Michael Scudamore
When Monbeg Dude arrived at Michael’s yard at Eccleswall Court, Bromsash things did not get off to a racing start. “We must have bought him in January 2009. He is eight now and we had him when he was four. He was supposed to run in the February. We had turned him out in the paddock and two days before he was supposed to run we turned him out in the same paddock and he jumped out. He broke the gate and then jumped another gate that was already open and ended up hitting his pelvis on a wooden post and fracturing it. That meant that for the best part of three months he did nothing but box rest and it was six months before he was able to race.”
Nevertheless, by this time last year Michael knew: “He was the first horse I have had good enough to really give the Welsh Grand National a go. Last year was the first year I entered him and when he won it was a feeling of just sheer joy in what he had achieved. Ownership didn’t come into it – to have trained a horse which went and won a race of that magnitude was a great feeling.”
Michael added: “The Welsh Grand National is a race that has been good to us. My grandfather won it when he rode and my father won it about four times so it was about time me or my brother got our name on the board. It was me first! Yes, there is a bit of friendly rivalry. He has done really, really well in what he has achieved but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t nice to get there before him!”
Michael’s brother Tom is a professional jockey and their father Peter Scudamore MBE, who now has a training yard in Scotland, is a former National Hunt champion jockey – although he never won the Grand National - third on Corbiere in 1985 was his best result. Michael’s grandfather, also named Michael, won the Welsh Grand National in 1957 and the Grand National in 1959 before his racing career was ended by a fall and he went on to become a trainer. Michael senior, now in his eighties, lives at Much Marcle and still takes an interest in the yard, where his grandson has about 20 horses in training. “It was a farm and Dad bought it in about 2002 and took about two or three years to convert it and put in the gallops and stables. The three of us, me, Dad and Grandad ran the yard for a couple of years and then Dad left and I carried on with Grandad’s help. I took over the license in 2008 and winning the Welsh Grand National has been my biggest achievement so far.”
This year Monbeg Dude has had two outings at Cheltenham, initially in preparation for the Welsh Grand National but following a good run in November, when he was ridden by Richard Johnson and came in a creditable fourth, his owners have decided to aim for the big race at Aintree in April.
“The aim is to go for two big prize money races before then, probably back at Cheltenham, although nothing has been finalised – the idea of running him in Ireland has also been mentioned.”
Michael is confident the horse has a very good chance of running well, notching up another success for the Scudamore racing dynasty. Whatever the outcome, Monbeg Dude’s owners can be thankful that Lady Luck was shining on them that night at the horse auctions.“I have never bought a horse unseen before. There were more than 100 lots that night and just to have stumbled upon him is amazing. He only cost us £12,000 compared to horses which were making £100,000 to £200,000, which probably haven’t gone on to achieve half of what he has. He is probably worth 10 times what we paid for him now – we thought he would give us some fun and a few days out away from rugby and he has – but he has also turned out to be a good investment!”
This year’s Coral Welsh Grand National, the biggest race meeting of the year at Chepstow, will be held on December 28. In addition to top class jump racing, there will be plenty of other entertainment, all making for a great day out. There are seven races starting at 12.05pm - the gates open at 10am.
www.chepstow-racecourse.co.uk 85
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