In 1978, a nine-year-old bay gelding named Lucius etched his name into Grand National history by winning the prestigious steeplechase at Aintree.
Lucius was sired by Perhapsburg out of Matches, who had won twice over fences. He was three years old and as yet unbroken when he was sold at the 1972 Doncaster sales for 1,800 guineas.
He was secured on behalf of Fiona Whitaker, the wife of a Scottish accountant, by trainer Gordon W. Richards, who saw huge potential in the bay gelding.
Richards, born in 1930, had a distinguished career as a trainer, with Lucius being one of his two Grand National winners; the other was Hallo Dandy in 1984.
He won two hurdle races in 1973-74, another four the following season and was then sent out over fences, which unfortunately didn’t start off looking all too promising.
After finishing in second and third place at chases in Newcastle, he fell during a novice chase at Kelso, but nothing would change Richard’s view of the horse, who despite the fall, was convinced that Lucius was a ‘Grand National type’.
He knew that the horse would improve with experience and he was proved right when he quickly went on to have two wins followed by two second placings, while in the 1976-77 season he won three out of his eight races.
1978 Grand National
Lucius had a hard campaign of nine races prior to the Grand National, of which he won three races.
While this was good news it was actually his two narrow defeats just prior to the National that showed him to be the horse that he could be.
The first was at Doncaster where he ran a very good race in the William Hill Yorkshire Chase, and the second was the Greenall Whitley Chase at Haydock where he was beaten by just three quarters of a length.
Having initially being in the betting at 40-1, these two race results shortened his odds to 14-1 by the day of the National.
The event was notable as it was the first Grand National after the legendary Red Rum's retirement due to a leg injury just days before the race.
Originally it was intended that he be ridden by his regular jockey David Goulding for the race, but a minor racing injury excluded him from the proceedings, so at the last minute Richards secured Bob Davies, the former champion jockey.
Davies had never ridden the horse prior to the National and was given only one instruction: delay taking a lead for as long as possible.
It wasn’t until the second Becher’s that Davies started making any kind of attempt to get to the front.
Sebastian V, the Scottish Grand National winner was in the lead but on hitting the third last Lucius lost some of his momentum, ensuring he wouldn't take the lead too soon.
At the last there were five horses in contention for the lead and Davies continued to hold out for as long as he could, only really pushing the ‘go faster’ button after the Elbow.
He won by just a quarter of a length and a neck from Sebastian V, with Drumroan a neck back in third – only two and a half lengths divided the first five horses over the line.
Legacy of Lucius's Victory
Lucius's win in the 1978 Grand National is remembered as a significant moment in the race's history.
It was made more even more pleasing by the fact that the run up to the race had been filled with the ever-constant talk of Red Rum, but his late withdrawal and retirement left the race a wide open affair.
For trainer Gordon W. Richards and jockey Bob Davies, the triumph was a highlight of their careers, showcasing their expertise in National Hunt racing.
In the years following his Grand National win, Lucius did not achieve further major racing success. However, his 1978 victory remains a celebrated part of the Grand National, exemplifying the unpredictable nature of the race.
Speaking to BBC Sport 40 years later, jockey Davies said:
“I was a bit lucky. But only in the way I got the ride. Make no mistake about it, Lucius was a very good winner.
“Dave Goulding should have ridden him for Gordon Richards, as he was his jockey, but he hurt his back at Wetherby on the Monday.
“I was at Wetherby on the Tuesday and one of the other jockeys Ron Barry said to me ‘Do you have a spare ride in the National?'
“I told him I was actually due to go to Towcester that day but he said ‘Well, Lucius is going spare. I'll have a word with Gordon.'
“I went back that night to look at his form, which showed he was best over two and a half miles but that he had also won over three and didn't like being in front. He'd got a live chance.”
And so Lucius won the Grand National, the biggest prize of them all.
He never won a race again, due to being burdened with the top weight, and a virus meant he couldn’t even enter the 1979 National.
He retired the following season and lived with his lifelong owner, Fiona Whitaker, in Perthshire until he died in his sleep at the age of twenty-seven.
