The Grand National 1987 and Maori Venure
Maori Venture was born 1976, died 2000, he was sired by St Columbus, out of Moon Venture, bred by Dai Maori Morgan Welsh Publican. Dia had played Rugby in New Zealand, hence the name.
He out-lived three owners; the first one was Major Jack Rubin, the second Ken Girling, whose son was a jockey, the third owner, was Jim Joel. He had always wanted to win the Grand National. He paid £17000 for him.
1987 was the auspicious 150th running of the Grand National. Seagram took over the sponsorship and made it the riches National Hunt race at £64,710. Maori Venture won four times at Lingfield and also the Mandarin Chase twice in 1984 and 1987 at Newbury over 3 miles 2 furlongs. Jim Joel put him in training with Andy Turnell and Steve Knight rode him in all his wins.
I am going back to 1974. Colonel Valance lost his license over the Johnny Haine affaire. His assistant trainer was David Elsworth. One of their owners, Anne Finch had a yard it East Knoyle and it was decided to get her to take out a license and take all the horses there. I had just come back from France and was determined to ride racehorses again. John and I had moved to Warminster, not a stone’s throw from East Knoyle. I answered an advertisement in the Sporting Life and went for an interview. I had ridden point-to-pointers, for Robert Bothway when I lived in Hingham. It turned out Anne knew Robert Bothway, who was the master of the Dunstan Harriers. She had moved from Norfolk to Wilstshire. Her ex-husband Tim Finch, was a master of the Dunstan Harriers. So I got the job. We had some lovely horses, including Red Candle who has beaten Red Rum in the Hennessy.
In 1980 Anne Finch moved to Hindon and continued to train. She was brought a horse owned by Ken Girling called Maori Venture. This photograph of him was taken at Hindon when he was 6 years old. He is being held by Martin Baybutt, a lad from Fred Winter’s yard in Lambourn. Now married to Sandra whom he met at Anne Finche’s. The reason I took the photograph was because I thought he was the best looking horse I have ever seen.
Anne could not get the horse to win a race. He was too slow for a mile and a half hurdle race, but he had stamina to die for. He could also jump for England. I rode him quite a lot. I thought he was the most terrific horse I had ever come across and he was quite bonkers. One day we were cantering through Lord Margardale’s woods near Findon, ahead there was a sapling at about head height, and Anne and Roger went under it. Expecting to do the same, I was taken by surprise when Maori Venture cleared it. I ended up on his arse at the buckle end of the reins. I seem to remember saying something like:
“My god that horse can jump.” Once I had recovered my saddle.
We also nearly got mown down by a truck on the 303 just by the cross over to the bridleway from Hindon to the farm the other side. Maori Venture froze right in the middle of the road. He was looking at a deer in the distance. I was so glad I had a stick ‘cos the only way I got him to move was by giving him a sharp crack with the whip, otherwise we could have both been dead. I always carry a stick with me whenever I ride. You never know when you might need it?
The Grand National that year had some cracking horses in it, including; The Tsarevich, (2nd), Lean Ar Aghaidh, (3rd) Corbiere, (12th) and the famous West Tip, (4th) who ran in more Nationals than any other horse. Maori Venture won at 50-1. West Tip was the favourite followed by Dark Ivy, who fell.
Jim Joel gave the horse to the jockey Steve Knight. (always a, so you can look after him now.) where he worked with the other racehorses until a few years before his death. He gave himself a tendon injury in the field and was put down.
That is the story of one horse who ran in the national and each horse has a story as wonderful and interesting. They don’t get to run in that race without a saga behind them.
Caroline Baldock.