By J A McGrath
An everlasting family love affair with the Grand National is set to continue when Oliver Greenall sends out IROKO and JAGWAR in the colours of J P McManus in Saturday’s renewal of the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree.
Greenall and his training partner Josh Guerriero have long been eyeing the iconic staying test with two well-credentialed yet entirely contrasting chasers, who are both worthy of their respective places in the 34-runner field.
Aintree is part of Greenall’s DNA, being the son of former chairman Lord Daresbury, who headed up this unique race for 25 years, and also one of a family of riding brothers, who have all experienced the very different atmosphere at Liverpool.
Oliver was second in the Foxhunters — the National for amateurs, if you like — while Tom won it in 2009 on his father’s Trust Fund, with his 16-year-old brother Jake falling in the same race and delaying the presentation as he made his way back from the Canal Turn.
Daresbury was known as the Hon Peter Greenall when he won the Foxhunters on Lone Soldier in 1982, and he fondly recalls finishing runner-up to Nicky Henderson and John Thorne in the race in other years.
But the Grand National was a different story. He rode his mother’s Shaneman in 1975, the year remembered for L’Escargot beating Red Rum in an epic edition. But Shaneman fell at the very first fence.
“It was absolutely gutting,” Daresbury recalls. “It had been great excitement just to have a ride in the race but he overjumped and fell. I fell with three or four others, which was quite common back in those days. I remounted and I then pulled up at The Chair. That was my baptism.
“I also partnered another of my mother’s, a smart novice chaser, in what was then the Mildmay Chase. He fell at the last, just cantering. As you can gather, my early moments at Aintree were quite black,” he laughs.
The love affair was inevitable, however. “My Mum was passionate about Aintree. For her, thee was no contest with Cheltenham. The boys were brought up the same. Aintree’s where we feel at home.
“There is pride about their riding. We’ve all done it. It’s part of our lives (As a father) I feel more anxious about the training side. Thomas had two rides in the National, so did Jake.”
Daresbury presided over Aintree through some turbulent years in the seventies. There was the ‘No Race’ in 1993 when jockeys continued despite efforts by officials telling them to return to the start…and then in 1997, the IRA bomb scare when the course was evacuated and the race then run at tea time on the Monday, with no crowd permitted out in the country.
“There were no good things to say when the race was abandoned in 1993, but one question I do remember being asked was ‘will the Grand National ever survive this?' My reply was that when the Cambridge boat sank at the Boat Race, the event got wider attention, and the same occurred with the Grand National. As awful as that day obviously was, by fate it all came good really.
“There have been changes made, and the key was always to be ahead of public opinion. We have to have a social licence from the public. I was very much of the opinion we had to be on the front foot, leading the way with the changes, and I think to continue, that is the right thing.
“My worry is that if you make the fences smaller, they go faster. I was only sad about one thing - the reduction of the field size (from 40 to 34). I feel that the fences are wide enough and that 40 horses can be accommodated. I was sad about that. But, in general, I supported the changes.”
Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero have only been represented by one runner previously in the National - Iroko, who finished fourth last year.
“I’m very happy with both,” Oliver says. “Iroko is a slower, tougher, better jumper. He would want more of a test. Jagwar perhaps doesn’t jump as well.
“Aintree is a special place for us. Being a bit more local to the course, it’s more important for us. So many owners, friends and family will be there, including many from our village Malpas, which is about 40 miles away."
The Greenall/Daresbury dynasty lives on.
