Oli Bell has had many incredible experiences in racing, but he says nothing beats owning a Grand National runner. Read his recollections of The Rainbow Hunter here.
It was the most incredible experience that I’ve ever had in racing to have a runner in the Grand National.
As a child I used to get up at four in the morning having studied the form on the Friday night, do the form again Saturday morning and write my bets out, wake my mum up at five in the morning and get her to take me to the bookies as soon as it opened – she hated me!
So when The Rainbow Hunter ran in the National three times, it was a dream come true.
The first time he ran in it I rediscovered that child-like excitement again, that enthusiasm and that buzz that I think as we get older we lose sight of.
All the build-up the country gives to the Grand National adds to it and any time I picked up a newspaper that week there was something about the race on the front pages and I was thinking ‘wow, I’ve got a runner in the Grand National!’
You do, stupidly, allow yourself to dream what it would be like if you won. It’s that sort of race, isn’t it?
It was incredible, the first horse I was ever involved with and with some great friends, too. It was magic, the dream, the excitement, it was there from the moment of the weights lunch really.
There’s a real camaraderie among everyone who is competing in it from jockeys to the owners to the grooms and the trainers, everyone is wishing you luck. Nigel Roddis, a good mate of mine, had a runner in it, Teaforthree, and he was actually sent off joint-favourite, so we had a good bit of banter in the media beforehand.
National day itself I had a pass but for some reason it didn’t allow me into the paddock. There was this big queue and the security guard wasn’t letting me in and everyone was saying ‘let him in, let him in, he’s got a runner!’ but I didn’t want to cause a scene.
I finally got verified to go in as the jockeys were doing the photograph on the podium and I got among the other owners, sweating, and they were saying ‘where have you been?’ but at least I got in there in the end.
The paddock was rammed and it feels like everyone at the racecourse is looking in the paddock which is amazing, but we were packed like sardines in there. But, again, that adds to the tension and the drama.
We watched the race down by the start and you can hear the noise from the crowd as they jump off which was incredible.
I was nervous at the first and then he pecked on landing, but after that I was just thinking ‘let’s see what happens’. Unfortunately he unseated Aidan Coleman at the Canal Turn first time around.
The second year he got one fence further, when falling at Valentine’s, and then the third year he led for a long way and that was amazing.
He went out onto the second circuit in front and I looked at Kim Bailey who was next to me. He was travelling quite well and I was starting to get a bit emotional as it evokes all of those childhood memories watching the race – I felt very lucky to even be in that position.
Kim and his team were brilliant in preparing him for the National three times and having that chance of winning the biggest prize in racing. I think it’s what every owner dreams about and for me it certainly was.
Dad was commentating in the third year and his voice was getting higher and higher. He still led at the 23rd, the famous Foinavon fence, and the thrill was just incredible. He started to get tired after that, though, and hit the sixth last before falling at the next.
The Rainbow Hunter was a legend. I loved that horse. I’ve got about 5000 pictures of him hung up on the walls and he’s enjoying a happy retirement with the groom that looks after him.
I feel very lucky to have enjoyed the single greatest experience in racing, which is owning a runner in the Grand National.
And we may have one again as Two For Gold, who I’m involved with in the same team, looks like he might well make up into a National horse one day. Fingers crossed!
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