HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Many Clouds (21 April 2007 – 28 January 2017) was an Irish-bred, British-trained
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, 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 basic ...
best known for winning the
2015 Grand National The 2015 Grand National (officially known as the 2015 Crabbie's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 168th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase to ...
. After being sold as a foal, he was sent to England and trained for a
National Hunt In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...
racing career by
Oliver Sherwood Oliver James Sherwood (born May 23, 1955) is a National Hunt trainer. Background Sherwood’s parents – Nat and Heather Sherwood – were both talented point-to-point horse riders. They each won many races during the 1950s and 1960s. Sherw ...
. He won a
National Hunt Flat National Hunt flat races, informally known as bumper races, are a type of flat racing but run under National Hunt racing rules in Britain and Ireland. National Hunt flat races were created on 15 July 1891 when a conference between the stewards of ...
race and two
Novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...
hurdle races before moving to
steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
s as a six-year-old in the autumn of 2013. In his first season over fences, he won twice as well as finishing second in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase and fourth in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase. He emerged as a top-class chaser in the following season, winning his first three races including the
Hennessy Gold Cup /Ladbrokes Trophy The Coral Gold Cup is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run ...
and the Cotswold Chase before disappointing when strongly fancied for the
Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs ...
. On 11 April 2015, ridden as in all of his previous races by Leighton Aspell, he carried 11
stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
9
pound Pound or Pounds may refer to: Units * Pound (currency), a unit of currency * Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom * Pound (mass), a unit of mass * Pound (force), a unit of force * Rail pound, in rail profile Symbols * Po ...
to victory in the Grand National at
Aintree Racecourse Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, bordering the city of Liverpool. The racecourse is the venue for the Grand National steeplechase, which takes place annually in April over ...
. Many Clouds won one race in the following season but finished unplaced when joint-favourite for the 2016 Grand National. In January 2017, he beat the previously undefeated Thistlecrack in winning his second Cotswold Chase but collapsed and died of an
exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), also known as "bleeding" or a "bleeding attack", refers to the presence of blood in the airways of the lung in association with exercise. EIPH is common in horses undertaking intense exercise, but it h ...
shortly after crossing the finish line. He was subsequently assessed as the leading staying steeplechaser in Britain and Ireland for the 2016–17 season.


Background

Many Clouds was a "big, old-fashioned" brown gelding bred in Ireland by Aidan Aherne at the Windward House Stud in
County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns ar ...
. He was one of several good jumpers sired by Cloudings, a son of
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-se ...
, who won the
Prix Lupin The Prix Lupin was a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs), and it was scheduled to take place each year in ...
in 1997. Many Clouds' dam, Bobbing Back, has also produced The Tullow Tank, winner of the
Royal Bond Novice Hurdle The Royal Bond Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), an ...
and the
Future Champions Novice Hurdle The Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt race in Ireland. It is run at Leopardstown Racecourse at the end of December during the Christmas Festival, over a distance of about 2 m ...
. In November 2007, Many Clouds was consigned as a colt foal to 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. T ...
sales where he was bought for €6,000 by Highflyer Bloodstock. Many Clouds was trained throughout his racing career by Oliver Sherwood at Upper Lambourn in
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Be ...
and ridden in all of his races by Leighton Aspell.


Racing career


2011–12 National Hunt season

Many Clouds began his racing career in
National Hunt Flat National Hunt flat races, informally known as bumper races, are a type of flat racing but run under National Hunt racing rules in Britain and Ireland. National Hunt flat races were created on 15 July 1891 when a conference between the stewards of ...
races. He won on his debut at
Wetherby Racecourse Wetherby Racecourse is a racecourse situated near the market town of Wetherby in West Yorkshire, England, located from Leeds city centre. For most of its history the course has hosted only National Hunt racing but staged its first Flat racing ...
in February but then finished behind
Champagne Fever Champagne Fever (foaled 26 May 2007) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. He is noted for his front-running style and has won seven of his thirteen races. After beginning his racing career on the amateur poi ...
at the
Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Ra ...
in March and behind The New One at Aintree in April.


2012–13 National Hunt season

In his second season, Many Clouds ran in
Novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...
hurdle A hurdle (UK English, limited US English) is a moveable section of light fence. In the United States, terms such as "panel", "pipe panel" or simply "fence section" are used to describe moveable sections of fencing intended for agricultural us ...
races. After finishing second at Aintree in October, he won over two and a half miles at
Ascot Racecourse Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races a ...
a month later. He went on to finish second at Wetherby and win at
Exeter Racecourse Exeter Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located near the city of Exeter, Devon, England. Locally it is known as Haldon racecourse because of its location on top of the Haldon Hills. Until the early 1990s it was officially known as ...
before being moved up in class and finishing second in the Grade 3
European Breeders' Fund Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final The European Breeders Fund Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final is a Premier Handicap National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged between four and seven. It is run at Sandown Park ove ...
at
Sandown Park Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse raci ...
in March. On his final start of the season, he was matched against more experienced hurdlers in the Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap Hurdle at Aintree in April but was pulled up by Aspell two flights from home.


2013–14 National Hunt season

Many Clouds began to race over fences in the following season, competing in novice chases. On his debut over the larger obstacles, he won over two and a half miles at
Carlisle Racecourse Carlisle Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in the village of Blackwell just outside Carlisle in Cumbria, England. The course has been on its present site since 1904, when it moved there from the area known as The Swifts clo ...
in November, beating the highly regarded Holywell into third place. Later that month, he finished second to Black Thunder at
Haydock Park Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the racecourse is set in an area of parkland bounded by the towns of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfie ...
before winning at odds of 8/15 at Wetherby in December. At Ascot on 15 February he was stepped up in class for the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase and finished second, beaten two and a half
lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the In ...
by O'Faolains Boy. He made his second appearance at the Cheltenham Festival in March when he started a 16/1 outsider for the Grade 1 RSA Chase in which he was brought down at the fourteenth fence. He ended his first season as a chaser by finishing fourth to Holywell in the Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree.


2014–15 National Hunt season

Many Clouds began his next season in the Colin Parker Memorial Chase at Carlisle in November. He took the lead three fences from the finish and won from the favourite Eduard (winner of the
Future Champion Novices' Chase The Future Champion Novices' Chase is a Grade 2 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 about 2 ...
), with Holywell fifteen lengths back in third. Later that month, Many Clouds was assigned a weight of 11 stone 6 pounds for the 58th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup over three and a quarter miles at
Newbury Racecourse Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat ...
. Starting at odds of 8/1 in a nineteen-runner field, he took the lead at the last fence and stayed on strongly to win by three and a quarter lengths form Houblon des Obeaux. Aspell was given a seven-day ban for excessive use of the whip on the winner. Sherwood, however, who was winning the race for the first time since Arctic Call's victory in 1990, said, "It was a great ride from Leighton. I am chuffed to bits, he is a very tough horse and I am delighted for the whole team." In January, Many Clouds started at odds of 4/1 for the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham. He disputed the lead from the start and stayed on strongly over the last two fences to win from Smad Place, Dynaste, The Giant Bolster, and Black Thunder. The performance established Many Clouds as a leading contender for the
Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs ...
. After the race Sherwood said, "I think he's improved again and his confidence is sky-high. Leighton was adamant there would be no pace and he would be handy. I think he was dossing after the last, there's a bit more to come and he's a live Gold Cup horse." On 13 March, Many Clouds started joint-second-favourite at odds of 7/1 in a sixteen-runner field for the
Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs ...
. After racing in mid-division, he stayed on in the closing stages without ever looking likely to win and finished sixth behind Coneygree. For the
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handica ...
on 11 April Many Clouds was assigned a weight of 11 stone 9 pounds (163 pounds), one pound below the topweight
Lord Windermere Lord Windermere (foaled 11 March 2006) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. He is a successful steeplechaser, winning the RSA Chase in 2013 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2014. Background Lord Windermere ...
. Sherwood had wanted to wait until the following year to run the horse in the race but was over-ruled by Hemmings and Aspell. Starting at odds of 25/1, he was close behind the leaders for most of the way before taking the lead five fences from the finish when The Druid's Nephew fell. He went three lengths clear at the last and held on to win by one and three quarter lengths from the French-bred Saint Are, with Monbeg Dude six lengths back in third. The winning time of 8 minutes 56.8 seconds was the second fastest in the race's history. No horse had carried a higher weight to victory since
Red Rum Red Rum (3 May 1965 – 18 October 1995) was a champion Thoroughbred steeplechaser. He achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years, 1975 and ...
in 1974. He is also the first horse to win both the Hennessy Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season. The horse appeared somewhat distressed after crossing the line, and Aspell dismounted rather than riding the horse into the winner's enclosure, but he quickly recovered and was reported to be "bucking and kicking" in his paddock on the following morning. Aspell said, "I asked him some big questions and he has dug really deep. I tried to conserve energy because he had a hard race in the Gold Cup and it's a wonderful training performance by Oliver to freshen him up and recharge the batteries. He's all heart and he gave me the best ride I have ever had over these fences. I was just hoping that the battery life would last."


2015–16 National Hunt season

On his first appearance since his Aintree win, Many Clouds started the 9/2 third favourite for the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby but finished last of the six finishers behind
Cue Card Cue cards, also known as note cards, are cards with words written on them that help actors and speakers remember what they have to say. They are typically used in television productions where they can be held off-camera and are unseen by the au ...
. At Aintree in December, he finished second to the Irish-trained Don Poli, to whom he was conceding five pounds. Many Clouds then attempted to repeat his 2015 success in the Cotswold Chase and finished second to Smad Place. His final prep race for the Grand National was intended to be a chase at
Kelso Racecourse Kelso Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Kelso, Scotland. The official website describes the course as "Britain's Friendliest Racecourse". It was voted the Best Small Course in Scotland and the North of England in 2007 ...
on 5 March but the meeting was abandoned and rearranged to take place eight days later. Starting the 11/10 favourite Many Clouds took the lead at the fourth fence and went on to win by ten lengths from Unioniste. Starting as 8/1 joint favourite, he finished in 16th place at the
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handica ...
, behind winner Rule the World.


2016–17 National Hunt season

In his first race since the Grand National, Many Clouds won on his return to Aintree in December, beating Le Mercurey by three and a half lengths. On 28 January 2017 Many Clouds attempted to repeat his 2015 success in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and started at odds of 8/1 in a seven-runner field which included Thistlecrack (the 4/9 favourite), Smad Place, and Silviniaco Conti. After jumping well throughout the race, Many Clouds took the lead four fences from the finish and fought off the sustained challenge of Thistlecrack to win by a head in a photo-finish. After crossing the finish line Many Clouds collapsed and was pronounced dead by veterinary staff shortly afterwards. Oliver Sherwood commented, "I always said he'd die for you, and he has today, doing what he loved most. He wanted to win that race, by God he wanted to win it – he was beat at the last and he fought the last 50 yards to get up and win. I've trained for 32 years now and horses like that don't come along very often". A post-mortem examination revealed that he had died as a result of a "severe"
exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), also known as "bleeding" or a "bleeding attack", refers to the presence of blood in the airways of the lung in association with exercise. EIPH is common in horses undertaking intense exercise, but it h ...
. The vets who carried out the post-mortem also concluded there were no underlying health issues and no connection with incidents where he was unsteady on his feet after previous races. In May 2017 the senior handicappers of Britain and Ireland named Many Clouds the leading staying steeplechaser of the 2016–17 season, rating him two pounds higher than Cheltenham Gold Cup winner
Sizing John Sizing John (foaled 13 May 2010) is a British-bred, Irish trained thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. He is trained by Jessica Harrington and owned by Ann and Alan Potts, and is best known for winning the Cheltenham Gold ...
.


Pedigree


References

{{reflist, 30em


External links


Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart
– ''Many Clouds'' 2007 racehorse births 2017 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Grand National winners Thoroughbred family 22