Right, some people might be very envious of what i'm about to say, but here we go!
I started a fresh game in the UK, mixed schedule, sold off my 5 starting horses and got about £1,500,000 in my bank. Happy days, good start!
On I went in hunt of some 2yo's or 3yo's who have raced once and been beaten, but having decent breeding should perform well.
On my hunt for these youngsters I come across a 7yo horse... Won the Cesarewitch and a few more staying handicaps, INTERESTING!
His last 5 runs had been in novice chases so obviously there's a wide scope here, staying chases and staying flat races.
I picked him up for £230,000, which isn't normally what I do and a bit out of my plan of buying youngsters.
The first race I entered him in was the Ascot Gold Cup and he hacks up by 6 3/4 lengths. A grade 1, with two horses in my stable. Couldn't believe my luck. It doesn't stop there though.
I went and entered him plenty of other long distance staying races and a few seconds, but nothing replicating his Gold Cup win.
Eventually the flat season finished and I had no plan of sticking him back over fences, but got to January and thought, hey, lets try him in some handicap chases off a mark of 117 from his previous trainer.
3m4f H'cap - Unseated
3m7f H'cap - 2nd
At this point I thought about entering him in the Eider, he wasn't ready for that and decided to go for the Midlands Grand National just after the Festival. He went a won cosily off a mark of 119 and jockey recommended the GRAND NATIONAL. There was no way that in one season, my horse at 7 years of age is going to win the Ascot Gold Cup and the Grand National.
I entered him and he was carrying 10st 8lbs, ideal.
As the race approached I couldn't prime him and his lad kept telling me he needed a few more days before racing but I went ahead and let him race. For all I know, his mark would've probably been too high next year and to get in off a mark of 123 is great.
I raced him and he started well, jumped the first circuit and was in a handy position.
Approaching the last 2 he was lying in 3rd and thought, no chance can he win this. He jumped the last 2 lengths down and ended up winning by a half length. Incredible.
I could never have been luckier, Ascot Gold Cup and two Nationals.
AND HE ISN'T A GELDING!!!!!!!