the Grand National in 1839 and officially so in 1847. Thus, it can be argued, with some justification, that the 1836 renewal was, in fact, the first running of the celebrated steeplechase.
In any event, Becher also rode in the first ‘official’ Grand National in 1839 and, although he failed to complete the course, nonetheless wrote his name into Aintree folklore. His mount, Conrad – the 20/1 outsider of the 13 of the 17 runners quoted in the betting – fell at the sixth fence and both horse and rider rolled into the natural brook on the landing side. Becher remounted, as was permitted in those days, and set off in pursuit, but his race came to an end three fences later at the obstacle that would soon become, but was not yet, known as Valentine’s Brook. Conrad fell, again, but this time was not for catching, leaving Becher to make his own way home.
Becher later quipped that his first departure had taught him how ‘dreadful water tastes without whisky in it’. The following year, the sixth fence, previously known simply as the First Brook, became known as Becher’s Brook in his honour.
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes, run annually over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, traditionally in early May, is the first British Classic of the season. The race was established by the Jockey Club in 1809 and has been run, without interruption, ever since, albeit that the 1999 renewal was transferred to the July Course at Newmarket during the redevelopment of the Rowley Mile.
The leading trainer in the history of the 2,000 Guineas is Aidan O’Brien, who has saddled a total of 10 winners. Formerly Irish Champion Amateur Jockey, O’Brien was Champion National Hunt Trainer in his native land five seasons running between 1993/94 and 1997/98 but, in 1996, was recruited by Irish billionaire John Magnier to succeed his unrelated namesake Vincent O’Brien at Ballydoyle Stables in County Tipperary. For three years, O’Brien divided his time between Ballydoyle and his original yard in Owning Hill, County Kilkenny, but has been Perennial Irish Champion Flat Trainer since 1999; he has also been British Champion Flat Trainer on six occasions, most recently in 2017.
Unlike other distinguished National Hunt trainers, notably Michael Dickinson, O’Brien made a seamless transition to Flat racing. He saddled his first 2,000 Guineas winner – in fact, his first British Classic winner of any description – on May 2, 1998, when King Of Kings, ridden by Mick Kinane, won, as O’Brien later recalled, ‘very easily’. On May 4, 2002, Rock \of Gibraltar, owned by Sir Alex Ferguson and ridden by Johnny Murtagh, edged out stable companion, and favourite, Hawk Wing to give O’Brien his second win in the Newmarket Classic. Since then, the lion’s share of the prize money, which nowadays totals £500,000, has headed to Ballydoyle eight more times, courtesy of Footstepsinthesand (2005), George Washington (2006), Henrythenavigator (2008), Camelot (2012), Gleneagles (2015), Churchill (2017), Saxon Warrior (2018) and Magna Grecia (2019).
Since 1984, the seventh (and twenty-third) fence on the Grand National Course at Aintree has borne the name of ‘Foinavon’, who, in 1967, was the only horse to avoid a mêlée at the fence and went on to win at odds of 100/1. Ironically, as the riderless Popham Down led the field over Becher’s Brook on the second circuit, commentator Michael O’Hehir mentioned the fact that the loose horse didn’t appear to be causing interference. At least, not until the next fence, which the same horse ran down, bringing everything, bar Foinavon, to a standstill.
In any event, the lucky jockey that day was the late John Buckingham, who, with a clear view of the pile-up, show-jumped the fence on the outside and continued unimpeded. Buckingham later remarked, ‘It wasn’t until the Canal Turn [the next obstacle] that I knew I was on my own’. Many of the other jockeys remounted and set off in hot pursuit, but Foinavon was not for catching and passed the post 15 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, 15/2 favourite Honey End, ridden by the last Josh Gifford.
Foinavon had been bought by owner Cyril Watkins two years previously expressly to run in the Grand National but, on the day, neither Watkins nor his trainer, John Kempton, were at Aintree. Indeed, Buckingham was only offered the ride on Foinavon – his first in the Grand National – three days before the race, after it was turned down by three other jockeys. Notwithstanding his extravagant starting price, Foinavon had proved unpopular with other riders because Watkins refused to pay more than the flat riding fee, which, at the time, was £5/10/-. Neverthless, Buckingham was only to keen to take the ride on the nine-year-old, later revealing, ‘I’d have ridden Dick’s donkey to be in the Grand National…’
Nowadays, James ‘Jimmy’ Frost is probably best known as the father of Bryony Frost, the most successful female National Hunt jockey of all time. However, it should not be forgotten that, in his heyday, Frost Snr. was a highly accomplished National Hunt jockey in his own right. All told, he rode 510 winners under Rules, starting with Mopsey at Taunton in February, 1974 and ending with Bohill Lad at Exeter in March, 2002.
As far as the Grand National is concerned, Frost was a relative latecomer, not making his debut in the world famous steeplechase until April 8, 1989, by which time he was already 30 years old. On heavy going, he lined up on 28/1 chance Little Polveir, owned by Edward Harvey and trained by Gerard ‘Toby’ Balding, to whom Frost was stable jockey. Little Polveir took the lead heading out onto the final circuit and, thereafter, was never headed. At the Elbow, five horses were still in serious contention, but Little Polveir asserted in the closing stages, running on well to beat West Tip and The Thinker by 7 lengths and half a length and passing the post with just a riderless horse for company.
Little Polveir had completed the Grand National Course once before, when ninth, as nine-year-old, behind West Tip in 1986. However, he unseated rider at The Chair in 1987 and at the fence after Valentine’s Brook in 1988, when in the lead. He was sold, as a 12-year-old, by majority shareholder Mike Shone and his three partners just six weeks before the 1989 Grand National. Despite his misfortune, Shone remained philosophical, saying, ‘…I was very thrilled he won because, of course, we’d had him from four, when he was unbroken, until 12.’
In the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which was established in its current guise, more or less, in 1924, just four horses have won the race three or more times. Of course, those horses were Golden Miller (1932-1936), Cottage Rake (1948-1950), Arkle (1964-1966) and Best Mate (2002-2004), but one steeplechaser who came closer than most to emulating that illustrious quartet was The Fellow, owned by the late Marquesa de Moratalla and trained by Francois Doumen in Chantilly, France.
The Fellow made his British debut as a five-year-old, finishing third, beaten 17 lengths, behind Desert Orchid in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, 1990. The following March, he made his Cheltenham Gold Cup debut and belied odds of 28/1 by beating all bar Garrison Savannah, who just held on to win by a short head, with 15 lengths back to the third horse, Desert Orchid.
Later that year, he gained some consolation when winning the King George VI Chase, by 1½ lengths from Docklands Express and, as a result, was well-fancied for his second attempt in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Sent off at 7/2 second favourite, The Fellow led between the last two fences and, although headed by his old rival Docklands Express at the final fence, led again on the run-in, only to miss out by a short head, for the second year running, to 25/1 outsider Cool Ground in a driving finish.
Later in 1992, he won the King GeorgeVI Chase for the second year running. His next race was the 1993 Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which he was sent off 5/4 favourite to make amends for two near misses. However, on unseasonably fast ground, he was outpaced at the top of the hill and, although he stayed on well in the closing stages, he could only finish fourth, beaten 9½ lengths, behind Jodami. The Fellow was also beaten favourite in the 1993 King George VI Chase but, the following March, finally redeemed himself, and his much-maligned regular jockey, the late Adam Kondrat, by winning the 1994 Cheltenham Gold Cup at the expense of defending champion Jodami.