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One of Australia’s oldest and most gruelling feature races will be run at Sandown on Sunday with the annual running of the Grand National Steeple over the distance of 4500 metres.
In my opinion it is one of the most overlooked of all the big events considering its roots can be traced as far back as the mid-19th century.
The race was first run in 1866, only five years after the inaugural Melbourne Cup was run in 1861. It was originally held at Victoria’s premier racecourse Flemington and then switched to Sandown following the decision not to include jumps racing in their racing calendar.
There has been a lot of negativity surrounding jumps racing in recent years. The animal rights movement has culminated in many changes being implemented to satisfy their overzealous desire to supposedly make it much safer.
As a result the course and distance of the Grand National has been altered with the introduction of lower fences to negotiate, however it still takes some strength and endurance to complete the event.
The Grand National Steeple is a race that I am very familiar with as my father Tom McGinley won the race a record five times as a jockey. His wins on Royal Rennie in 1965, McEwan in 1966 and 1968, Black Butt in 1970 and Valgo in 1971 ensured his place in the record books.
This year’s event sees another champion jockey aiming to add another Grand National to his tally. Steven Pateman is proving to be one of the sport’s most talented jockeys of this current generation. He recently won the GN Hurdle for a fourth time and now has the opportunity to win the Grand National double.
The amount of jumps racing in Victoria has dwindled over the years when you compare it to that of the 1960s and 1970s when Dad was riding. With limited opportunities, Steven has proved his skills as a top class jockey and as a resplendent horseman in general.
Like my father Tom, I presume that his motivation comes from an ambition to succeed and the fulfilment of their deep passion for riding. It’s certainly not for the monetary rewards, considering the very few occasions when the remuneration is worthy of the skills that they display in their quest for success.
On Sunday Steven has the mount on Bashboy, who is favoured to win the event for a record third time. He has the huge impost of 74.5 kilograms to carry, however he has the ability to defeat his four rivals.
His biggest danger is the Patrick Payne trained horse Sea King. It’s a real shame that the event didn’t attract more entrants, although this doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t be exciting.
To make any comparison with that of the Grand National in England would be quite foolish of me, however I would applaud the day when the Australian equivalent will attract as many race-goers as the event at Aintree. This year there was a capacity crowd of 70,000 to watch this great spectacle.
In its heyday the event at Flemington used to attract 20,000 or more spectators, so maybe once again the race could achieve the success it so deserves.
Jump racing should still remain a big part of the fabric of thoroughbred racing in Australia. It’s such a spectacle to watch and I for one will be viewing the race from my armchair on the other side of the globe in the UK.
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