Daryl Jacob: The day I won the National on Neptune Collonges

When did you find out you had the ride on Neptune Collonges in the 2012 Grand National?

It was actually quite late when I found out I had the ride on him. Obviously Ruby Walsh was stable jockey at the time and they’d offered the ride to Noel Fehily as well, so by the time they’d committed to other rides in the race it was about six or seven days before the race I picked up the ride on him.

And you’d never ridden Neptune Collonges before his big day?

That’s right, I have a 100 per cent strike-rate on the horse! Not bad, one from one on him and in the Grand National as well. It’s something I’ll always be immensely proud of.

He was obviously a well-known horse at the time after winning Grade Ones and finishing third in a Gold Cup – what chance did you and what chance did Paul Nicholls give the horse at the time?

I think he was a 33/1 chance on the day which we all thought was a bit big. He’d obviously won Grade Ones and was third in a terrific Gold Cup behind his stablemates Denman and Kauto Star, so we knew he had the class. He was getting a bit older which was on my mind, I did question whether he’d have the pace for the first mile of the race, but that’s why in the early part of the contest I just wanted to get him enjoying it and get him into a rhythm.

Looking back to the day itself, do you have any memories of the build-up, did you have any rides at Aintree that day before the National? How were you feeling going into the race?

Anytime you get a ride in the Grand National, or any big race for that matter, it’s exciting. You get a few nerves, but if you don’t get a few nerves you’re probably in the wrong game. I did have a ride beforehand, I pulled Noland up in the same John Hales colours in the race before the National, and I remember sitting with Aidan Coleman and Sammy Twiston-Davies in the weighing room beforehand. Sammy said ‘I hope one of the three of us come out of here with a Grand National to our name’ and luckily it was me. It’s a very difficult race to win and you need an awful lot of things to go right. It was my day.

Prior to 2012 had you gone close in the Grand National?

I finished fourth on my first ever ride in the Grand National on Philson Run in 2007. That was a great day and I’ve always felt comfortable riding around those fences since then. I’d obviously never won it before Neptune but I always felt I’d got the most out of the horses that I’d ridden around those fences, so I was always looking forward to the Topham and the National itself. It’s all about rhythm in the National.

So you’re on the tapes back in 2012, what were you thinking as regards to where you wanted to be on the first circuit?

Ideally the nice sort of position would be between 10th and 15th, in front of the horses that aren’t jumping as well, but not too close to the pace and not too far off it. I knew that wouldn’t be the obvious place I’d end up as I was concerned Neptune just wouldn’t have the speed and you need pace to lay up in the first mile of the Grand National. I tried to keep him as near as I could to that 10th to 15th bracket but the most important thing was to get him into a rhythm. There’s no point in going flat to the boards if it’s not suiting the horse, you can only go the speed your horse is comfortable going.

And was the pace frenetic over those early fences back in 2012?

They always go hard for the first mile as every horse wants that perfect position and they get well spread out. It was no different. I was a long way back over the first two or three, but he jumped them well and he popped the open ditch, I think it’s the third fence, really nicely. From there on I knew he had a feel of what we were trying to achieve and he was very good at his fences. He got me out of a lot of trouble. Horses fell either side of him at Becher’s and he managed to go through a gap and the same thing actually happened at the Canal Turn.He was very experienced and that stood him in good stead.

You’ve jumped The Chair, you’ve jumped the Water Jump for the one and only time, you’re going back out into the country again, at what point were you thinking ‘we’ve got a chance here...’?

It wasn’t until the last mile. To be honest, it wasn’t like I was in a race until then. I was just letting him take me through, aware that I didn’t want to get into race mode too quickly. I remember Paul saying to me ‘look, if you get into 10th or 11th position on the final circuit you’ll have a chance’. I remember after the Water Jump getting a breather into him before the first fence again and I remember doing a kind of head count, and I think I was literally 10th. I thought, right, I’m where Paul wants me to be and I’m travelling nicely, back on the bridle and very happy going out onto the second circuit.

Was there any chat between the jockeys while you were going around?

There can be, you can sometimes have a quick chat with the guy beside you about how they’re going and stuff, but I think I was pretty focused on the task in hand that day.

You’ve just gone over the Melling Road and there’s seven or eight in with a chance, did you feel at that point you had plenty left in the tank?

I felt as if there was a little bit left. Neptune wouldn’t be a horse that had instant toe, so I was aware that I would have to ask him to go forward pretty early in the context of how long was left. He responded really well after winding him up quite early turning for home. It might’ve looked like he was off the bridle, but I could feel he had more to give. I jumped two out and felt I had a really good chance. Then they’ve quickened from the back of two out going to the last and he was left a bit flat-footed. Then he jumped the last well and I knew he’d stay really well from there. Seabass and Sunnyhillboy had four or five lengths on me still, though, and it wasn’t really until The Elbow where I started to make inroads on them. I passed Katie Walsh on Seabass and then it was Sunnyhillboy to chase down. Pure stamina won him the day, he just ground it out.

You won the race right on the line. For those last 50 yards is it just a case of keep pushing, keep kicking and hoping that the race goes your way?

Richie McLernon is a wonderful horseman, is very strong in a finish and his horse was giving everything, too. For the last 150 yards it was two horses and two jockeys giving everything and we had no idea passing the line who’d won. At that moment I’d have taken a dead heat. To be beaten a whisker would’ve been gut wrenching. But we were staying on and if you’re doing that there’s always a chance the nod will go in your favour. I didn’t even know where the winning post was, both of us pushed our horses out about 50 yards after the winning line, heads down, giving our all. We looked at each other afterwards and neither of us had an idea. Sometimes you’re hoping the other jockey says ‘you’ve beaten me’ or something, but we didn’t have a clue. It felt like an awful long time for the result to come through.

Did you give the number cloth a quick check as you were waiting for the photo to be called?

I did. I looked at my number cloth and was looking up to the gods saying ‘please call number four, please call number four’ and thankfully they did.

I bet you can’t wait to ride the Virtual Bristol De Mai on Saturday?

Ha ha, the virtual Daryl Jacob can’t wait. Imagine winning the Grand National twice – once in real life and once virtually? That would be something I could talk about forever, when I’m old and grey, I’ve won two Grand Nationals! He’s a horse that likes space at his fences so I hope virtual Daryl doesn’t get him too crowded early on.