Today was a really wild day at the Grand National! Lots of drama took place, including the arrest of some protesters. After the protests were taken care of, Derek Fox and his horse Corach Rambler had 14 minutes to pass a fitness test – which they did! In the end, Corach Rambler won the race for seven people (including a 21-year-old student) and gave them a huge prize.
Jockey Derek Fox had to do press-ups in the morning to take a fitness test because he hurt his shoulder. His trainer, Lucinda Russell, was feeling sentimental after winning the race, six years after they both won the Grand National with another horse named One For Arthur. Some people got arrested for protesting and delaying the start of the race.
Hill 16 became the third horse to pass away during the Grand National meeting. This event is where horses race against each other and it’s important to know who took first place.
The jockey, Russell was not only sad because his father/mentor passed away earlier that year, but he lost his 2017 Race Winner 3 weeks ago due to colic.
After winning the big race again, Russell honored his 2017 Race Winner by scattering some of its ashes at the winning post as a tribute.
I was really upset when the race began, and I kept crying until he started to enjoy the race. That’s when I realized that he loved it. Me and my partner Peter Scudamore train him together and this experience was extra special. He was thrilled with all the jumps and obstacles. I’ll always remember One for Arthur as a great horse, but this time is even more important to me!
Lucinda Russell is the trainer of One for Arthur, which won the Grand National in 2017. Her father was incredibly proud of this accomplishment and she hopes to honor his memory with her success. She even had a conversation with Corach Rambler about Fox’s injury leading up to a race. Lucinda was sad when their horse tripped and fell at Wetherby but thankful that Fox only got hurt on his shoulder again.
Scu and I went to visit Corach’s box. We told him about Derek having an accident. He looked really worried and it seemed like he wanted Derek over Brian Hughes, who happens to be the champion jockey. Cameron Sword and other owners that were part of Corach Rambler were celebrating their Grand National victory!
Fox missed the first two days of the meeting because he needed to heal his shoulder injury. He said that Corach Rambler, the winner of the meeting, deserved it. Fox was glad that he was able to ride him even though he was injured. Cameron Sword is going to get around $50,000 as his reward for being a part of owning the winning horse.
During lockdown, my boredom led me to watch various sports and the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National. I got interested in the form and breeding of horses. Then, I called Lucinda to see if any horse was for sale; I bought Corach for £3,400 and this how I first began my involvement with horses!
He disagreed with the protesters and said that it wouldn’t make a difference if the horses had to wait even longer. He argued that horse racing is their sport and he loves it. But, many people point out the tragic death of Hill Sixteen, a horse that fell at the first fence during the 2023 Grand National meeting – making it the third equine fatality in this year’s race.
Members of the Animal Rising group are planning to bring more protests to larger races this summer. They tried to interrupt the Grand National, but none of them could stop Corach Rambler from winning. This situation might keep happening for a while.
