Horse Profile

Did you know Hedgehunter sealed his place in racing history by winning the world's greatest steeplechase, the Aintree Grand National. His career started slowly, but he began to progress once sent over fences and a win in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park in January 2004 preceded a bold bid for the Aintree Grand National the following April, with him looking likely to have finished a close fourth only to fall at the final fence under David Casey. His 2004/5 campaign was geared around a repeat bid for Aintree glory and with him having the perfect prep race by winning the Boobyjo Chase at Fairyhouse, tragedy struck for David Casey as he suffered a bad neck injury just a fortnight before Aintree and was forced to miss the ride. Ruby Walsh replaced him and made no mistake, with Hedgehunter bolting up by 14 lengths to the delight of the punters that had backed him into favouritism. He went on to finish a game second off top weight in the 2006 renewal of the Aintree Grand National and completed the course without troubling the judge in the next two renewals of the great race, sealing his place as one of the finest Grand National performers of recent decades.