Marston blog

This year's The Grand National around the corner

The Grand National is arguably the world's most famous race and has a habit of throwing up a fairytale story from Bob Champion's victory after recovering from cancer to last year and champion jockey Tony McCoy ending his jinx in the race on a horse trained by another former cancer sufferer Jonjo O'Neill.

This year's renewal at Aintree on April 9 has the potential of delivering a similar tearjerking story with two of those involved having battled through different misfortunes.

Jockey Daryl Jacob and trainer Jimmy Moffatt are hardly household names but in What A Friend - part-owned by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson - and Chief Dan George respectively they have live chances of at last alleviating some of the grief and pain they have experienced.

Jacob lost his best friend and fellow jockey Kieran Kelly in August 2003 when his fellow Irishman died from injuries suffered in a fall and his tragic death is never far from the 26-year-old rider's thoughts.

"I think about Kieran every day of the week and have his photo in my bedroom and another in my car, so he is with me wherever I go," Jacob told the Daily Mail.

"We were so close and did everything together.

"Kieran?s death hit me massively. You never get over a thing like that. His loss made me more determined than ever to achieve something for him because he?d taken me under his wing and looked after me so well."

Jacob, who also saw one of his early retainers Robert Alner suffer terrible injuries in a car crash, at one point, though, couldn't even use Kelly's death as an inspiration and was all but ready to return to Ireland from England and learn the building trade.

However, a Grade One win at Irish racecourse Leopardstown on one of Alner's horses The Listener in 2006 changed his mindset completely and further success has come since.

"Not many people get the privilege in life to be in the position that I am in. I love the job of riding horses. I?d probably end up riding for free because I adore horses so much."

It says a lot about how far Jacob has come since the dark days that English champion trainer Paul Nicholls has placed his faith in him for the ride on What A Friend after impressing with his jockeyship on the same horse in the Gold Cup.

"I'm delighted to keep the ride and I thought he ran a cracking race in the Gold Cup," said Jacob.

"He stayed on really well, jumped really well and I got a great ride off him. He stands out as a real Grand National-type horse.

"These opportunities don't come round very often and when they do, you've got to grab it with both hands.

"I'm very thankful to Paul and of course Sir Alex for keeping me on top of the horse."

Moffatt's misery occurred more recently when a blood infection at the turn of the year nearly cost the 38-year-old former jockey his life.

"I felt rough and put it down to a hangover but I spent the next week in bed," he told The Times.

"I couldn't eat or sleep and my heart was racing. I was in a mess. When I finally called the doctor, he told me I was within a day or two of real trouble," added Moffatt, who lost two stone in a three weeks.

Even after a fortnight in hospital he was told to rest up at home but increasingly impatient Moffatt - who has a yard of 30 horses which has produced just two winners this season - decided to break out - again to his cost.

"When they let me out I was weak as water and I'd sleep for 20 hours a day.

"After three days I got frustrated and tried to go out in my car. I got halfway down the drive and put the car in the hedge.

"My mum picked me up and led me back by the ear."

Now, though, pretty much back to his former healthy self - he has also given up smoking - Moffatt envisages Chief Dan George delivering a boyhood dream of having a National runner.

"This is the first time I've had anything to do with the National. He's an intelligent horse and he won't do that again (his last start he fell at Cheltenham).

"I'm ferociously competitive, sometimes to my detriment, but I really feel if I just get this horse to the paddock (at Aintree) I'll have won."