As unseasonable sunshine beat down upon the Aintree crowd, Silver Birch lined up for the 2007 John Smith’s Grand National a relatively forgotten 33/1 chance in a maximum field of 40 runners. In the 9 minutes 13.60 seconds it took for him to complete the four and a half miles of the race, the 10-year-old emphatically reminded the world of his standing as a staying chaser of the highest class.
The Gordon Elliott-trained Silver Birch had been a leading fancy for the 2005 John Smith’s Grand National after fine victories in that season’s totesport.com Becher Chase over the big Aintree fences and in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow, when trained in Somerset by Paul Nicholls. A leg injury sustained a month before that year’s Aintree showpiece ruled him out of contention and precipitated a downward spiral that saw him fail to complete in three of his four starts the following season, including when falling at the Chair in the 2006 John Smith’s Grand National won by Numbersixvalverde.
With persistent injuries having seemingly curtailed a once promising career, Silver Birch was despatched to Doncaster Sales after his Aintree tumble, where he caught the eye of Irishman Brian Walsh of Rheindross Stud, Kilcock, County Kildare, who purchased the
gelding for 20,000 guineas and sent him to trainer Gordon Elliott’s small yard in Trim, County Meath.
Walsh and Elliott, who at 26 and 29 respectively were the youngest owner and trainer to send out a runner in the 2007 John Smith’s Grand National, patched up and nurtured Silver Birch, opting for a cross-country campaign to reignite his enthusiasm. Four good cross-country efforts culminated in a fine second to Heads Onthe Ground in the Sporting Index Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in the March of 2007, yet he was still perceived to be a shadow of former days and was sent off as one of nine horses deemed the joint 15th choice in the betting for the John Smith’s Grand National on his next start. Five of the previous eight renewals of the world’s greatest steeplechase had gone the way of Irish-trained runners, including the 2005 and 2006 winners, Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde, both of whom were bidding to add a rare second success.
Point Barrow was deemed to be the chief Irish raider this time but, sent off the 8/1 co-favourite alongside Monkerhostin and Joes Edge, he made it no further than the first fence. Monkerhostin fared little better, refusing at the seventh (Foinavon), while Joes Edge was pulled up before the 20th. Robbie Power, the 25-year-old son of renowned show-jumper Con Power, took the ride on Silver Birch and soon had his mount
jumping rhythmically on the inside. Silver Birch, who was handily weighted on his best form with 10st 6lb, moved through to take a prominent position by the 12th fence and stalked the front rank round the second circuit.
A potential catastrophe was averted at Becher’s second time when Bewleys Berry fell, spilling Paddy Brennan out of the side door and into the path of Silver Birch. A slight nod on landing gave the gelding a split second’s grace as Brennan rolled clear and Power’s mount nimbly avoided the fallen horse and rider. From that point on it was a trouble-free run. Silver Birch disputed the lead for a few strides approaching the third last but it was Barry Geraghty aboard fellow Irish raider Slim Pickings who struck for home fi rst with Silver Birch poised to challenge.
Geraghty’s mount blundered at the last as Power and Silver Birch sailed by with a spring-heeled leap and led the charge to the line. Slim Pickings tried in vain to get back on terms but a new challenge emerged after the famous ‘elbow’ as Tom O’Brien drove Welsh-trained McKelvey in hot pursuit. The late challenger, a well-supported 12/1 chance, had the crowd roaring as he surged wide of Silver Birch but the line came in time for Power’s mount who took the most valuable prize in jump racing by three quarters of a length. Slim Pickings was third at 33/1, the Nick Williams-trained mudlover Philson Run stayed on to take fourth at 100/1 under John Smith’s Grand National debutant Daryl Jacob, while another fi rsttimer, amateur Sam Waley-Cohen, enjoyed a dream ride to finish fi fth aboard his father’s mare Liberthine at 40/1.
The winning rider, victorious on only his second Grand National ride, said: “Everything went right. The only problem was at Becher’s second time when Bewleys Berry fell in front of me and we managed to sidestep him. “Nothing seemed to be going better than Slim Pickings in front of me. Approaching the second-last I thought I might not get to him, but going to the last I knew Silver Birch had plenty left. I could hear something fl ying down the outside, but to be fair to the horse he stuck his head out.
“If I went out another 10 times, I wouldn’t get a better spin than that.” Silver Birch’s victory was the fourth in Britain for trainer Elliott, a former amateur with Tony Martin and Martin Pipe, who had not saddled a winner under Rules in his native Ireland since taking out a full licence the previous year. The handler, who then had some 30 charges, mainly point-topointers and young horses, said of his remarkable triumph: “He ran alright in the Cheltenham cross-country race, so we thought why not, we’ll let him take his chance. I couldn’t believe how perfect he was all the way.
It’s simply brilliant.” Perfect conditions at Aintree contributed to the fact that 30 of the 40-strong field were still standing with a circuit to race, with 12 crossing the finish line, including the past two winners, Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde, who finished ninth and sixth respectively. Silver Birch’s triumph maintained the Irish stranglehold on the John Smith’s Grand National, being the sixth raider from the Emerald Isle to capture the prize in the last nine renewals since Bobbyjo ended a 24-year drought in 1999.
