Which was the last Grand National to be run over four-and-a-half miles?

Historically, there was a time when every schoolboy – or, at least, every schoolboy with a slightly misspent youth – knew that the Grand National was run over an advertised distance of four-and-a-half miles. Of course, that was before 2013, when safety measures included moving the start forward, about a hundred yards closer to the first fence, with the result that the race was run over the shorter advertised distance of four miles and three-and-a-half furlongs. Thus, the last Grand National to be run over four-and-a-half miles was the 2012 renewal which, fittingly, also produced the closest ever finish, with Neptune Collonges beating Sunnyhillboy by a nose.

However, Aintree, along with every other National Hunt racecourse in Britain, was subsequently professionally surveyed and re-measured, along a line two yards from the inside rail rather than down the middle of the track, as had traditionally been the case. Not unexpectedly, the change in methodology lead to traditional race descriptions becoming shorter; since 2016, the Grand National has been run over an advertised distance of four miles and two-and-half furlongs, or an exact, ‘baseline’ distance of four miles, two furlongs and 74 yards. However, notwithstanding the earlier changes, horses still travel exactly the same distance they did prior to 2016.

Which jockey has ridden the most winners?

According to Guinness World Records, the jockey who has ridden the most winners is Brazilian Jorge Antonio Ricardo who, as of January, 2021, had amassed a career total of 13,044 winners. Born in Rio de Janeiro in September, 1961, Ricardo rode his first winner, as a 15-year-old apprentice in 1976 and enjoyed his best season in his native land in 1992/1993, when he rode 477 winners; by contrast, the British record for the most winners in a season is 289, set by Sir Anthony McCoy in 2001/02.

‘Ricardinho’, as Ricardo is known to his fans, has suffered various fractures, including to his jaw, shoulder blade, collarbone, vertebrae, elbow and femur, in his long, illustrious career, not to mention recovering from cancer of the lymphatic system, or lymphoma, when in his late forties. Nevertheless, despite being incapacitated for protracted periods, he equalled the previous world record, 12,844 winners, set by retired Canadian jockey Russell Baze, in February, 2018. Since then, Ricardo has continued to add to his total, passing the landmark of 13,000 winners in September, 2020. Apart from Baze, no other jockey, worldwide, has achieved a five-figure career total, so his record could well last forever.

Are three-year-old fillies eligible to run in the 2,000 Guineas & the Derby?

The simple answer is yes, they are. Although the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby as billed as “colts'” Classics, they are, in fact, open to horses of both sexes, but not geldings.The only proviso is that horses have run at least once and achieved an official handicap rating of 80 or more, or an equivalent level of form, in the eyes of the official handicap. In both cases, fillies receive a 3lb allowance from their male counterparts.

Three-year-old fillies may be eligible to run in the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby but, nowadays, rarely do so. Indeed, the last filly to win the 2,000 Guineas was Garden Path who, in 1944, justified favouritism in a wartime renewal, run on the July Course, rather than the Rowley Mile, at Newmarket. The last filly to win the ‘Derby’ was Fifinella who, in 1916, won a wartime substitute, known as the ‘New Derby Stakes’ also, coincidentally, run on the July Course at Newmarket.

Modern trainers prefer their top-class fillies to pursue the 1,000 Guineas and/or Oaks route, not least because both “fillies'” Classics are restricted to three-year-old fillies only. Notwithstanding funding cuts due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas are worth exactly the same prize money and, although the premier colts’ Classic, the Derby, offers a purse three times higher than the Oaks, fillies have a much better chance of winning against their own sex.

How many times was Pat Eddery Champion Jockey?

Sadly, Patrick James John ‘Pat’ Eddery succumbed to alcoholism before dying, prematurely, at the age of 63, in November, 2015. However, he enjoyed a long, illustrious career, spread over the course of five decades, during which he rode 4,633 winners in Britain and became Champion Jockey 11 times. Indeed, since 1840, only Nat Flatman, George Fordham, Fred Archer and Sir Gordon Richards have won more jockeys’ titles and only Sir Gordon Richards has ridden more winners.

Born in Newbridge, Co. Kildare on March 18, 1952, Eddery began his riding career as apprentice to Seamus McGrath in 1966, before moving to England and joining Prestbury trainer Herbert ‘Frenchie’ Nicholson the following year. Having finished fourth and second in the apprentices’ table in his second and third full seasons, 1969 and 1970, he finally became Champion apprentice in 1971.

Two years later, he succeeded Duncan Keith as stable jockey to Lambourn trainer Peter Walwyn, in which capacity he would become Champion Jockey four years in a row between 1974 and 1977. During his time with Walwyn, Eddery rode his first three British Classic winners, Polygamy in the Oaks in 1974, Grundy in the Derby in 1975 and Scintillate in the Oaks, again, in 1979.

The following year Eddery left Walwyn to succeed Lester Piggott as stable jockey to Vincent O’Brien at Ballydoyle, Co. Tipperary and, later in his career, rode as retained jockey for Khalid Abdullah and as a freelance jockey. All told he won 14 British Classics and rode at least a hundred winners in Britain every year between 1973 and 2001, except 1982, when he was Champion Jockey in Ireland.

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