How many races are run over the Grand National fences each year?

The National Course at Aintree consists of 16 unique, spruce-topped fences, 14 of which are jumped twice during the Grand National itself. However, during the rest of the year, four other races are run over the National fences. Two of them, the Topham Chase and the Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase – which, under normal circumstances, is restricted to amateur riders – are run over 2 miles 5 furlongs during the Grand National Festival in early April each year. In both cases, the races start before what is the second-last fence on the final circuit of the Grand National, such that 18 fences are jumped in all.

Similar comments apply to the Grand Sefton Chase, which is staged in late November or early December. However, the fourth and final race of the year over the National fences, the Becher Chase, is run over 3 miles and 2 furlongs in December. By necessity, the Becher Chase starts after Valentine’s Brook and involves jumping 21 fences in all. As in all the races run over the National fences, including the Grand National, runners bypass The Chair and the Water Jump on the final circuit and head, instead, up the famously long, 494-yard run-in.

How many times has Nicky Henderson won the Grand National?

Nicky Henderson was assistant trainer to Fred Winter – who is the only person to win the Grand National twice as both jockey and trainer – for four years before taking out a training licence in his own right in 1978. Nowadays based at Seven Barrows in Lambourn, Berkshire, Henderson has been

British Champion National Hunt Trainer six times, most recently in 2019/20.

Henderson has an excellent record at the Cheltenham Festival, where he was won the Leading Trainer Award nine times, including shared titles in 1987, 1992 and 1993. Indeed, his career total of 70 winners makes him the second most successful trainer in the history of the March showpiece, behind only Willie Mullins.

However, for all his success elsewhere, Henderson has yet to win the Grand National. His first ever runner, Zongalero, ridden by Bob Davies, finished second, beaten 1½ lengths, behind Rubstic in 1979, but in the intervening years Henderson has saddled a further 42 runners, none of whom has fared any better. The Tsarevitch, ridden by John White, was a 5-length runner-up to Maori Venture in 1987 but, otherwise, two minor placings – for Classified in 1986 and Brown Windsor in 1990 – is all Henderson has to show for his efforts. Interestingly, the Master of Seven Barrows is also yet to win the Irish, Scottish or Welsh Grand National.

Which jockey rode Big Buck’s in the Hennessy Gold Cup?

Owned by the late Andy Stewart and trained by Paul Nicholls, Big Buck’s is best known for winning the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival four years running, in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and is widely recognised as the greatest staying hurdler in history. Winner of the Grade 2 Prix Amadou at Auteil for his original trainer, Rene Lacomte, in May, 2007, Big Buck’s joined Nicholls the following November and was immediately sent over fences.

Big Buck’s opened his account over the larger obstacles at the first time of asking, with a narrow, but ready, win in a four-runner beginners’ chase at Newbury. Later in his novice season, he also won the Grade 2 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree under Ruby Walsh. Big Buck’s reappeared in the Hennessy Gold Cup – now the Ladbrokes Trophy – at Newbury the following November, for which he was sent off 5/1 joint second favourite.

With Sam Thomas deputising for the injured Walsh, Big Buck’s was only 3 lengths behind eventual winner Madison Du Berlais, and staying on, when blundering badly and unseating his rider at the third-last fence. That mishap proved to be a blessing in disguise; put back over hurdles, Big Buck’s embarked on a winning streak that would last for 18 consecutive races and more than five years. His record stood until April, 2019, when beaten by the recently retired dual Champion Chase winner Altior.

How many times has Frankie Dettori won the Derby?

The short answer is that Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori has won the Derby twice, on Authorized in 2007 and Golden Horn in 2015. However, those facts alone do not tell the full story. The likeable Italian first rode in the Derby in 1992, finishing a remote sixteenth on Pollen Count, owned by Sheikh Mohammed and trained by John Gosden. Thereafter, though, he developed a Derby ‘hoodoo’, which he would not end until 15 years later. Indeed, Dettori had won all the other English Classic races at least twice apiece before winning the Derby for the first time in 2007.

When he did so, Dettori did so in style, storming clear in the closing stages to win, impressively, by 5 lengths. Backed as if defeat was out of the question, Authorized was sent off at odds of 5/4, thereby becoming the shortest-priced winner since Shergar in 1981. However, the race was not without anxiety for favourite backers, as Dettori sat well off the pace in the early stages. Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam said afterwards, ‘Frankie was probably a bit further back than I wanted him to be, but Authorized has got so much class.’

Dettori would not win the Derby again until 2015, by which time he had lost his retainer with Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation and been banned for six months after testing positive for cocaine while riding in France. Nevertheless, he oozed confidence on 13/8 favourite Golden Horn, trained by John Gosden, sweeping past stable companion Jack Hobbs with a furlong to run to win, comfortably, by 3½ lengths.

 

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