The hunter-'chaser.

Product Information

Beginning at Down Royal over Christmas, Katie Walsh guided the Alan Fleming-owned gelding to win at Thurles in January, before adding the Raymond Smith at Leopardstown and Tetretema at Gowran Park his season haul. Awkward to break in, bloody-minded at times and with a life full of rich tales, Grittar was the Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunter Chase winner who went on to land the Grand National. However, the race that defines Thorne and his horse was the 1981 Grand National in which they finished second to Aldaniti. Before the race Frank had said, jokingly, 'If anybody gets lost we'll meet in the winner's enclosure – Ha ha!

At that fence he sprawled, Thorne was almost dislodged and briefly had both boots on one side of the saddle, yet recovered to beat Crystal Gazer easily by eight lengths. The remounted Loving Words came home a distance behind in third, and Saunders told the waiting media: "I did nothing – Grittar did it all. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.Another second was followed by a lesser effort when Grittar pulled up, and Gilman turned to the rider's father. The 2018/19 hunter chase season had a very traditional look to it with the programme by-and-large replicating the provisional summary of previous years, with the three autumn hunter chases being headlined by the breakthrough success of Stand Up And Fightat Down Royal. The following season, perhaps rusty for his season's debut as an eight-year-old and carrying the familiar weight of 12st 10lb, Spartan Missile missed out on his annual opening-day Sandown win before scoring at Warwick, but a suspensory ligament issue curtailed further action.

Some way back down the track another moment of sporting history was being made as Geraldine Rees became the first woman to complete the race when finishing eighth and last on Cheers. The Irish were out of luck at both Cheltenham and Aintree, with Burning Ambition getting closest at Liverpool, having to settle for second despite looking the likely winner approaching the famous elbow.

Was Spartan Missile, winner of the triple crown of Britain’s hunters’ chases in one season and later second in a Grand National, the greatest hunter chaser? Cousin Pascal: won the Walrus Hunters' Chase at Haydock on Saturday Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.