Grand National hero Corach Rambler to enjoy retirement
Last Updated 6 Jun 2024 | By Enda McElhinney
Image via @RacingTV on Twitter
Connections have confirmed that Corach Rambler, winner of the 2023 Grand National, has been retired from racing in ‘excellent physical condition’.
The now 10-year-old Corach Rambler returned to Aintree this spring and was among the favourites to win the great race again, but unseated his rider Derek Fox at the first fence.
Now trainer Lucinda Russell has confirmed that Corach Rambler has run his final race.
Russell said the decision to retire her stable star was “laced with sadness” but was “also a joyous one”.
She added: “Corach Rambler will always be a special horse for us, we owe him so much.
“More than anything we want him to go out at the top, in excellent physical condition and able to hopefully enjoy a long and happy retirement.”
Glittering career for the Rambler
Corach Rambler won seven of his 18 races and brought in more than £750,000 in prize money.
He was a two-time winner at the Cheltenham Festival, twice bagging the fiercely competitive Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cotswolds showpiece.
He won his point-to-point in Ireland in September 2020 before moving to Russell’s Kinross base in Scotland, where he would spend all of his career.
He only raced three times over hurdles, winning twice, and got himself on the scoresheet at Aintree on just his second chase start in October 2021 – an early hint of the love-affair he’d come to have with the famous Merseyside layout.
He won at Cheltenham in December of that year and then scored Festival success in March 2022 at Prestbury Park.
After two pleasing runs the following season, he defended that Ultima crown before the biggest day of his career.
National glory for Russell and Fox again
In 2017, One For Arthur became just the second Scottish-trained Grand National winner at Aintree for Russell and stable jockey Derek Fox.
He charged clear to finish ahead of Cause Of Causes and Saint Are as favourite Blaklion, who led for much of the contest, was fourth.
Come 2023, they repeated the trick, this time with Corach Rambler as he justified 8/1 favouritism in the big race, getting to the front at the second last and holding off Vanillier in second spot as defending champion Nobel Yeats was fourth in the 175th running of the great race.
It was a famous afternoon for the team. Russell’s partner is Peter Scudamore, an eight-time champion jockey who rode 1,678 winners in a record-breaking career, and they have formed a partnership that has produced the most successful racing yard in the history of Scottish jumps racing from their base at Arlary House in Milnathort, Perthshire.
Beating the best around
Corach Rambler cost a mere £17,000 but his career gives oxygen to the owners and trainers operating below the top level, says Russell as she lauded the horse’s ability to “beat equine millionaires”.
“[He] gave hope to any owner and trainer that they can compete no matter what their budget,” she said.
“He will forever be remembered for his Grand National victory but it should not be forgotten that he had an excellent record at Cheltenham.
“To some our decision will be a surprise. Corach is only 10, he could have raced on. But we feel we have a great responsibility with a horse with his public following to do the best thing for him.”
