Phillips eyes Aintree glory with school friend
By Nick Seddon
Trainer Richard Phillips has only ever saddled one runner in the Randox Grand National and that was 24 years ago.
Now he dreams of landing the most famous steeplechase in the world with Idas Boy, a horse he helped buy for a school friend of 55 years.
At 30 in the list and with a rating of 151 and a weight of 10st 10lb, the 11-year-old gelding is guaranteed a run at Aintree on April 5th, if he can stay fit and well in the meantime.
Trainer Phillips, who operates out of Adlestrop, near Cheltenham, said: “There’s 12 of them in the syndicate, called the ‘Dozen Dreamers’. The horse was purchased by my great school friend of 55 years, John Rosbotham, who had a share in a horse called Pak Jack, who didn’t get into the Grand National but was second in the Great Sefton and third in the Becher.
“It was our dream ever since we were in junior school to win the Grand National, so he bought this horse through Tom Malone last September and we syndicated it. They’re called the “Dozen Dreamers” because it’s a dream to have a runner in the race, never mind the winner!
“Hopefully it all goes to plan between now and April. We might have a run at Doncaster over hurdles at the start of March, but the plan is to go for the Grand National.
“He won the Midlands National at Kilbeggan last summer and he seems to get the trip - he was only beaten a couple of lengths by Gerri Colombe as a novice hurdler. He’s stayed three miles before, so hopefully he’ll get the extra trip and give us a good run round if we get there.
“It’s obviously a dream for the 12 people who have got involved. They’ve enjoyed the experience up until now and let’s hope that the excitement continues up until the day.
“It’s very difficult to buy a horse to run in the Grand National without spending huge amounts of money on them and the form is very much there for him. He could run well in a National if we can get him there – which is the hard part as anything can happen. With luck on our side, it’s great to know that he definitely gets a run if we do.
“Tom Malone had been looking out for a potential Grand National horse for John (Rosbotham), though up until now they had been too expensive. This is a horse that looked as though he’d be affordable due to his age and things like that, so he bought him with the hope of syndicating him and it’s worked out well.
“He came to us last September and has had a bit of a break as he’d been running through the summer a bit. We’ve been building him up since with the idea of giving him a prep run over hurdles before going to the race.”
Phillips admits that Aintree has always held a special place in his heart and that having a runner in the great race would be as much a dream for him as it would be for his owners.
He continued: “It’s a place that I always aspired to be involved at as a child, and the Grand National was always the best 10 minutes or so of the year growing up. A few of my friends have won it as riders and it’s always been an ambition of mine to compete. You always want to win it of course, but to compete in the race is a dream in itself.
“The Ramblers (owners of the 2023 winner Corach Rambler) showed that syndicates can have their day and it’s great that it’s possible. It would be lovely if we could get him there and run in the race, because it would just show you that it’s not a race that’s just for the top owners. It’s the people’s race and it would be great if the syndicate could have a runner in it.”
Phillips’ only experience of taking part in the race to date was when he saddled Noble Lord in the 2001 renewal before watching him fall at the 13th fence.
He went on: “My only National runner to date came in the year that there were only two finishers (the race was won by Red Marauder). There were 13 horses left going to the 13th and he just stumbled, which was a bit of a shame as he’d been a runner-up in a Scottish National the year before.
“He didn’t mind soft ground either so it was a shame he didn’t get round, but I’m sure there are plenty others who would say the same!
“We had plenty of excitement in the build-up back then, Clare Balding came to see us for an interview a few weeks before, but dare I say if we got this one to win the race it would make Aldaniti look ordinary!
“We won the Red Rum Handicap Chase with Dark’n Sharp (in 2002) and we nearly won the race with Time Won’t Wait I (second in 1996) when I first started training, so we like to go to the meeting if we’ve got a horse that’s good enough.”
Although his own CV does not boast much experience in the National, Phillips has plenty of friends and associates who have celebrated victory at Aintree.
He explained: “I lived with Marcus Armytage the year he won the race with Mr Frisk (in 1990) and we knew he’d win the night before! The ground was just right and he duly won the race, while I started out at the same time as Richard Dunwoody (who won the race twice, on West Tip in 1986 and on Miinnehoma in 1994).
“That was all 30-40 years ago now! I knew Terry Casey (owner) well and when Rough Quest won, bless him, he said to me that he couldn’t see how his horse wouldn’t win! He was just so confident that the horse would win the National, so I’ve got a lot of connections with people who have won the race – it would be lovely if we were there this year!”