MUM’S the word in this year’s Grand National.
That’s because Snow Leopardess could become the first mother ever to win the big race.
Snow Leopardess (right) was a narrow winner of the Becher Chase in December
You read that right – the Charlie Longsdon-trained mare went off to stud and had a baby girl after picking up an injury five years ago.
For 99% of mares, that would mean curtains for their racing careers.
But the special Snow Leopardess not only returned to training, she came back better than ever.
Now a 10-year-old, she is a perfect three-from-three this season and bagged the Becher Chase over the National fences back in December.
She has achieved cult status among racing fans this winter, something which has not escaped the notice of Oxfordshire-based Longsdon.
He said: “There is a horse every year in the Grand National that captures the public’s imagination, and it’s probably her this time.
“It’s been nerve-racking in the build-up and there is the added pressure of her being the public horse.
“She has an amazing back story, she is a mare and she is a grey. She has plenty going for her in the popularity stakes.”
That she does.
It looked like her promising career, which included a Grade 2 win at Newbury in 2017, would be cut short when she picked up an injury in the lorry on the way home from a race in France.
She was sent to ITV Racing’s Alice Plunkett, the daughter-in-law of owner-breeder Marietta Fox-Pitt and wife to legendary eventer William Fox-Pitt, as part of her rehab, before a visit to Derby-winning stallion Sir Percy.
That encounter resulted in a chestnut filly, named Red Panda, who is now a three-year-old and is also in training with Longsdon.
But Fox-Pitt was always keen to give her career another crack, and within three months of giving birth she was back in work – with her daughter trotting alongside her on the gallops.
Longsdon said: “I thought when she went off to have a foal that was going to be the end of her career, no way did I think she would come back.
“But Marietta said to me that she was adamant it wasn’t the end and that she would return.
“She said human athletes go off and have children and they come back, so why can’t it happen with her?
“I was a little sceptical of course, but Marietta was right and we are so thankful that we have had this second time around with her.”
Emotions will be running high for Plunkett, who will be part of the ITV presenting team at Aintree today.
Her wild celebrations when Snow Leopardess won the Becher were caught on camera – safe to say it will be TV gold if the mare comes home in front in the National.
Plunkett said: “It’s quite surreal looking at the National and being connected to a leading fancy, but it’s all down to my mother-in-law.
“She’s a quite extraordinary character. She’s been at the forefront of the equestrian world for 60 years.
“To now have a horse like Snow Leopardess, that she foaled and produced herself, is pretty amazing.
“It’s the culmination of a lifetime of breeding and while it sounds ridiculous, this mare is the horse incarnation of her – they are both tough as old boots and unbelievably beautiful.
“When Marietta was younger she was drop-dead gorgeous, but when everyone else was reading Vogue she was reading Farmers Weekly!
“It would have been terrible had she got beat in the Becher. We were all at Sandown with ITV and I didn’t appreciate how close it was.
“I dread to think what I’ll be like if she does win. I’ve been doing terrestrial TV for 24 years and I’m renowned for being horrendously emotional.”
The water works would no doubt flow for Longsdon, too, after the trainer admitted to being a bag of nerves over the past fortnight.
He reckons the mare is heading to Liverpool in tip-top shape, and he is keeping everything crossed that she can bare her claws again.
Longsdon said: “The last week before the race has felt like a year! We are ready for the waiting to finish.
“Some people have questioned her stamina and they say she got tired in the Becher Chase, but she was just lonely.
“She had been out in front a long time and picked up again when she had company. She wants every inch of a marathon trip.
“She heads to Aintree in good form and we just have to hope now that she gets the slice of luck you need in the National.
“It goes without saying it would be an absolute dream to win the race.
“The Grand National is iconic. They say the Melbourne Cup stops the nation in Australia, and it’s virtually the same with the National over here.
“We are so proud of Snow Leopardess. She is a mare of a lifetime.”
