Famous Horse Racing Comebacks

Desert Boots and Andrew Breslin

In 2021, jockey Andrew Breslin pulled off a win that some described as ‘astonishing’. At Southwell Racecourse in Nottinghamshire, he rode Desert Boots in the 6f handicap. Beginning in trap number 5, Desert Boots suffered a couple of bumps and fluffs to start things off. Anyone who had chosen to wager on the duo securing the win would likely have been in dire straits.

A furlong into the race and the horse was struggling at the back of the pack. The young Irish jockey pushed his horse along though, despite his position in the race. Turning into the straight, Desert Boots loitered at more than 12 lengths behind the leaders. Yet all was not lost for the horse trained by Mark Johnston.

Desert Boots began to make headway, picking off his competition one by one on the inside. Soon enough, the horse and his rider had overtaken more than half the other entrants. Even commentator Stewart Machin expressed his surprise at the run. Things became even more intense as the horse burst through at around a furlong out. A close competitor in Stamina tried to keep up the pace, but Desert Boots continued to impress. Few could believe that such a race had taken place.

“That’s got to be ride of the year there from Andrew Breslin on Desert Boots wow”, Tweeted one viewer. Another called it an “astonishing” race in a similar post.

Following the victory at Southwell, confirmation of the sale of Desert Boots came out. The February sale of that year doubtless saw him go to an impressed owner. Breslin commented on the victory of his horse at the event, saying:

“Desert Boots didn’t travel great but just about kept tabs on them early. The trip was on the short side for him, but it opened up nicely on the far rail and he was always going to do his best in the closing stage.”

A Look Back to 1967 and the Unexpected Grand National Victory for Foinavon

The Grand National is one of the big events held on an annual basis at Aintree Racecourse. First run in 1839, it serves as a handicap steeplechase over around 4 miles and 2 1/2 furlongs.

Various moments in this race have been cause for excitement and shock. Yet it is true to say that one of the biggest shocks came about in 1967. That race is best remembered for providing the 100/1 outsider Foinavon with a victory. It was the only horse to avoid a melee at the 23rd fence and jumped it on the first attempt.

It all came about when Popham Down veered to his right after unseating his rider. At the 23rd fence, the horse slammed into Rutherfords, unseating jockey Johnny Leech. That dramatic event led to a pile-up. Rondetto, Norther, Kirtle Lad, Princeful, Leedsy and others hit the ground. They then began running up and down the fence, causing an obstruction for other riders. Those horses either crashed into each other or brought them to a halt. As it happens, some of the horses turned around and ran back the way they had come.

That left an opening for Foinavon, whose owner had travelled from Worcester on race day. His intention was to ride another of his horses in the event. Yet Foinavon and his jockey, John Buckingham saw a clear opening. Coming from the 22nd position, he had enough time to steer the horse clear of the confusion. He then found a small gap in the fence and jumped it without a problem. Being the only horse to do so on the first attempt, Buckingham took over lead position. He maintained a lead of about 30 lengths for a considerable time.

From the 23rd fence, 17 jockeys did remount their horses and gave chase. Some made up a considerable amount of ground. Not lease Josh Gifford on 15/2 favourite Honey End. Yet none were able to catch Foinavon, which passed the finishing post 15 lengths clear. The success of the horse saw a record 444/1 paid out on the Tote. In 1984, Aintree named the fence the Foinavon fence in tribute.

A Modern-Day Foinavon Experience for Red Marauder

2001 was a difficult year for the horse racing world. It saw the Cheltenham Festival cancelled due to the foot-and-mouth disease crisis. Various others had suffered from the same fate. Yet the Grand National went ahead despite this.

The steeplechase was won by the 33/1 shot Red Marauder that year. Ridden by jockey Richard Guest in a time over 11 minutes, it was serendipitous for the duo. There was a limit of 40 riders placed on the field. Only two of the competitors finished the course without any mishap. An unusual outcome saw a high number of falls, with eight of those occurring at the first Canal Turn. It also came under criticism from some people, who suggested the conditions were too wet. This led to a build-up of mud, causing accidents on the course.

Red Marauder was not one of the leading contenders in the race. Many had wagered on Edmond, Moral Support or Inis Cara to claim the victory. Even Beau and Mely Moss were favourites before the eventual winner. In the previous year, Red Marauder had fallen at Becher’s Brook on the first circuit. There weren’t many who put their faith in the horse for the 2001 edition. Especially considering it had another fall at Haydock right before the Grand National.

Of the eight horses that had fallen during the opening stages, one carried on as a loose horse. This gelding, Paddy’s Return, ended up causing pandemonium at the Canal Turn. There, he took down several nearby runners, with nine horses falling in total. That included two of the favourites in Moral Support and Amberleigh House.

Only 13 horses remained in the race after that jump. Then, Noble Lord fell at the 13th, leaving 12 in the running. The Chair jump claimed another three horses, including Edmond. By the time the second circuit began, seven horses remained in competition.

A couple of loose horses veered across the ditch at the 19th jump. This ended up knocking out Papillon, Blowing Wind and Brave Highlander from the race. Unsinkable Boxer also refused to jump at the 19th. The final three saw Beau unseat its rider at the 20th fence when its reins broke. Red Marauder and Smarty were the only two left by that time, with the latter leading. Yet Guest pushed his horse to a level footing by the second-last, before securing the win by a distance.

An Incredible Finish for Harry Du Berlais

There isn’t much faith placed in a horse when it has odds of 999/1 on it. That was the case for Harry Du Berlais recently, though. The horse stormed to an unlikely victory at Market Rasen with jockey Charlie Hammond.

It didn’t look like it would be such a tough call at first. For most of the contest, Harry Du Berlais was running close to the leaders. Things seemed to go a bit southwards when the horse dropped back before the third-last fence. It remained in third position for a short time, and then seemed to gather a second wind.

Almost like someone had switched a lightbulb on in the horse’s head, it began making headway again. Before long, it was approaching the two leaders once more. As it happens, right when Harry Du Berlais was picking up speed, Fawsley Spirit began losing pace. In the final furlong, Du Berlais rushed past Spirit and managed to snatch the victory by a short head.

The horse’s owner Nick Kent commented that he didn’t think Du Berlais had a chance in the race. “He’s not the quickest horse at home”, he said, “but he was very gutsy there.”

Charlie Deutsch Has a Fantastic Final Win of His Career on Burrows Park

Earlier on in 2022, Chepstow races took place. It was at this event that British National Hunt jockey Charlie Deutsch had his final race. Many didn’t think it would come to much, considering he was riding Burrows Park. That became even more likely when the 10-year-old became detached early on in the race.

After a slow jump, Deutsch found himself playing catch-up. The other seven runners stuck together in an ideal bunch. As they approached the fourth flight, Burrows Park was nowhere on screen.

Yet despite being in such an unpromising position, Deutsch nudged his mount along. On the final lap, the duo was still in the last position. Much to the surprise of the commentator, Burrows Park started picking up steam. As the horse’s rivals started tiring, he began picking them off.

With only three hurdles left to jump, the 25-1 shot was in fifth place. The pair continued closing in, making it to second place between the second-last and final flight. Burrows Park leapt out of Deutsch’s hands at the last hurdle but stayed on course. Through sheer determination, it leapt ahead of the 11-4 favourite in Itacare. Once it was all over, Burrows Park had won by a length.

Many horse racing fans praised Deutsch’s riding skills. Owner of Burrows Park, Venetia Williams, was “bowled over” by the result. It marked a 60th win for the horse.

Rich Strike Comes from Behind as 80/1 Favourite at Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby took place in May of 2022. This saw another stunning victory occur by a horse that came back from being behind. Favourites Epicenter and Zandon had the most attention entering into the race. The 20-horse field didn’t have Rich Strike partaking in the event at all in its initial stages. Yet Hall of Fame trainer D Wayne Lukas scratched off Ethereal Road. This made room for Rich Strike to take up position, ridden by Sonny Leon.

Epicenter and Zandon indeed took the biggest share of the race up-front. The pair were duelling it out for the first-place finish. That is until Rich Strike came charging up the rail. The event played host to former US president Donald Trump, too. In front of the VIP, Rich Strike overtook Zandon, leaving him three-quarters of a length behind. It then beat out the 4/1 favourite in Epicenter by another three-quarters of a length. This marked the second-biggest upset in the 148-year history of the Kentucky Derby.

“When I was in the last 70 yards, I said, ‘I think I got this race'”, said Leon. Rich Strike earned a payout of $1.86 million (£1.51 million) for the victory. It is only the second time it has made it to the finish line in first place.