Amberleigh House ~ 2004 Grand National WInner
Pictured above is Amberleigh House winning the 2004 Grand National with Jockey Graham Lee on board. As always Amberleigh House was running with a strand of Red Rum's mane stitched into his browband.
Trained by Red Rum's legendry trainer Donald 'Ginger' McCain Amberleigh House won the Grand National in 2004. Amberleigh House was no stranger to the Aintree course having won and twice finished runner up in the Becher Chase. He also finished a credible third in 2003 when McCain said "If he had had a proper trainer he would have won"
As a 12 year old Amberleigh House is one of the older horses to win the National, perfectly ridden by Graham Lee on the day Amberleigh House hunted round on the first circuit and stayed on strongly to win by three lengths from Clan Royal and Lord Atterbury.
Jockey ~ Graham Lee
Graham Lee born 1975 in Galway, Republic of Ireland won the Grand National on Amberleigh House in 2004. Lee also finished 3rd in 2003 and 10th in 2005 on the same horse.
Lee's patient ride on Amberleigh House that day scored perfect marks, as he bided his time after almost being knocked out of the race at the first Becher's, and then pounced on the leg-weary leaders after the Elbow. A reverse of the 2003 Grand National running when Lee said of the race "Three out I honestly thought we were going to win and he gave me the most unbelievable ride. In the end he didn't quite get home. His stamina was running out like the sands from an egg timer."
Trainer ~ Donald (Ginger) McCain
One of only two men to train four Grand National winners Donald (Ginger) McCain is rightly considered a living legend in horse racing circles. Three of his wins came via the mighty Red Rum and the last with Amberleigh House.
Born in Southport, Lancashire Donald's passion for racing was inspired by his Grandfather who first took him to Aintree as a school boy in the 1930s. It was at the age of 73 that Donald was to enter the history books, the morning of the 2004 Grand National started as always for Donald, with the laying of flowers at the grave of his beloved Red Rum near the winning post at Aintree. Ginger was very confident about his horses chances that day starting that the bookies had got it wrong by pricing Amberleigh House at 16/. Donald stated that Amberleigh should "really be a very short-priced favourite".
In one of the most exciting finishes of recent years, victory looked to be between three horses - Hedgehunter, Clan Royal and Lord Atterbury, with McCain's Amberleigh House placed a good 10 lengths back. Leader Hedgehunter fell while Clan Royal and Lord Atterbury began to tire rapidly. Amberleigh House had plenty left in the tank and caught the leader Clan Royal at the Elbow to record a famous victory.
After the race a tearful McCain said "He was foot-perfect. He's a professional. He's the best thing that has happened to me for a long, long time," few watching begrudged McCain's his fairytale 4th Grand National victory.
