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
2012–13 Cheltenham Town F.C. season 2012–13 Cheltenham Town F.C. season The 2012-13 season was 126th season of Cheltenham Town's existence, and their 13th in the Football League since promotion from the Conference National in 2000. Cheltenham's first game of the 2012-13 season was at home to Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup, before then hosting Dagenham and Redbridge in their first League Two match of the season on 18 August 2012. Cheltenham were in contention for automatic promotion until the final day of the season, but ultimately finished 5th and had to settle for the playoffs, in which they lost 2-0 on aggregate to