2012 Grand National

No horserace evokes as much emotion as the Grand National and the 2012 renewal emphasised the excitement and the passion of this most famous of all races.

In 2010 we had scenes of relief and joy as AP McCoy finally won the one big race that had eluded him and in 2011 Ballabriggs’ victory for the McCain yard reminded everyone of the Grand National’s greatest exponent: Red Rum.

How could this great race follow that in 2012 Amazingly, the latest running of the Grand National could claim to be the most dramatic of all with a titanic battle on the run-in with one horse crossing the line the smallest of distances in front of his main opponent. Neptune Collonges and Sunnyhillboy had the race between them from the elbow and it was the Paul Nicholls trained grey that just prevailed in the end by a nose.

The gallant Seabass and Katie Walsh had led over the last fence but Sunnyhillboy powered past them shortly after the jump and looked to be heading for another Grand National victory for Jonjo O’Neill.

With one hundred yards to go Sunnyhillboy still looked as if he would win but then his jockey Ritchie McLernon started to show signals that the horse was tiring and Daryl Jacob managed to conjure a last gasp drive on Neptune Collonges.

Both horses seemed to hit the line as one and for a moment it looked as though for the first time ever the Grand National might have ended in a dead-heat. It seemed impossible to imagine that after four and a half miles there could be a photo-finish that was this close.

After an agonising wait for connections, it was finally announced that Neptune Collonges had won by the minimum distance possible. Chaotic scenes followed in the winner’s enclosure with Neptune’s owner John Hales in tears of joy.

Katie Walsh became the lady rider who has come closest to winning the Grand National in finishing third on Seabass, whilst in fourth place was Cappa Bleu who provided the fourth consecutive placing for owners Mr and Mrs William Rucker whose State Of Play had been placed for the last three years.

Neptune Collonges

Neptune Collonges’ owner John Hales announced immediately after the race that the horse would now be retired. He has been a fantastic servant for his owner and trainer running a total of thirty-six times and winning sixteen of those starts.

The gallant grey was the first horse of his colour to win since Nickolaus Silver in 1961.

Neptune Collonges’£547K first prize took his career earnings to an amazing £1,313,675.

The other highlights of Neptune Collonges career include winning two Punchestown Gold Cups and an Irish Hennessy.

Neptune Collonges has been one of the stars of National Hunt racing in recent years and can now look forward to a happy retirement.

John Hales

Winning owner John Hales said: “This is so emotional for me and he retires today. I just wanted to get him round safely but I never dreamed he would win. I thought the handicapper had given him 6lb too much.”

“The family were split whether to run Neptune Collonges. My daughter is showjumping down in south Wales - she has probably jumped off the horse if she is in the middle of a round!”

“He will never race again - that’s it.”

Paul Nicholls

“Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! I wasn’t sure we had got there,” said Nicholls. “He was running away when the other horse was stopping and I thought the verdict could have gone either way. He got there at the right time and that’s what counts. This has been a race we haven’t had the best of luck in but it’s great to win. It’s a race everyone knows and everyone watches. What a brilliant ride. I am so chuffed for Daryl (Jacob)”

Neptune Collonges victory snatched a seventh trainer’s title for Paul Nicholls after it looked destined to go to his great rival, Nicky Henderson.

“I had given up on the trainers’ championship - I told Nicky that it was all over.” said Nicholls.

Daryl Jacob

 “I just kept my head down and the horse kept grinding out the whole way to the line. I wasn’t sure where the winning line was but I knew that, inch by inch, I was starting to grind him down. Luckily enough, the line came and we held on just enough to get there,” said Daryl Jacob.

“Nipper (Neptune Collonges) was very, very good - he got me out of trouble the whole way. I was going as fast as I was going from the start of the race to the finish of the race. He knew exactly what pace he was going and I just had trust him on it. I don’t think he missed a beat the whole way round and he loved it.

This means the whole world to me; it’s the race every jockey wants to win.” 

Finishers
1	Neptune Collonges	11	11-6	Paul Nicholls	Daryl Jacob	33/1
2	Sunnyhillboy	9	10-5	Jonjo O’Neill	Richie McLernon	16/1
3	Seabass	9	10-12	Ted Walsh	Katie Walsh	8/1JF
4	Cappa Bleu	10	10-10	Evan Williams	Paul Moloney	16/1
5	In Compliance	12	10-0	Dessie Hughes	Niall Madden	100/1
6	Ballabriggs	11	11-9	Donald McCain	Jason Maguire	12/1
7	Hello Bud	14	10-0	Nigel Twiston-Davies	Sam Twiston-Davies	33/1
8	Tharawaat	7	10-4	Gordon Elliott	Brian O’Connell	125/1
9	Shakalakaboomboom	8	10-12	Nicky Henderson	Barry Geraghty	8/1JF
10	Swing Bill	11	10-3	David Pipe	Conor O’Farrell	100/1
11	The Midnight Club	11	10-8	W P Mullins	Andrew Tinkler	40/1
12	Planet Of Sound	10	11-5	Philip Hobbs	Richard Johnson	33/1
13	Neptune Equester	9	10-0	Brian Ellison	Felix De Giles	100/1
14	Calgary Bay	9	11-6	Henrietta Knight	Dominic Elsworth	33/1
15	Midnight Haze	10	10-0	Kim Bailey	Sean Quinlan	80/1
Did Not Complete:
Fell 1st	Viking Blond	7	10-0	Nigel Twiston-Davies	Brian Hughes	80/1
Fell 2nd	West End Rocker	10	10-12	Alan King	Wayne Hutchinson	16/1
Fell 2nd	Junior	9	11-2	David Pipe	Tom Scudamore	16/1
UR 5th	State Of Play	12	10-3	Evan Williams	Noel Fehily	40/1
BD 5th	Chicago Grey	9	10-13	Gordon Elliott	Paul Carberry	20/1
BD 5th	Rare Bob	10	10-9	Dessie Hughes	Bryan Cooper	40/1
Fell 6th (Bechers)	Synchronised	9	11-10	Jonjo O'Neill	AP McCoy	10/1
Fell 7th	Alfa Beat	8	11-5	John Joseph Hanlon	Davy Russell	50/1
Fell 8th	Black Apalachi	13	11-3	Dessie Hughes	Denis O'Regan	25/1
Fell 8th	Becauseicouldntsee	9	10-3	Noel Glynn	Davy Condon	25/1
UR 8th	Killyglen	10	10-4	S R Crawford	Robbie Power	14/1
UR 8th	Tatenen	8	10-13	Richard Rowe	Andrew Thornton	100/1
UR 8th	Organised Confusion	7	10-8	Arthur Moore	Nina Carberry	20/1
Fell 10th	Treacle	11	10-8	Tom Taaffe	Andrew Lynch	22/1
UR 10th	Arbor Supreme	10	10-7	Jonjo O'Neill	Mark Walsh	100/1
PU before 11th	Giles Cross	10	10-1	Victor Dartnall	Paddy Brennan	20/1
UR 15th (The Chair)	Always Right	10	10-10	John Wade	James Reveley	25/1
Fell 17th	Quiscover Fontaine	8	10-4	Willie Mullins	David Casey	50/1
PU before 19th	Deep Purple	11	11-3	Evan Williams	Jamie Moore	25/1
Refused 19th	Vic Venturi	12	10-0	Dessie Hughes	Harry Skelton	80/1
PU before 22nd (Bechers)	Postmaster	10	10-2	Tim Vaughan	Dougie Costello	100/1
PU before 22nd (Bechers)	Mon Mome	12	10-8	Venetia Williams	Aidan Coleman	50/1
UR 22nd (Bechers)	On His Own	8	10-11	Willie Mullins	Paul Townend	14/1
BD 22nd (Bechers)	According To Pete	11	10-12	Malcolm Jefferson	Harry Haynes	28/1
Fell 27th	Weird Al	9	11-8	Donald McCain	Timmy Murphy	28/1