2013 Grand National

The 2013 Grand National came under intense media scrutiny after the much publicised changes to the famous Aintree fences that were intended to increase safety to horse and jockey.

Thankfully the new softer fences were a resounding success on the safety front, with a noticeable reduction in the number of fallers during the race.

Another change to the Grand National this year has been the repositioning of the start of the race and that too was a success with the runners starting the race at the first time of asking.

Once the race was underway it was obvious the race was going to be run at a ferocious pace with Balthazar King and Across The Bay setting a scorching gallop over the early fences.

The two front runners kept the lead for a long way with Donald McCain’s Across The Bay only giving up first place as the field crossed the Melling Road for the second time.

At that point Welsh National runner-up Teaforthree took over at the head of affairs, closely pursued by 2011 Grand National runner-up, Oscar Time . These two strong stayers kicked on towards the second-last and appeared to have the race between them but one horse had quietly crept into a promising position; Auroras Encore .

Ryan Mania on Auroras Encore appeared to be confident he had plenty left on his horse and brought Sue Smith’s eleven-year-old gelding to challenge for the lead at the last fence. Mania’s timing was perfect and he had conserved more energy than his his two main opponents.

Auroras Encore powered clear for an eventual nine length success from a fast finishing Cappa Bleu with the gallant Teaforthree and Oscar Time filling the minor places.

Auroras Encore

Auroras Encore provided a 66/1 shock when winning the 2013 Grand National, although as a former runner-up in the Scottish National perhaps he shouldn’t have been allowed to go off at such inflated odds.

The Sue Smith trained gelding obviously enjoyed a return to good ground and benefited from the modifications to the Aintree fences that saw all the forty runners make it as far as the seventh fence. Auroras Encore had fell or unseated on six previous occasions in his career prior to Aintree but he handled the new softer obstacles here with aplomb.

Jockey Ryan Mania gave the winner a lovely patient ride producing his mount at the last fence to scoot away from long time leader Teaforthree and the fast finishing Cappa Bleu. 

Douglas Pryde, Jim Beaumont and David Van Der Hoeven

“We bought him at Christmas and his first run for us was in the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby, but the plan to run him here was made when we bought him. His form when second in last year’s Scottish National was in our mind and we have just been waiting for this better ground.”

“In all my time in horse racing I’ve always wanted to bring a horse to the Grand National, and it’s just very nice to win it.”

Sue Smith

“I should be in tears, like Harvey,” said Mrs Smith, 65. “Ryan (Mania) gave the horse such a good ride. We knew the ground was right, we knew everything else was and it was. “He had a bit of luck in running but he didn’t have much weight so that helped. But it was no fluke. The horse has plenty of miles on the clock and is very sensible, he’s a brilliant ride.”

“Ryan has given the horse a magnificent ride”

Ryan Mania

Mania said: “It’s unbelievable - people keep telling me to look happy and I am, but I just cannot believe it’s happened. It’s a dream and you cannot explain what it’s like.”

“I was happy with my early position and he jumped really well over the early fences, with just the odd mistake here and there. He was on his head a bit, but he learned from those mistakes and learned to back off the fences a bit. He was always travelling so well.”

“I got a blow into him after Becher’s, and having ridden here in November I remembered that I probably kicked on a bit soon then and realised you have to give them a chance to get their breath."

“I was sixth or seventh and had a bit of daylight and a clear run - I was very lucky and that’s what you need in the National."

“My only ambition was to get round, although I knew he stayed the trip. He hasn’t been himself all season and has needed this better ground and sun on his back. He’s not had the sunshine, but he got the better ground and he’s class on his day."

“Coming to the second-last I was delighted because I realised I was going to be placed, and I thought ‘this is great, let’s just jump home’, then the front two [Teaforthree and Oscar Time] stopped in front of me at the last and I said to myself ‘this isn’t happening’. So I got down and gave him a shove and he quickened on past them."

“I heard the commentator say there was a loose horse behind me but I didn’t dare look round and just kept going.” 

Finishers
1	Auroras Encore	11	10-3	Sue Smith	Ryan Mania	66/1
2	Cappa Bleu	11	10-11	Evan Williams	Paul Moloney	12/1
3	Teaforthree	9	11-3	Rebecca Curtis	Nick Schofield	10/1
4	Oscar Time	12	10-11	Martin Lynch	Mr Sam Waley-Cohen	66/1
5	Rare Bob	11	10-6	Dessie Hughes	Bryan Cooper	16/1
6	Swing Bill	12	10-8	David Pipe	Conor O’Farrell	80/1
7	Soll	8	10-0	Jo Hughes	Mark Grant	33/1
8	Tarquinius	10	10-2	Gordon Elliott	Wilson Renwick	100/1
9	Saint Are	7	10-8	Tim Vaughan	Dougie Costello	50/1
10	Always Waining	12	10-10	Peter Bowen	Tom O’Brien	33/1
11	Major Malarkey	10	10-0	Nigel Twiston-Davies	Tom Scudamore	50/1
12	Join Together	8	11-2	Paul Nicholls	Daryl Jacob	25/1
13	Seabass	10	11-6	Ted Walsh	Ms Katie Walsh	11/2F
14	Across The Bay	9	11-2	Donald McCain	Henry Brooke	40/1
15	Balthazar King	9	10-12	Philip Hobbs	Richard Johnson	16/1
16	Quiscover Fontaine	9	10-7	Willie Mullins	David Casey	40/1
17	Any Currency	10	10-0	Martin Keighley	Ian Popham	100/1
Did Not Complete:
UR 8th	Big fella Thanks	11	11-6	Tom George	Denis O’Regan	33/1
UR 8th	Treacle	12	10-4	Tom Taaffe	Noel Fehily	33/1
UR 8th	The Rainbow Hunter	9	10-6	Kim Bailey	Aidan Coleman	50/1
PU before 11th	Ninetieth Minute	10	10-3	Tom Taaffe	Niall Madden	80/1
Fell 12th	Tatenen	9	10-10	Richard Rowe	Andrew Thornton	100/1
PU before 14th	Viking Blond	8	10-0	Nigel Twiston-Davies	Adam Wedge	66/1
UR 15th(The Chair)	Colbert Station	9	11-1	Ted Walsh	AP McCoy	12/1
PU before 17th	Lost Glory	8	10-8	Jonjo O'Neill	Mark Walsh	10/1
PU after 18th	Joncol	10	10-13	Paul Nolan	Robbie Power	50/1
PU after 18th	What A Friend	10	11-9	Paul Nicholls	Sam Thomas	33/1
PU before 21st	Becauseicouldntsee	10	10-6	Noel Glynn	MJ Ferris	66/1
PU before 22nd	Imperial Commander	12	11-10	Nigel Twiston-Davies	Sam Twiston-Davies	11/1
PU before 24th	Ballabriggs	12	11-4	Donald McCain	Jason Maguire	20/1
PU before 24th	Forpadydeplasterer	11	11-0	Tom Cooper	Andrew McNamara	66/1
PU before 24th	Quel Esprit	9	11-7	Willie Mullins	Paul Townend	40/1
PU before 24th	Weird Al	10	11-8	Donald McCain	Timmy Murphy	66/1
PU before 25th	Harry The Viking	8	10-6	Paul Nicholls	Ryan Mahon	40/1
Fell 25th	On His Own	9	11-0	Willie Mullins	Ruby Walsh	8/1
PU before 27th	Mr Moonshine	9	10-5	Sue Smith	Peter Buchanan	66/1
PU before last	Chicago Grey	10	10-7	Gordon Elliott	Paul Carberry	11/1
UR last	Roberto Goldback	11	11-6	Nicky Henderson	Barry Geraghty	25/1
UR last	Sunnyhillboy	10	11-4	Jonjo O’Neill	Ritchie McLernon	20/1
Refused last	Mumbles Head	12	10-4	Peter Bowen	Jamie Moore	100/1