GG Jumps Journal - Golden Ace is only as lucky as the best

Golden Ace certainly has claims of being an exceptionally lucky horse. However, when does luck turn into legend?

GG Jumps Journal – Legends are always lucky

Red Rum was lucky.

There’s no point trying to argue his case. If Crisp had run in a straight line, or Richard Pitman not slept on his left arm, he’d be a two-time Grand National winner at best and even that may be generous. Rather than Churchtown Boy being his nemesis in 1977, it may well have been Boom Docker, who had cleared into a remarkable Crisp-esque lead (see below, as it may have been even greater) before refusing at the 17th, or favourite Andy Pandy, himself building up an ominous head of steam before crumbling after Becher’s Brook in the days of The Drop.

While we’re at it, Tiger Roll, I’m looking at you too. The Drop had long been levelled by the time Gigginstown’s terrier-like Tiger turned up at Aintree and made it his very own galloping playground. Modern Becher’s, Valentine’s, the Chair, and so many others, would look unrecognisable to any of those whooping alongside them in 1977, as of course they should for a multitude of safety reasons.

Nevertheless, it is fair to say jumping exertions would have taken much more of a toll on a horse like Tiger Roll had he contested the Grand National even a decade or two prior. Let us err on the side of two decades, as 2013 hero Aurora’s Encore had a notoriously shabby jumping record before gallivanting his way to Aintree glory as if the fences were hurdles.

In that respect, Kauto Star is probably the luckiest chaser of all time. This is not an attempt to tarnish every great horse’s reputation, but Kauto took alarmingly few liberties when it came to the final fence on a shuddering number of occasions. Denman could bulldoze without such hassle, though even his Hennessy heroics of 2009 may have been undone had What A Friend not fancied a cuddle before the final fence.

Chasing’s greater risk brings with it an inherent factor of fortune. However, some hurdlers have printed Golden Ace’s path for her in recent years. In back-to-back seasons in 2016 and 2017, Annie Power and Buveur d’Air were heading for alternate destinations until absentees determined a change of route. The former’s reputation would likely be entirely different had Faugheen remained sound, as she would have won only a Mares’ Hurdle from three Cheltenham Festival attempts otherwise.

Buveur d’Air may have made into a strapping novice chaser, but instead his rerouting earned him two Champion Hurdles. The late Espoir d’Allen was unlucky in the cruellest of ways, but his Championship fell into his hands in 2019, while Honeysuckle? Let’s just say she was fortuitous given the era she benefitted from.

Yet, how many of these do we really consider lucky? Maybe we occasionally glimpse them as fated beneficiaries, but they are mostly heralded for the champions they are.

Golden Ace has gained two Grade 1s this year with luck on her side. Give her a couple of years, though, or just one more grand victory, and history will remember not to care.

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Tip for the Weekend

Last year’s Grand Sefton winner King Turgeon is now only 2lb above his last winning mark and showed up much better after wind surgery on his return in that contest. He stays 3m2f though and is probably better over this distance, so could well be back far enough in the handicap to win this weekend’s Becher Chase.

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