Big Race History: Midlands National

General / Malcolm Pannett / 13 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

Cheltenham is over and thoughts move to the Grand National. Uttoxeter hosts an important National pointer this weekend, the Midlands National. Malcolm Pannett goes through the race's history.

This year the Midlands National, a good race in its own right and a National pointer to boot, celebrates its 40th anniversary having been first run in 1969.

The inaugural race took place five weeks after the Grand National and all eyes were on Highland Wedding, who had won at Aintree. But it was not to be, Highland Wedding ran a lacklustre race and was pulled up with the race going the to the 13-year-old Happy Spring, who had split Mill House and Arkle in the 1963 Hennessy, ridden by Ken White, who would go on to win the 1975 Champion Hurdle on Comedy Of Errors.

Over the years several horses have won, or run well in, the Midlands National on their way to other top honours. The 1975-winner Rag Trade went on to win the next year's Grand National, a second success in that race for owner 'Teasy-Weasy' Raymond Bessone who was renowned as a celebrity hairdresser; in 1986 Arthur Stephenson's The Thinker won and then took the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following season; Lord Gyllene, who was second to Seven Towers in 1997, went on to win that year's rescheduled 'Monday National'; while Noel Meade's 2002-victor The Bunny Boiler won the Irish National six weeks later.

The race was moved to its current position in the calendar, the Saturday after Cheltenham, in 1991 with success going to the dual-Welsh National winner Bonanza Boy. The distance has varied between a minimum of four miles and a maximum of four and a half miles with the current distance set at four miles, one furlong and 110 yards.

The 1977 renewal had a kick in the tail when the winner, No Scotch, and the second, Evander, along with Kick On, who had finished fourth, as well as Hidden Value and Spittin Image were all subsequently disqualified when it was realised that they were not qualified to run according to the conditions of the race. Therefore Watafella was promoted from third to first place becoming the first winner in the race for Jenny Pitman who also won with Wilsford (1990) who five years later was successful in the Scottish National.

Other notable winners include Grey Sombrero who won carrying a mere 9st 7lb in 1971; Jimmy Miff (1979) who ran in the race six times; and GVA Ireland who landed a memorable gamble in 2006.

The Midlands National appears to be a race that you should watch with a pint of beer in your hand, as long as you are over 18 of course, as the sponsors along the way have included Ansells, Tetley, Marstons and the present incumbent John Smith's who took over in 2003.

25 years ago: Mr Mole, who was a decent hunter chaser and point-to-pointer, put in a personal best when winning by six lengths in testing underfoot conditions. Handled by John Webber for just that race and the following one, where he fell, he reverted to the care of his former handler Mrs S Gill. Webber, father of current trainer Paul, would win it again with Knock Hill in 1988

10 years ago: Peter Beaumont's Young Kenny, at 5-2 favourite, notched win number two of what would be a lucrative hat-trick. Prior to the Uttoxeter event, in which the son of Ardross beat the staying on Call It A Day by eight lengths after taking up the running from Ottawa four out, he had landed the Greenalls Grand National Trial at Haydock putting 13 lengths between him and runner-up Fiddling The Facts at the line. Not surprisingly the bay was sent off favourite again in the Scottish National a month later, duly obliging by an easy nine lengths after putting in a spectacular round of jumping.

Five years ago: 15,000 spectators thronged the track in keen anticipation of a good, albeit blustery, afternoon of sport. But the wind increased dramatically to near gale force and the racing had to be abandoned for safety reasons.

Last Year: Himalayan Trail, formerly thought of as a horse with potential, had been out of sorts until winning a small race at Bangor at 33-1 two weeks before. The good form continued as Sue Smith's charge, after being held up in the early stages, swept to the lead entering the straight galloping away for a decisive 22-length success over Badgerlaw and The Dark Lord.