A Day at The Races? More The Day of The Race

The sun is shining, the bets are taken and everyone is anticipating a glorious day of thrilling horse racing, waiting with baited breathe for the clock to strike 4:15 so that the 2010 Grand National can finally get under way. But before the race at Aintree begins, over a distance of about 4 miles and 856 yards with 30 fences to hurdle, the jockey’s have their photo taken before heading to the paddock, during which the family all pick a random number to represent their respective backed horse.

And it appears to be a year for the twenties, maybe coinciding with the ages of the representatives taking part, as cries of 25, 24, 23 and 22 all protrude from the siblings, whereas I put my favourite number, 11 into the hat. The parents, slightly more reserved in picking a random number for no apparent reason, hesitate in a bid to attempt to discover the true identity of the number they eventually decide to back, however, after gentle persuasion 7 and, in a bid to rediscover her youth, my Mum plunges for 26.

The family then sites nervously as the horses walk by, the numbers gently increasing, until the first landmark is reached, number 7 – Comply or Die, a ominous name for a horse that one. Number 11 is next, the Welsh underdog that everyone is hoping will win – Dream Alliance – even Hollywood are looking at the possibility of producing a film about his life.. Annoyingly 22 is the joint favourite – Big Fella Thanks , but then again, the favourite never wins does it? 23, 24 and 25 all have low odds and seem to stand a chance – State of Play, Character Building and Ellerslie George respectively. Although, my sister’s delight at Character Building being a grey horse turns to a face of annoyance on finding that her jockey is a woman. Finally 26 waddles into shot with family rank outside odds of 50/1 – Eric’s Charm.

The horses get ready and before we know it away they go! Straight into the tape for a false start, leading the man with the mike too send all the riders back once more. The horses stand, edgy, panicking, unsure as to what is happening around them, yet before they know what to do next away flies the tape as does the field leaving number 27 – King Johns Castle - behind as he decides it is no day for a run ending that horses national and anyone’s hopes who had bet on him to win but striding away go the other horses coming up to the first fence and all the horses jump that cleanly before moving ever closer to the next hurdle that awaits them in this most of challenging of course and before we know it Becher’s Brook is being faced with 28 - Conna Castle - leading the way followed by a riderless horse, the kind of racer that everyone secretly loves, Conna Castle and Black Apalachi are away from the pack come fence 10 as the horses keep galloping on with a fair few still running well with plenty of horses without jockeys mingled in pushing their way through the field and even through the side barriers, colours of orange green yellow white blue all blurred into one fast movement with lots of brown and a slight tinge of grey jumping over with the horse entitled Flintoff showing his namesakes cricketing fitness attributes being left behind at the back but here comes the fence entitled “The Chair” as the once perfect fence is mauled by legs of all kind as branches spray everywhere but most the horses still remain on track and there goes Mum’s backing - Eric Charms - her Grand National race over for another year but most remain half way round Conna Castle and Black Apalachi still miles ahead behind them a pile up on the return to Becher’s Brook occurs with horses and jockeys thrown along the floor and now Black Apalachi is passing Conna Castle with the latter having led most the way round the course yet others are now catching as the race gets exciting moving into the final straight now and here comes the purple rider on Big Fella Thanks followed closely by Joe Lively, Don’t Push It pushing through and Hello Bud ridden by amateur jockey Sam Twiston-Davies who is only 17 years old with the race’s previously leader Conna Castle dropping off and with two fences to go the field is spread wide open with now only four horses appearing to stand a chance the ultimate aim of victory so here they all come with Black Apalachi leading the way before Hello Bud’s legs have gone in front of the last fence and now the joint favourite Big Fella Thanks is feeling the pace getting left behind leaving a straight out-and-out fight between Black Apalachi and Don’t Push It both galloping down the yards necks bobbing to and fro and it is Don’t Push It who is nodding ahead opening up a gap between him and Black Apalachi and Don’t Push It ridden by AP McCoy wins the National!

Tony McCoy has finally won the Grand National on his 15th attempt, having ridden 3000winners, he has now won the race every jockey dreams about. Delighted as we are for him and his horse – Don’t Push It - now that the race is over, sporting normality returns “Yes, Leeds have scored!” So, we now have to wait another year before we gather round the Television again to watch small Irish men on big horses, owned by farmers with too much money, or women who have attempted to better themselves for the day but have as much decorum as Eliza Doolittle at the races. But that day will come and I will stand by legs 11, one day my horse will win, I’m just glad I am not a betting man.