Tipperary Tim

Last updated

Tipperary Tim
SireCipango
Grandsire St Frusquin
DamLast Lot
DamsireNoble Chieftain
Sex Gelding
Foaled1918, Ireland
DiedNot known
CountryIreland
ColorBrown
BreederJ.J. Ryan
OwnerHarold Kenyon
TrainerJoseph Dodd
Major wins
1928 Grand National

Tipperary Tim (foaled 1918) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1928 Grand National. He was foaled in Ireland and was a descendant of the undefeated St. Simon. Tipperary Tim was owned by Harold Kenyon and trained in Shropshire by Joseph Dodd. He was regarded as a fairly slow horse, but one who rarely fell. Tipperary Tim was a 100–1 outsider at the 42-runner 1928 Grand National, which was run in foggy conditions and very heavy going. A pile-up occurred at the Canal Turn jump that reduced the field to just seven horses. Other falls and incidents left only Tipperary Tim and the 33-1 Billy Barton in the race. Billy Barton struck the last fence and fell, leaving Tipperary Tim to win – Billy Barton's jockey remounted and finished a distant second (and last). The incident led to controversy in the press who complained that a Grand National should not be won merely by avoiding accident. It led to changes to the course with the ditch at Canal Turn being removed for the following year's race. Tipperary Tim enjoyed no real success in other races.

Contents

Early life

Tipperary Tim was foaled in Ireland in 1918, his breeder was J.J. Ryan. Tipperary Tim's sire was the British horse Cipango and his dam was the Irish horse Last Lot, his grandsire was the British horse St Frusquin (who had been sired by the undefeated St. Simon) and his damsire was British horse Noble Chieftain. He belonged to Thoroughbred family 19-b. [1] The stud fee paid for Cipango was just £3 5s (equivalent to £159in 2021). [2] Tipperary Tim was named after a local marathon runner, Tim Crowe. [3] [4] He was a brown-coloured gelding. [1] Tipperary Tim had been sold as a yearling for £50 (equivalent to £2,445in 2021) and was said to have once been given as a present. [4]

Tipperary Tim came into the ownership of Harold Kenyon. [5] He was trained in Shropshire by Joseph Dodd who noted that "he never falls". [3] [4] By other reports he was capable of only one pace, and that a relatively slow one. [4] Tipperary Tim was tubed, that is he received a permanent tracheotomy, with a brass tube halfway down his neck to improve his breathing. [6] [7] He was stabled at Fernhill House in Belfast. [5] Tipperary Tim competed at Aintree in the November 1927 Molyneux Steeplechase. [8]

1928 Grand National

Tipperary Tim was entered into the 1928 Grand National at the age of 10 years. [9] He was ridden by amateur jockey Bill Dutton, a Cambridge-educated solicitor from Chester, who had left the profession to pursue horse-riding. [3] Tipperary Tim was a 100–1 outsider and Dutton later recalled that a friend had told him before the race: "you'll only win if all the others fall". [4] [10]

The field in 1928 was the largest to date with 42 runners starting the race. [11] The going was very heavy and there was a dense fog. [12] There were three false starts, after which the broken starting tape had to be knotted together. [13] On the first circuit of the Aintree track the leader, one of the favourites, Easter Hero, mistimed the Canal Turn jump. [5] [14] Rising too early he was stranded briefly on the fence before becoming trapped in the ditch, which preceded it. [14] The next three horses, Grokle, Darracq and Eagle's Tail were brought down by Easter Hero. Of the remaining runners (22 remained in the race), twenty refused to jump the fence. [2] The pile-up was described by racing historian Reg Green as "the worst ever seen on a racecourse". Only seven horses with seated jockeys emerged from the incident to continue the race. [14] One of these was Tipperary Tim as Dutton had chosen to take a wide route around the outside of the course, avoiding hazards that had brought down other jockeys. [3] Because of the fog the majority of the audience were unaware of the incident at Canal Turn. [12]

By the second jumping of Becher's Brook only five horses remained in the race with Billy Barton leading ahead of May King, Great Span, Tipperary Tim and Maguelonne. Maguelonne was still trailing at the first fence following Valentine's Brook where it fell. May King fell shortly afterwards before Great Span lost his saddle and rider, leaving only Billy Barton, who started with 33–1 odds, and Tipperary Tim. [12] Billy Barton had led the race for 2.5 miles (4.0 km) until the last fence where Tipperary Tim drew level. The riderless Great Span was between them and may have slightly hindered Billy Barton. Billy Barton struck the final fence with his forelegs and fell, dismounting his rider, Tommy Cullinan. Tipperary Tim came in first, with a time of 10 minutes 23.40 seconds, he was closely followed by the riderless Great Span; a remounted Billy Barton came a distant second and was the last to finish. [15] [14] [16]

With only two horses completing the race the 1928 Grand National set a second record, for the fewest finishers. [17] Tipperary Tim was the only horse to have completed the race without falling or unseating its rider. [16] [18] Kenyon received prize money of 5,000 sovereigns as well as a cup worth 2,000 sovereigns. [17] Tipperary Tim became one of the biggest outsiders to win the Grand National, only four other horses with odds of 100–1 have won the race: Gregalach in 1929, Caughoo in 1947, Foinavon in 1967. [10] and Mon Mome in 2009.

There were scathing reports in the press, which described the race as "burlesque steeplechasing", and many writers stated that a Grand National should not be won merely by avoiding an accident. [19] [3] The race inspired some to become involved in the sport. The future horse racing commentator Peter O'Sullevan laid his first ever bet on Tipperary Tim and cited it as the start of his life-long connection with racing. [17] The Pathé footage of the race inspired a young Beltrán Alfonso Osorio to aspire to a career in racing. He became an amateur jockey who rode at the 1952 Grand National and others thereafter. [20]

Later history

The success of Tipperary Tim led to larger fields in the following Grand Nationals. According to racing historian T. H. Bird "everyone who owned a steeplechaser that could walk aspired to win the Grand National", leading to more entries which, Bird lamented, "cluttered" the field with "rubbish". [11] The 1929 Grand National started with 66 runners, including Tipperary Tim who, despite his success the previous year, remained a 100-1 outsider. [3] The ditch at the Canal Turn had been removed before this race, as a result of the incident in 1928. [19] Tipperary Tim fell during the 1929 race and did not finish. [3] [4] The horse enjoyed no real success aside from his 1928 Grand National win. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand National</span> English steeplechase horse race that takes place at Aintree Racecourse, Merseyside, England

The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse, Aintree, Merseyside, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap steeplechase over an official distance of about 4 miles and 2½ furlongs, with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps. It is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million in 2017. An event that is prominent in British culture, the race is popular amongst many people who do not normally watch or bet on horse racing at other times of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Miller</span> Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Golden Miller (1927–1957) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who is the most successful Cheltenham Gold Cup horse ever, winning the race in five consecutive years between 1932 and 1936. He also is the only horse to win both of the United Kingdom's premier steeplechase races - the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National - in the same year (1934).

In horse racing in Great Britain, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: hurdles and steeplechases. Alongside these there are "bumpers", which are National Hunt flat races. In a hurdles race, the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles; in a steeplechase the horses jump over a variety of obstacles that can include plain fences, water jump or an open ditch. In the UK, the biggest National Hunt events of the year are generally considered to be the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Grand National</span>

The 2001 Grand National was the 154th official running of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 7 April 2001. It went ahead as planned, despite the cancellation of the 2001 Cheltenham Festival, caused by the foot-and-mouth disease crisis.

The 1841 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the third official annual running of a steeplechase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase handicap horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on 3 March 1841 and attracted a then smallest ever field of 11 runners.

The 1843 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the fifth official annual running of a handicap steeplechase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase handicap horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on Wednesday 1 March 1843 and attracted a field of 16 runners.

The 1846 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase, was the eighth official annual running of a handicap steeplechase. It took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on 4 March 1846 and attracted a then-record field of 22 entrants. It was won by the unconsidered outsider Pioneer.

The Canal Turn is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is jumped during the Grand National steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse, located near Liverpool, England. Named for the Leeds & Liverpool Canal which passes alongside the racecourse at this point, it is jumped twice during the race, as the 8th and 24th fences.

The 1993 Grand National was scheduled on 3 April 1993 to be the 147th running of the Grand National horse race, held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England.

The 1849 Grand National Steeplechase was the 11th official annual running of a handicap steeplechase horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on Wednesday, 28 February. It attracted a field of twenty-four competitors for a prize valued at £825.

The 1967 Grand National was the 121st renewal of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 8 April 1967. The race is best remembered for being won by outsider Foinavon at odds of 100/1, after being the only horse to avoid a mêlée at the 23rd fence and jump it at the first attempt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Grand National</span>

The 2012 Grand National was the 165th annual renewal of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase, which concluded a three-day meeting which is one of only four held at Aintree throughout the year, took place on 14 April 2012. The maximum permitted field of 40 runners ran the last 4 miles 856 yards (7.220 km) of Aintree's National Course featuring 30 fences, competing for record prize money of £975,000, making it the highest-valued National Hunt race in the United Kingdom.

The 1928 Grand National was the 87th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 30 March 1928.

The 1851 Grand National was, at the time, the 14th renewal of a handicap steeplechase horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 26 February 1851. However, this was later retrospectively recorded as the 13th official running by the Steeplechase Calendar of 1864 when the race of 1838 was disregarded as official.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr Mulligan (horse)</span> Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Mr Mulligan was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a specialist steeplechaser who ran twelve times and won seven races under National Hunt rules. After mixed success in Point-to-point, Mr Mulligan rose to prominence by winning five successive races of increasing importance in the 1995/1996 National Hunt season. He became known for his front-running style and occasionally erratic jumping. In the following year he appeared to have lost his form before recording an upset win over a strong field in the 1997 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was retired after being injured in training in 1998. Eighteen months later he died after being injured in a paddock accident.

Koko was an Irish racehorse who won the 1926 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He finished third in the race in 1928 when odds-on favourite and fell in 1929. He also ran twice without success in the Grand National.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easter Hero</span> Irish-bred racehorse

Easter Hero (1920–1948) was an Irish-bred British-trained racehorse who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1929 and 1930 and made three unsuccessful attempts to win the Grand National. He showed little early promise and was passed from owner to owner before beginning to display ability in 1927. Wins in the Becher Chase and the Coventry Chase established him as a leading steeplechaser and he was bought by Alfred Loewenstein with the aim of winning the National. In his first attempt at the race he fell at the eighth and brought the field to a virtual halt after becoming trapped in the ditch in front of the fence.

Limber Hill was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1956 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was owned and bred by James Davey and trained in Yorkshire by Bill Dutton. After racing on the point-to-point circuit he then ran over hurdles before becoming a steeplechaser in 1954. He made an immediate impact and won the National Hunt Handicap Chase at the end of his first season. In the 1955/56 National Hunt season he was the leading staying chaser in Britain winning both the King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He continued to race until 1958 but his later career was disrupted by injury and he never recovered his best form.

Minella Times is a retired Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. In 2021, he won the Grand National under Rachael Blackmore, becoming the first horse ridden by a female jockey to win the race.

Hewick is an Irish-bred and trained Thoroughbred racehorse who races under National Hunt rules. He is a specialist long-distance steeplechaser known for his victories in the 2022 American Grand National and 2023 King George VI Chase.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tipperary Tim Horse Pedigree". Pedigree Query. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 Norris, William (14 July 2020). The Man Who Fell From the Sky: The Bizarre Life and Death of '20s Tycoon Alfred Loewenstein. CamCat Publishing. p. 68. ISBN   978-0-7443-0079-6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ward, Andrew (16 February 2017). Horse Racing's Strangest Tales. Portico. p. 102. ISBN   978-1-911042-83-9.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McNally, Frank (21 July 2016). "Diplomatic nag – An Irishman's Diary about the British ambassador and Tipperary Tim". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Stewart, Linda (26 March 2016). "Stables housed one of Grand National's most unlikelist winners, 100/1 shot Tipperary Tim". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Town & Country. Hearst Corporation. 1929. p. 82.
  7. ↑ Hammond, Gerald (15 April 2016). The Language of Horse Racing. Routledge. p. 244. ISBN   978-1-135-96509-9.
  8. ↑ Downey, Fairfax (1960). My Kingdom for a Horse. Doubleday. p. 165.
  9. ↑ King, Brian (7 January 2020). REDISCOVERED DUNDEE. Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 167. ISBN   978-1-83859-192-2.
  10. 1 2 Kay, Dr Joyce; Vamplew, Professor Wray (2 October 2012). Encyclopedia of British Horse Racing. Routledge. p. 136. ISBN   978-1-135-76266-7.
  11. 1 2 McHugh, Susan (2011). Animal Stories: Narrating Across Species Lines. U of Minnesota Press. p. 97. ISBN   978-0-8166-7032-1.
  12. 1 2 3 Ward, Andrew (16 February 2017). Horse Racing's Strangest Tales. Portico. p. 101. ISBN   978-1-911042-83-9.
  13. ↑ Norris, William (14 July 2020). The Man Who Fell From the Sky: The Bizarre Life and Death of '20s Tycoon Alfred Loewenstein. CamCat Publishing. p. 67. ISBN   978-0-7443-0079-6.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Winants, Peter (17 August 2000). Steeplechasing: A Complete History of the Sport in North America. Derrydale Press. p. 210. ISBN   978-1-4617-0822-3.
  15. ↑ Modern Greats. Timeform. 16 December 2013. p. 321.
  16. 1 2 Gripper, Ann (13 April 2012). "And they were off! The Grand National in classic Daily Mirror front pages". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 Roper, Matt (4 April 2019). "The amazing story of Tipperary Tim and the Grand National's biggest ever upset". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  18. ↑ "1928". Grand National Ultimate History. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  19. 1 2 Kay, Dr Joyce; Vamplew, Professor Wray (2 October 2012). Encyclopedia of British Horse Racing. Routledge. p. 147. ISBN   978-1-135-76266-7.
  20. ↑ Ashforth, David (7 April 2021). "'If he didn't want to listen to you he suddenly wouldn't remember any English' t". Racing Post. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  21. ↑ Bird, Thomas Henry (1937). A Hundred Grand Nationals. Country life, Limited; C. Scribner's sons. p. 186.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.