Racing career Granville Again

1 racing career

1.1 1989/1990 national hunt season: national hunt flat races
1.2 1990/1991 national hunt season: novice hurdles
1.3 1991/1992 national hunt season
1.4 1992/1993 national hunt season
1.5 later career
1.6 retirement

racing career
1989/1990 national hunt season: national hunt flat races

granville again began racing career four-year-old in 1990 competing in national hunt flat races (also known bumpers ). made debut @ leopardstown racecourse on 19 march when started @ odds of 4/1 , won 6 lengths 8 opponents. followed @ navan racecourse on 1 may, starting favourite , winning 8 lengths. ten days later @ phoenix park ended first season finishing second dermot weld-trained favourite general idea.

1990/1991 national hunt season: novice hurdles

before start of 1990/1991 national hunt season, granvile again sold eric scarth , sent trained in england martin pipe. competed in novice hurdle races, making debut on obstacles @ chepstow racecourse on 22 december finished second five-year-old upton park. on 7 january @ wolverhampton racecourse recorded first success on hurdles, winning twelve lengths in canter @ odds of 1/3. followed 3 weeks later @ leicester, starting 2/9 favourite , winning 8 lengths. gelding moved in class contest grade ii dovecote novices hurdle @ kempton park on 23 february , started 11/4 second favourite behind gaasid, former flat racer had won kennel gate novices hurdle @ ascot in november. ridden peter scudamore, granville again overtook gaasid @ penultimate hurdle , drew away win fifteen lengths.

in march 1991, granville again made first appearance @ cheltenham festival , started 2/1 favourite in field of twenty-one supreme novices hurdle. hampered twice during race, , although finished strongly, unable catch irish-trained destriero , finished second, beaten 4 lengths winner , 3 quarters of length ahead of gran alba. on 5 april, granville again started 5/4 favourite grade ii top novices hurdle @ grand national meeting @ aintree racecourse. restrained scudamore in stages before moving contention @ half way. took lead jumping final hurdle , won 1 , half lengths gran alba young pokey (later win arkle challenge trophy) in third place.

1991/1992 national hunt season

in first half of 1991/1992 season granville again contested 3 legs of sport of kings challenge, series of races intended promote international competition in jump racing. in november traveled ireland , defeated paddy mullins-trained mare minorettes girl twelve lengths @ odds of 4/5 before returning england next 2 races of series. @ cheltenham on 7 december beat challow novices hurdle winner tyrone bridge (also trained martin pipe) 3 quarters of length sun alliance novices hurdle winner crystal spirit twenty lengths in third. @ chepstow 2 weeks later won final leg of challenge beating tyrone bridge again, time 2 lengths.

in january, granville again matched against more experienced opponents in champion hurdle trial @ haydock park racecourse. starting 1/2 favourite restrained scudamore in stages before overtaking mare winnie witch on run-in , won 2 lengths. on 10 march 1992, granville again started 9/2 second favourite behind brother morley street in champion hurdle @ cheltenham. after being held towards rear of field made progress towards lead before falling @ second last hurdle when looking winner. month after fall @ cheltenham, granville again started 4/7 favourite scottish champion hurdle @ ayr racecourse. taking lead @ penultimate hurdle, accelerated clear in closing stages win in impressive style jinxy jack , fidway.

1992/1993 national hunt season

on 15 november 1992 @ cheltenham, granville again , morley street met second time in elite hurdle in other 2 runners tyrone bridge , triumph hurdle winner oh risky. granville again took lead approaching final hurdle overtaken brother on run in , beaten length. bula hurdle @ same course attracted exceptionally strong field grade ii race , granville again finished second halkopous, ahead of morley street, oh risky , kribensis. granville again started 11/10 favourite grade christmas hurdle @ kempton on 26 december. appeared have every chance @ second last hurdle, failed quicken in closing stages , finished third mighty mogul , flown. other runners included oh risky, kribensis , gran alba in fifth, sixth , seventh places. following advice of michael w. dickinson, martin pipe decided give gelding long break before cheltenham festival.

on 16 march 1993, granville again started 13/2 second favourite 64th running of champion hurdle. opponents included flown (the 7/2 favourite), halkopous, oh risky, morley street, jinxy jack, vintage crop, flakey dove, duke of monmouth (triumph hurdle) , coulton (mersey novices hurdle). scudamore settled granville again in middle of field before beginning make progress @ third last. took lead approaching final hurdle , driven out in closing stages win length 50/1 outsider royal derbi halkopous 2 , half lengths away in third. after race, pipe said horse has plenty of ability bit off colour earlier in season. battled today , proved wrong . scudamore, had considered switching ride stable s other runner valfinet until granville again sparkled in training gallop said going wondered if there, tapped him make sure , on bridle. kept opening me coming down hill, way seems when re going .

at aintree in april granville again moved in distance grade aintree hurdle on 2 , half miles. started 10/11 favourite beaten 1 , half lengths morley street, flown 2 lengths away in third.

later career

granville again remained in training 4 seasons, never recovered best form. in 1993/1994 season finished fourth in ascot hurdle before falling in bula hurdle. finished fourth in irish champion hurdle , seventh behind flakey dove in 1994 champion hurdle before running fifth in scottish champion hurdle trained len lungo. in following season trained muriel naughton in yorkshire , made 2 appearances, finishing seventh in ascot hurdle , twelfth behind alderbrook in 1995 champion hurdle. in 1996 tried on fences , pulled in novice steeplechase @ kempton , pulled again in handicap hurdle @ aintree. made final appearance in fighting fifth hurdle @ newcastle racecourse on 30 november 1996 when started 100/1 outsider , pulled 4 hurdles finish. veterinary inspection found suffering irregular heartbeat.

retirement

granville again retired racing after run @ newcastle in 1996 , spent remainder of life @ eric scarth s property in northumberland. died in 2003 @ age of seventten. martin pipe said granville absolute star... sorely missed , shall remember our friend great affection .