THERE are national heroes… and there are Grand National heroes.
Lucinda Russell’s Corach Rambler is on the verge of doing the double at Aintree this afternoon.
Dual Cheltenham Festival hero Corach Rambler is a leading fancy for the Grand National
The horse holds a special place in both Lucinda Russell and Peter Scudamore’s heart
The quirky chaser is the hot favourite for the world’s most famous steeplechase and will carry the hopes of 5.4 million Scots along with him.
It used to be that Scottish horses were dismissed out of hand when they lined up alongside their English and Irish counterparts in the big one.
For a number of years, the other side of the border was considered jump racing’s backwater by us snobs in the south.
But there has been a significant resurgence – in large part due to Russell and her partner, former champion jockey Peter Scudamore.
Yes, they can boast the most powerful jumping yard in Scotland, but in terms of resources they are the length of Hadrian’s Wall behind some of the top southern stables.
Yet year in, year out, they find a way to compete at the highest level.
And six years ago, they saddled just the second Scottish-trained winner of the National in the race’s 178-year history when One For Arthur roared home under Derek Fox.
That horse sadly died from a bout of colic only a few weeks ago, and the emotions are still pretty raw for Russell and Scu almost a month on.
Russel said; “He made our dreams come true, it’s as simple as that.
“Arthur had a fabulous life on and off the track and, in winning at Aintree, brought himself immortality.
“We will miss him.”
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Fine words from a fine trainer, who has done a fine job with Corach Rambler.
He might be a dual Cheltenham Festival winner, successfully defending his crown in the Ultima Handicap just last month.
But he showed once again at the Festival that he is not an entirely straightforward customer.
No sooner had he weaved his way through the field under Fox and struck the front than he started to gaze at the crowd and pull himself up.
He scraped home by half a length, but on the gallops at home eight-time champion Scu, who is pushing 65, is one of the few people who can handle him.
In fact, the couple has developed such a strong bond with the hot-headed nine-year-old that he has virtually become the family pet.
Russell grinned nervously: “This is going to be very different to One For Arthur because this horse is very close to Scu which adds an extra angle to it.
“Arthur was a horse we loved greatly, but it is a bit different when Corach is a horse that you half-invite into the house. He is very close to us.
“That will add an extra anxiety to Scu’s day definitely, and I’m sure mine as well.”
Part of that anxiety must stem from the fact that the horse is so well-handicapped.
Because the weights for the National were locked-in back in February, he gets to run off a mark off 146 – 10lb below his new rating which was dished out after his win at Cheltenham.
You don’t get a gift from the handicapper like this very often, especially at the top-level, and it’s an opportunity that might never present itself again.
And while it might look on the surface like the sort of cunning plan that would make Blackadder’s Baldrick proud, it was more a result of luck than judgement.
Russell said: “It’s funny how it works out. After he ran at Newbury in the Coral Gold Cup we said we’d aim for the National and run one more time, and we entered him in a few different races.
“We would have run him at Lingfield on Winter Million weekend if it hadn’t been rained off, and it’s probably a good thing he didn’t run there because he would have gone up in the handicap.
“In the end we look like total geniuses because he’s gone up 10lb after the weights have come out due to winning at Cheltenham, but I can assure you we aren’t!
“It’s a great position to be in and you just hope you can take advantage of it.”
The horse definitely has the ability to make that slice of luck count.
He jumps, he stays, he goes on any type of ground. And in the underrated Fox he has a jockey with National-winning experience. What’s not to like?
Russell said: “I definitely think he has the qualities to win the National.
“He’s got the bravery and he has the desire to race and the will to win.
“It’s up to him and Derek now to see if they take to the fences and keep out of trouble throughout the race.
“I think we saw at Cheltenham that he stays very well and he seems to travel really well as well.
“Although he gets shuffled back sometimes, I thought he travelled much better this year than he did last year. That certainly gives you hope for Aintree.
“The big question is will he take to the fences and that will be a bit different for him.
“But his jumping seems to be one of his assets, it’s not that he’s extra flamboyant or anything, he’s very neat in his jumping.
“Although he’s a bold horse, he’s not stupid about things and that bodes well. We just have to hope he gets the breaks in the race.”
