Rough Quest (10 May 1986 – 19 October 2016) was a

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 ...

most famous for his victory in the

1996 Grand National The 1996 Grand National (known as the Martell (cognac), Martell Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 149th official renewal of the world-famous Grand National Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase that took place at Aintree Rac ...

Aintree Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, northeast of Liverpool city centre. In 2011 the parish had a p ...

Background

Rough Quest was a bay horse bred in England by Michael Healy. He was sired by Crash Course who won the

Doncaster Cup The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles 1 furlong and 197 yards (3,600 m ...

and became a successful National Hunt stallion: his other progeny included

Jodami Jodami (6 April 1985 – 1 December 2008) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechaser, he ran thirty-nine time and won eighteen races in a career which lasted from March ...

Esha Ness Esha Ness, also written Eshaness, is a peninsula on the west coast of Northmavine, on the island of Mainland, Shetland, Scotland. Esha Ness Lighthouse is located on the west coast of the peninsula, just south of Calder's Geo. The lighthouse was ...

and Maid of Money (

Irish Grand National The Irish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs (5, ...

). During his racing career he was trained by Terry Casey.

Racing career

The horse went to Aintree in 1996 in very good form, having won the Racing Post Chase and finishing second in the recent

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 furlon ...

with the result that the public made him race favourite at the off.

Mick Fitzgerald Michael Fitzgerald (born 10 May 1970) is a retired Irish National Hunt jockey and current television racing pundit. Fitzgerald rode for the majority of his career in Great Britain and less often Ireland. Career as a Jockey Mick Fitzgerald's ...

took the ride to be the first favourite to win the race for fourteen years. However the race was most notable for a prolonged stewards' enquiry into the possibility that the winner had crossed the runner up Encore Un Peu on the run in. After the enquiry, the result was allowed to stand. Rough Quest never fully recovered from his efforts and was found to have a muscle enzyme disorder, winning just one more race in his career, a hunter chase at Newbury in 1999 before being retired later that year.

Grand National record

Pedigree

References

1986 racehorse births 2016 racehorse deaths Cheltenham Festival winners Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 11-a {{racehorse-stub