Auroras Encore (foaled 10 March 2002) is an Irish-bred, British-trained

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

best known for winning the

2013 Grand National The 2013 Grand National (officially known as the John Smith's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 166th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase, whic ...

. In a racing career which lasted from February 2007 until January 2014 he won two hurdle races and six

steeplechase SteepleChase Records is a jazz record company and label based in Copenhagen, Denmark. SteepleChase was founded in 1972 by Nils Winther, who was a student at Copenhagen University at the time. He began recording concerts at Jazzhus Montmartre, ...

s from forty-seven starts.

Background

Auroras Encore is a bay

gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...

bred in Ireland by the Mountarmstrong Stud. His sire Second Empire won the

Grand Critérium Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), ...

in 1997 and started second favourite for the following year's

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

. The best of his offspring to date has probably been the Victor Chandler Chase winner Somersby. Auroras Encore was offered for sale at the

Tattersalls Tattersalls (formerly Tattersall's) is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founding It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. ...

Ireland sale in September 2003 where he was bought for €7,000 by Frank Barry. Two years later the gelding was auctioned at

Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...

and was sold for 9,500

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

to Harvey Smith the husband of the trainer Sue Smith. Auroras Encore then entered the ownership of Alicia Skene and was sent into training with Sue Smith at High Eldwick, near

Baildon Baildon is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Bradford, Bradford Metropolitan Borough in West Yorkshire, England and within the Historic counties of England, historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire. ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...

Racing career

Auroras Encore began his racing career in early 2007 when he finished second in

National Hunt National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In ...

flat races at

Market Rasen Market Rasen ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The River Rase runs through it east to west, approximately north-east from Lincoln, England, Lincoln, eas ...

and

Sedgefield Sedgefield is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It had a population of 4,986 in the 2021 census. It has the only operating racecourse in County Durham. Etymology The name ''Sedgefield'' is of Old English origin. It ...

. In the 2007/2008 National Hunt season he ran ten times, recording his first victory in a Novice Hurdle at Sedgefield in December. In April 2008 he recorded his first major victory when winning a handicap hurdle at the Grand National meeting at

Aintree Racecourse Aintree Racecourse is a horse racing, racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England, near to Liverpool. The racecourse is the venue for the Grand National steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase, which takes place annually in April over three da ...

. Auroras Encore was campaigned in

s in the following season and won three of his nine races. He won novice steeplechases at Sedgefield in December

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

in March and

Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...

in April. In the 2009/2010 National Hunt season, Auroras Encore was beaten in his first six races before ending the season with a win in a handicap chase at

Uttoxeter Racecourse Uttoxeter Racecourse is a National Hunt racecourse in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. Course Uttoxeter is a left-handed oval shaped course of 1 mile 2½ furlongs in circumference. The back ‘straight’ has a dog-leg to the right and ...

. After two defeats in November 2010, Auroras Encore was off the course for more than a year before returning as a ten-year-old in January 2012. He won a handicap chase at

Haydock Park Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. The racecourse is set in an area of parkland bounded by the towns of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfield to the north, Golborne to the east and Newton-le-Willows ...

in April and then finished second to Merigo in the

Scottish Grand National The Scottish Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of ab ...

. Auroras Encore finished no better than fourth in his first five races of the 2012/2013 season before taking part in the Grand National at Aintree on 6 April. Starting at odds of 66/1 he won the race by nine lengths from Cappa Bleu and Teaforthree. His jockey

Ryan Mania Ryan Mania (born 23 December 1989) is a British National Hunt jockey from Galashiels, most famous for winning the 2013 Grand National on the Sue Smith (trainer), Sue Smith-trained Auroras Encore, at starting odds of 66/1. Early life and career Ma ...

, 23, was having his first ride in the race. On 20 April Auroras Encore attempted to become the first horse since Red Rum to win the Grand National and the Scottish Grand National. Carrying top weight of 164 pounds he started at odds of 14/1 and was pulled up on the final circuit. Auroras Encore began the next season at Wetherby in December where he finished last of the five finishers in the Rowland Meyrick Chase. On 25 January the gelding finished last, beaten more than sixty lengths, in the Great Yorkshire Chase at

. After the race, he was found to have sustained a fracture to his right foreleg and was retired from racing.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist

External links

Racing Post Profile
2002 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Grand National winners Thoroughbred family 19-c