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
2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup The 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup was a horse race which took place at Cheltenham on Friday March 13, 2009. It was the 81st running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and it was won by the pre-race favourite Kauto Star. The winner was ridden by Ruby Walsh and trained by Paul Nicholls. Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup in the event's history. He had previously won it in 2007, and he was runner-up in 2008. The winning margin of thirteen lengths was the widest in the race since 1995. Further details of