2012 Grand National by Ginger McCain, the father of Ballabriggs' trainer Donald McCain, Jr. Among the early favourites for the race – alongside Ballabriggs – were Junior (trained by 2008's winning trainer David Pipe), Synchronised (the winner of the Lexus Chase on 28 December 2011 and later the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup), Weird Al (winner in the October 2011 Charlie Hall Chase), and Midnight Chase (first in the Cotswold Chase on 4 February 2012). Synchronised was attempting to become the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to win both the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year. Handicap weights were
The Thinker (horse) The Thinker (horse) The Thinker (20 April 1978 – 4 April 1991) was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for his win in the 1987 Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Thinker was a chestnut gelding bred in Ireland by Victor Semple. He was sired by Cantab, a successful hurdler who won the Triumph Hurdle in 1961 before becoming a successful National Hunt stallion. His other progeny included Little Polveir, Little Owl (Cheltenham Gold Cup) and Dixton House (National Hunt Handicap Chase). Cantab was a representative of the Byerley Turk sire line, unlike more than 95% of modern thoroughbreds, who descend