Isle of Man businessman Trevor Hemmings is undaunted after his star horse Many Clouds failed to emulate Red Rum’s back-to-back Grand National victories at Aintree.
The popular gelding won the 4 miles 2 furlong race last year but on Saturday was last of the 16 horses to complete the trip.
Mr Hemmings told iomtoday he was ‘not disappointed’ and was ‘very optimistic for the future.’
He said Many Clouds would shortly be spending several months in the island at Ballaseyr stud, Andreas, with fellow equine superstars, National winners Ballabriggs and Hedgehunter.
His horse, heavily backed by Manx punters, was carrying top weight of 11 stone 10 pounds and found it a real ‘toughie’ after the ‘heavens opened,’ said Mr Hemmings.
For much of the race it actually looked as if the Irish-bred nine-year-old was vying for victory and all was going according to plan.
He was jumping brilliantly but at the 26th fence he made an uncharacteristic mistake and this seemed to halt the momentum and he weakened in the muddy ground.
Mr Hemmings praised jockey Leighton Aspell who realised the horse was ‘running out of fuel with very little left in the tank’. When he realised his chance had gone Aspell then gently looked after the horse as he walked him over the finishing line.
Mr Hemmings said the downpour made all the difference.
He said: ‘The weather turned against all the quality horses. The fact that he was carrying all that weight and was still still at the front at the 25th fence in those conditions was remarkable.’
Mr Hemmings added that he ‘regretted’ the change in conditions, leading to the softest ground seen in the National for years, and this meant it was no longer a ‘level playing field’.
He said: ‘It was like climbing Everest with a pair of roller skates.’
Many Clouds lost his right front shoe during the race and his trainer Oliver Sherwood subsequently reported that the gelding had a breathing problem that would be looked at before its next run.
Mr Hemmings said that in due course they would sit down and plan which route they would go down but the ‘ultimate aim’ is to run in next year’s Grand National.
Mr Hemmings revealed he was the first person to congratulate and hug Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, the owner of the winning horse Rule The World.
He said: ‘He had been standing in my lucky spot where I always watch the National so I was closest to him.’
Mr Hemmings reiterated a point he has made before that punters should always be careful in a race where there are up to 40 runners.
Sid Cunningham of Joe Jennings bookmakers said it had been a successful Grand National for the company as Rule The World was a 33/1 shot. But he said that after the ground became heavier some punters latched on to horses known to travel well in those conditions. The fifth horse, Goonyella, was well backed, and Jennings paid out on five places at its island shops.