Ballabriggs and the 2011 Grand National: How The McCain Legacy Lived On
Widely known for its demanding fences and its four-mile-plus distance, the Grand National attracts top-level chasers, trainers, and jockeys from all over.
Winning the race is considered a major achievement in horse racing, and it often becomes the highlight of a horse’s career.
In 2011, a horse named Ballabriggs rose to the occasion.
Ballabriggs was trained by Donald McCain, who comes from a family that is synonymous with the Grand National.
Donald’s father, Ginger McCain, gained worldwide fame by training the legendary Red Rum, who won the race three times in the 1970s.
Thus, Ballabriggs’s victory in 2011 continued a proud tradition within the McCain family.
Ballabriggs Early Career and Build-Up to 2011
Ballabriggs was foaled in 2001. He showed promise as a chaser, winning races at distances that indicated he could stay the extended four miles of the Grand National.
Owned by Trevor Hemmings, a business figure who had already experienced National glory with Hedgehunter in 2005, Ballabriggs came up through the ranks with careful handling.
Before the 2011 race, Ballabriggs had become known for his consistency. Donald McCain entered him in a couple of novice hurdles and a C2 at Kelso – nothing crazy but enough to keep him fit and not over-raced.
Trevor Hemmings, for his part, was thrilled with his horse’s progress. As an owner, he loved the Grand National and had a strong record with staying chasers.
So the Ballabriggs team felt excitement building as they counted down the weeks and days to the big race.
Aintree 2011
The 2011 Grand National took place on April 9th, 2011. The weather was warmer than usual for an early spring day in Britain.
This meant conditions were slightly drier than some trainers prefer, but it also reduced the chance of heavy going, which can tire horses even more.
The field for the 2011 National was full of quality. Some of the fancied runners included The Midnight Club from Willie Mullins, Silver By Nature from Lucinda Russell and 2010 winner, Don't Push It from Jonjo O'Neill.
Ballabriggs was well supported in the betting, going off at 14/1 on the day, placing him among the respected contenders, though he wasn’t the outright favourite.
The favourite was The Midnight Club with Ruby Walsh on board, but this is a race in which any horse with the right stamina and jumping style can come out on top.
Donald McCain made sure that Ballabriggs arrived at Aintree in great condition, and jockey Jason Maguire was booked to ride.
When the tape went up, 40 horses thundered off to the first fence, which is where That's Rhythm fell. Soon after, Becauseicouldntsee fell at the second, bringing down Vic Venturi as he went.
From the start, Ballabriggs showed good jumping form. Jason Maguire settled him into a forward position, making sure he didn’t get trapped in the middle of the pack.
By the second circuit, Ballabriggs still remained competitive, leading from the front and showing stamina and calmness.
As they turned for home after the last few fences, the front group thinned out. Ballabriggs was among the leaders, and it became clear he had a strong chance of winning.
Oscar Time, ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen, was also in contention. The final run-in after the last fence felt dramatic as both horses pressed for the lead.
Ballabriggs kept responding to Maguire’s urgings and held on to win by a little over two lengths. It was a thrilling finish, with Oscar Time finishing second and Don’t Push It, the 2010 winner, back in third.
The big moment belonged to Ballabriggs, Jason Maguire, Donald McCain, and owner Trevor Hemmings. The horse had proven that his stamina, jumping, and heart were enough to prevail in one of the sport’s greatest events.
After The Race
Soon after crossing the line, Jason Maguire and Ballabriggs had to recover from the gruelling effort.
Once the dust settled, the team’s joy was apparent. Trevor Hemmings collected the trophy, which added to his already impressive record as an owner.
For Donald McCain, it was an emotional triumph. Although his father, Ginger, had retired, he watched from the stands, no doubt recalling his earlier successes with Red Rum and Amberleigh House.
Ballabriggs had cemented the McCain name in modern Grand National history.
The sense of achievement was obvious in the winner’s enclosure. The Grand National is tough to win, and to see your horse lead the field past the finish line is often a once-in-a-lifetime event.
But for McCain, it was a validation of his training methods and a tribute to the family tradition. For Jason Maguire, it was the biggest success of his career.
Jason Maguire – Winning Jockey
Jason Maguire was born on 13th April 1980 and is a native of Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland. He is a nephew of Adrian Maguire who won the Irish Grand National on Omerta and is now a trainer.
He was All Ireland Pony Racing Champion for two years in a row in 1992/3. Jason’s father worked for Pat Beirne and Jason started riding out for him and had his first win over hurdles for the Kilcock trainer.
He has also worked for Pat Hughes, Michael Halford and Joanna Morgan. He took out his apprentice licence whilst working with Joanna Morgan who had given him his very first race ride.
Jason’s first winner over hurdles was for Beirne and his first win on the flat was on Green Patriot at Dundalk, however like many jockey’s, his weight started to catch up with him and he turned to jumping.
His first win over jumps was at Limerick and with around 50 winners and a second place in the conditional Jockey’s Championship to his credit he decided to make the move to England in 1999.
He began working in the yard for Tom George in Stroud, near Cheltenham working his way up and taking whatever rides he could get his first win was aboard Search For Peace at the Cheltenham Festival.
He spent seven successful years with George riding plenty of winners and having a notable success at the Cheltenham Festival in 2002 winning the Novices Hurdle on Galileo.
When Donald McCain Jnr. took over from his father and the stable expanded, Jason joined the operation as stable jockey and enjoyed a successful partnership.
In 2011 Jason wrote his name into racing’s history book when he won the Aintree Grand National riding Ballabriggs for Donald McCain.
It was Jason’s ninth Grand National ride and at 9mins 1.2secs the second fastest time in Grand National history, his previous best was on Cloudy Lane in 2008 when he finished sixth.
In March 2012 he won the William Hill Supreme Novices Hurdle riding Cinders And Ashes at the Cheltenham Festival but couldn’t win back-to-back Grand Nationals in the 2012 renewal and instead had to settle for 6th place, having been given a hefty 11-09 to run off.
Back again in 2013 paired up for the third time with Ballabriggs but couldn’t get around this time and was out at the 24th fence.
Family Pride
One of the most touching aspects of Ballabriggs’s triumph was the way it linked Donald to his father Ginger’s legacy.
Since Donald had grown up watching Red Rum’s victories, he understood the emotional weight of succeeding at Aintree.
Although Ginger McCain had his last runner in the Grand National a few years earlier, he was still around to witness Ballabriggs’s triumph.
This father-and-son storyline captured the public’s imagination. Racing fans remembered watching Ginger McCain stride along the beach with Red Rum.
Now, another McCain-trained horse had written a new chapter in the race’s history. It proved that the family tradition was alive and well.
Donald was no longer just the son of a famous trainer; he had stepped into the spotlight in his own right.
Later Career
After the 2011 success, Ballabriggs returned to training for subsequent seasons, but like many Grand National winners, replicating that peak was challenging.
The handicapper also tends to raise a horse’s rating after a National win, which meant a 9lb increase when he lined up again for the Grand National again in 2012.
However, the magic that carried him to victory the year before was hard to repeat. He still performed creditably, finishing in 6th place, but he couldn’t regain the winning spot.
Over time, Ballabriggs approached retirement, and while the decision was never rushed, he stepped away from racing with his head held high, having delivered an achievement that few horses manage.
In The End
Ballabriggs’s victory in the 2011 Aintree Grand National was the result of steady progress, a skilled jockey, and experienced connections led by Donald McCain.
Coming from a family known for outstanding results at Aintree, Donald had the knowledge and the background to guide Ballabriggs to the winner’s enclosure.
For Trevor Hemmings, it was another moment of glory in a race he cherished. For Jason Maguire, it was a career-defining triumph.
And for Donald McCain, it was a chance to stand in his own light, continuing the legacy his father began decades earlier with Red Rum.
Ballabriggs was retired on 13th April 2013 after pulling up in the 2013 Grand National. He returned to live on the Isle of Man with owner Trevor Hemmings.
