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Bred by Martin McEnery in County Kilkenny, Red Rum’s remarkable life started on 3 May 1965. Red Rum was by the grey stallion Qorum out of the mare called Mared and hence the last three letters of each of his parents names christened a legend (a co-incidence that it spelt murder backwards noticed much later by others).
Red Rum was soon put into training, as a two year, having obtained a potentially good pedigree for sprinting. Having been bought by former jockey Tim Molony his first owner was Mr Maurice Kingsley. Rummy contested his first race for his new owner at Aintree, of all places, in 1967 over 5 furlongs. Red Rum ridden by Paul Cook immediately showed his battling qualities by dead heating with the favourite Curlicue. He then went on to record a very busy season running eight more times, winning once more at and being placed three times. Red Rum only had a further two runs for Molony on the flat in 1968 with one victory at Doncaster and a second place at Aintree over a mile on Grand National day 1968 with Lester Piggott on board.
By the autumn of that year Red Rum had been sold and was now in the care of veteran trainer Bobby Renton for owner Mrs Lurline Brotherton with a view to going hurdling. His first season at the National Hunt game went reasonably well, being placed many times, and finally getting his act together in the spring when runner-up to Clever Scot at Aintree. The horse had once again shown a liking for the Liverpool track and even better was to come over the following weeks as Red Rum won three on the bounce under Paddy Broderick during April, all at a distance of two miles.
Great things were expected of Red Rum the following season, but he ran a remarkable 14 times over hurdles during the 1969/70 season and didn’t record a single victory. Rummy’s loss of form was a mystery but it was a year of the cough and maybe the gelding’s early career exploits were already catching up with him.
In October 1970 Red Rum embarked on a Novice Chase campaign, beginning at Newcastle, running well to be third. Victories soon followed at Doncaster, Sedgefield and Ayr to mean that by the end of the season Red Rum had won or been placed in all 13 of his chases that season. His improved form included a good fourth place at The 1971 Cheltenham Festival in The Mildmay of Fleet Handicap Chase.
During the 1971/1972 season things once again were not so easy for Red Rum but the gelding did record some good placed efforts along with two victories at Catterick either side of Christmas over three miles. During the past three seasons Red Rum had not only had numerous partners in the saddle but also came under the care of more than one trainer as the semi-retired Booby Renton handed over firstly to jockey Tommy Stack and then Anthony Gillam. Stack had also partnered the horse on many occasions particularly in his Novice Chase season mixing both riding and training. Red Rum was finally tried over four miles at the end of the season with a spin in the 1972 Scottish Grand National at Ayr finishing fifth having led for part of the race. It was a clear indication of future promise however Red Rum’s owner had decided that the gelding was off to the Doncaster sales.
Here, Red Rum’s life was to take a dramatic twist and his relationship with a new trainer Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain was to become the stuff of legends. McCain, a newcomer to the professional training ranks, was at the Doncaster sales looking for a Grand National horse for one of his owner, 84 year old Mr Noel Le Mare. The trainer, who had met the elderly gentleman when working as a part time Taxi driver, had already mixed training race horses from behind his used car showroom in Southport.
The millionaire owner had a fascination with The Grand National and had, in recent years, tried to win the race. Mr Le Mare’s interest had been sparked 67 years earlier when being sent in 1906 as a 19 year old lad to find out who had won the big race? McCain already had one horse called Glenkiln for the owner but now was permitted to purchase a second and Red Rum was duly knocked down to the trainer for 6,600 guineas. McCain was however mortified within a matter of
days when he found out that Red Rum was lame with the dreaded crippling foot disease Pedalostitis.
In a strange twist of fate, luckily Red Rum had gone to only man training his horses on a beach and after half hour in the sea the lameness was gone.
Red Rum’s 1972/1973 season began with a bang with five victories on the bounce during the early months of the season. His trainer then wisely gave the horse a winter break bringing him back for three places efforts in the build up to Aintree and The 1973 Grand National. A bumper crowd was in attendance to watch one of the classiest ever fields assembled that year with Fred Winter’s Crisp heading the weights. Crisp, the 9/1 joint favourite with Red Rum ridden by Richard Pitman, was originally from Australia, but had come to England via America and taken several top class steeplechases, albeit at shorter distances, along the way. The two horses could not have come from different backgrounds if they had tried, bred on opposite sides of the world, Crisp a class horse was stabled in Lambourn by his legendary trainer. Red Rum was an ex-flat race scrapper who had fought his way up now trained and exercised on Southport beach. Red Rum, now regularly partnered by 25 year old Brian Fletcher was to receive no less than 23 lbs from the top weight.
With Crisp having jumped his rival’s silly during the race, Red Rum had been the only horse to cling onto his coat tails and remained in touch as they crossed the Melling Road. As they jumped the last Red Rum still had 15 lengths to make up, but relentlessly pounded up the run-in agonisingly closing in on the gallant Crisp and passed him in the dying strides to win probably the most remarkable and glorious Grand National of all time. The winner had broken Golden Miller’s 39-year-old track record by over 18 seconds but Crisp’s magnificent failure to concede the weight to Red Rum was seen by many including his own trainer, Fred Winter, to be the finest ever Aintree performance and yet he had not won. McCain was quite rightly delighted if not slightly disappointed that an outbreak of public sympathy for the runner-up had taken the edge off Red Rum’s tremendous triumph.
The following season brought further success for Red Rum with four victories and three seconds, proving himself once again in good order, including filling the runners-up spot in the 1974 Hennessey Gold Cup at Newbury behind Red Candle. All had gone to plan save for one unseated blip at Haydock Park in the build up to a defence of The 1974 Grand National. With Crisp missing through injury, Red Rum was now burdened with top weight of 12 stone himself and many thought this would anchor any chance of a repeat. This was reflected in the betting with the horse being permitted to go off at odds of 11/1. Red Rum, bidding to become the first horse since Reynoldstown in 1935 and 1936 to win back-to-back Nationals, was partnered once again by Brian Fletcher, himself bidding for a unique third National triumph.
Having been handy for much of the second circuit Red Rum sailed over the last two fences showing no signs of stopping, powering up the run in to score by seven lengths from fellow top weight L’escargot. After the widespread sympathy for Crisp in 1973, Red Rum’s triumph under top weight became a total vindication for connections and the high esteem in which they held their charge. Red Rum had now also matched Reynoldstown’s achievement, and it was promptly declared by his trainer that Rummy would be back for a record third triumph in 12 months’ time. The horse capped a fine season in the spring by going onto Ayr and winning the Scottish equivalent stamping himself as one of the greats under another terrific weight carrying performance.
Red Rum, no doubt with one eye on a triple success at Aintree, only ran six times on the lead up to The 1975 Grand National winning twice, at Ayr and Haydock, with some good placed efforts thrown in for good measure. As a result of his successes in the previous two Nationals, the 10 year old had now firmly become a household name and after the betting industry had doubted he could win the race twice in a row when offering a generous 11/1 in 1974, this time they took no chances by making Rummy Favourite at just 7/2.
Red Rum’s main rival again looked to be L’escargot and with a combination of an 11lb weight concession and the dead ground this time it was the Irish challenger who pulled clear up the run in, with the two heroes having touched down together at each of the last two obstacles. Although tasting his first National defeat in second, Red Rum’s trainer Ginger McCain was delighted with the performance and promptly declared his charge would be back for another crack in 1976. As last year Rummy travelled again to Scotland for the 1975 Scottish National but this time could only finish back in the field, unplaced.
By the autumn of 1975, the well-being and park course form of the now public treasure Red Rum had come into dispute. Red Rum’s form had undoubtedly tailed off and the 11 year-old had gone without a win for 14 months. Although Ginger McCain was confident the horse would always save his best for Aintree, others including regular jockey Brian Fletcher were convinced ‘Rummy’ was in decline. Matters came to a head at Newcastle when Fletcher sat motionless when riding the horse, yet without being over exerted managed to finish a short head third. Fletcher then reported to the press that the horse had given him ‘no feel what so ever’ and ‘should be retired’ without discussing it with connections. McCain who had been receiving much of the general criticism was incensed and having decided that the old partnership was stale and had been together for too long, promptly replaced Red Rum’s regular pilot with Tommy Stack for The 1976 Grand National.
His supporters needn’t have worried though with Rummy putting up another wonderful performance losing narrowly to Rag Trade who made a decisive surge down the outside and set off up the run-in looking for all the world like he would win going away, but to his credit Red Rum fought back once again under his top weight just going down by a slowly diminishing two lengths at the line. Red Rum finished that season with another unplaced effort at Sandown Park in The Whitbread Gold Cup.
Red Rum was back on song in early season 1976/1977 winning his first race of season at Carlisle in September. He then only managed a couple of third places in the build up to his fifth Grand National during the spring of 1977. The largest crowd for many years attended the 1977 Grand National, fitting perhaps for what has now become one of the most iconic races in history. With Ladbrokes now marketing the event properly, the richest ever Grand National was to be run on good ground on a gloriously sunny spring day. Red Rum, now 12 years old was back, ridden by Tommy Stack, with his trainer Ginger McCain thinking he was well, but possibly a week away from peak fitness. Rummy was once again burdened with top weight and due to his poor form on park courses (and the fact that there was some quality opposition with less weight down the handicap) was permitted to start at odds of 9/1.
With some drama having befallen the various leaders of the race up to second Bechers, Red Rum now hit the front and suddenly seemed to sense his chance as Tommy Stack accompanied by a loose horse, and in fear of being carried wide, raced towards The Canal Turn. This injection put Red Rum clear over Valentines from the improving Churchtown Boy. At the second last Red Rum was still three lengths in front, but Churchtown Boy had stuck with him and looked dangerous under Martin Blackshaw. Again Red Rum found more, pinging the fence, whilst his rival hit it hard. Red Rum cleared the last with only loose horses surrounding him up the run-in, and with Peter O’Sullevan’s iconic voice calling him home on television, in front of his beloved Aintree crowd who were all going absolutely potty! Red Rum, stood tall as King of Aintree, five attempts; two seconds and three wins, a truly remarkable record.
After another unplaced effort in The Scottish National at Ayr in 1977, Red Rum was trained for a sixth attempt at The Grand National. Rummy undertook a light campaign of just five races with two seconds and two fourths in his build up to Aintree. However, the 13 year old Red Rum was sadly a non runner on the morning of April Fools Day 1978. Having undertaken a racecourse gallop on the Friday, the Aintree hero was found to be lame, diagnosed with a possible stress fracture and trainer Ginger McCain was taking no chances declaring his charge an absentee and retirement beckoned.
However, Red Rum, quite rightly, led the parade on a gloomy and overcast day with his adoring public showing their appreciation for a great champion. His last race in public (of 110 in total) had become an unplaced effort at Haydock Park in the Greenhall Whitley Handicap chase over 3 miles ridden by Tommy Stack.
In many ways Rummy had helped to save the National regularly running in the race and drawing a large TV audience just at the time the race needed it. Under the guidance of Ladbrokes, with The Topham family leaving and property tycoon Bill Davies threatening to develop the racecourse with housing Red Rum had been the marketing tool to attract a wider audience and the much needed public support. Rummy also helped with the fundraising after retirement when The Jockey Club was purchasing the racecourse. This was now Red Rum’s very public role in life and what other horse has experienced the volume of requests to open fetes, Betting Shops and Super Markets after retirement from racing.
The horse quite rightly received many honors’ from the racecourse itself with a Chase being named after him at The Aintree Festival. He always led the parade when in good health and a life-sized Philip Blacker bronze of Red Rum was unveiled by HRH The Princess Royal in 1988. During May 1995, a race evening completely dedicated to Rummy was staged to celebrate his 30th Birthday.
Red Rum sadly died on Wednesday, 18 October 1995 aged 30 having enjoyed a long and happy retirement. He was finally put to sleep having suffered a heart attack and was promptly buried by the winning post at his beloved Aintree, a fitting tribute to the greatest Grand National horse we have ever seen.
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