One for Arthur - an athlete and a performer

And like many of you, I found myself bursting with national pride once he did. Not only did he become the second ever Scottish-trained horse to win the race, but also Lucinda Russell became the fourth woman to train a winner in the world famous race’s 170-year history.

It was truly a great day for Scottish racing in particular and equestrianism in general. The victory comes with its own story, a complete one, with all the characters of a good novel. Significantly, this story is one of fact and not fiction, which made it all the more interesting.

Starting with the winner himself, One For Arthur, this eight-year-old gelding bred in Co Kilkenny brought his Classic-bred sire, Milan, into the headlines once more with such a prestigious victory.

He is one of several high class winners by the son of the influential Sadler’s Wells – another is Mountainous which twice scored victory in the Welsh Grand National and, to name yet another, Jezki won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Obviously bred for the job, prior to The National, there was evidence enough that Arthur could stay the distance having slogged his way through the mud to win the Warwick Handicap Chase in January, his only other outing in 2017.

So here is a horse with both breeding and ability. But is there more? Having been one of many enthusiasts to welcome him back to his yard the following day, I would have to say that I was so impressed by him as an individual and in my mind the model of a typical Irish steeplechaser.

True to my interest in conformation, I couldn’t help analyse the horse, an athlete through and through, with a walk to die for and a personality and outlook that sets him above so many others.

Most importantly for the job he performs, he is a deep-bodied horse with plenty room for heart and lungs and stands on the best of limbs, properly constructed with bone as hard as flint.

It was barely believable that he had gone round the Grand National course the day previously. There wasn’t a mark on him and no sign of swelling or puffiness in his joints.

Our showring judges would do well to book an appointment with his trainer to see what good limbs look like, for they seldom see them as good as this in the ring.

There is no doubt in my mind that a lot of the National victory lay with the horse himself, but people played their part as well.

The fact that his young jockey had sustained significant injuries at Carlisle only a few weeks before but worked hard to overcome them says much for his determination and ability.

Then, there are Arthur’s two owners, Mesdames McClung and Thomson, to whom others will refer forever more as The Two Golf Widows by virtue of the fact that their husbands have interests other than racing.

That notwithstanding, it has yet to be revealed if they helped their wives with the £60k price-tag which they bid for Arthur when he was purchased at the Brightwells sale at Cheltenham. One thing for sure, the £563k winning Grand National prize will keep his owners’ interest in racing fuelled for a few years to come.

Remember the old adage, ‘Behind every man there is a great woman’?

In this case there is a role reversal as I am sure Arthur’s trainer would be the first to admit.

Eight times champion jockey, Peter Scudamore, played a pivotal role in this year’s Grand National success and most observers would say that he has had a noticeable impact on the success of the Arlary House race horses in recent years since moving to Scotland.

Prior to McCoy and alongside other great jockeys, such as John Francome and Jonjo O’Neil, Scudamore made a remarkable partnership with champion NH trainer Martin Pipe, acknowledged as the trainer who revolutionised the game of racing.

Scudamore claimed most of the country’s great races over fences, however, unlike his father, Michael, who won the Grand National on Oxo in 1959, Peter never did.

This training victory must have made it all the more sweet.

Watching him operate behind the scenes on TV at Aintree, as well as in person at the Milnathort yard last Sunday, he comes across as a well-organised and able operator whose abilities are more than obvious.

It is no wonder he was awarded the MBE for his services to racing.

Last, but not least, comes the trainer herself, Lucinda Russell, a remarkable woman, highly competent by any standard.

She is living the dream and the first to admit it is all down to a wonderful team of people around her, something which she has modestly stressed at every interview screened over recent weeks.

That may be the case but all too easy to accept in my book as it is obvious for everyone to see that she is the glue that binds the whole operation together and justifiably, must take the credit for One For Arthur’s remarkable success in the Grand National.

Her love of race horses surely comes from her father, Peter Russell, chairman of Ian MacLeod Distillers (famed among others for Isle of Skye Whisky and Edinburgh Gin) who encouraged her interest in horses from an early age and helped her develop this into a passion for training race horses at their Milnathort home.

Over the years she has saddled hundreds of winners throughout Britain and at major courses such as Cheltenham and Aintree, thus earning her a place in Scotland’s race horse history book as leading trainer of all time.

Her personality is warm and friendly while her personal success modestly accepted; there’s no show-off here.

Lucinda Russell must rate amongst Scotland’s leading ambassadors and someone to make us all proud.

I am sure that The SF readers join with me in sending Lucinda, her team, One For Arthur and his connections our warmest congratulations for a Grand National we will all remember.