How to win the Grand National: Daryl Jacob on Neptune Collonges Aintree heroics in 2012

So Daryl, you won the Grand National on Neptune Collonges back in 2012. How did the ride come about?

Ruby Walsh was stable jockey to Paul Nicholls at the time, I was riding a bit for Paul, and both Ruby and Harry Derham had ridden Neptune throughout that season, I had never ridden him before.

Harry rode him to be second to Giles Cross in the Grand National Trial at Haydock, but then Ruby decided to ride On His Own for Willie Mullins in the National – although he was stood down on the day after taking a fall from Zarkandar earlier on the card.

Noel Fehily was committed to ride State Of Play that year, so I got the call up on Neptune.

And what were the vibes from Paul going into the race? Obviously Neptune was a class act – a three-time Grade 1 winner over fences – but he was sent off 33/1?

Back then with the statistics and all that, a lot of people didn’t fancy him as they said you had to have under 11 stone, his age was against him – even no grey horse had won since 1961!

He was the class horse in the race, though, placed in a Gold Cup, won Grade 1s, so I felt personally he would give me a great spin in the race.

He was the best chance I had ever had in the race and I had finished fourth on Philson Run in 2007, my first National ride. He was a better horse than him, so I was hopeful.

Let’s talk through the race itself. As the tapes went up you were in stone last – was that by design?

It was, he takes a bit of time to get into his races and Paul said to me ‘whatever happens, don’t worry about where you are on the first lap because they will go too quick for him’ and that’s what happened.

I wanted to hunt my way into the top 12 for the final circuit and that’s what I was concentrating on right from the start. After a circuit I had worked my way into that position, but not before avoiding an awful lot of carnage.

Right from the very first fence he looked to be jumping well, did you feel that he’d taken to them straight away?

Oh yes, he was a natural.

John Hales [the owner] said to me ‘please, whatever happens look after him, and if he’s not enjoying it just pull him up,’ he just wanted the horse to return sound.

But he went down to the first, he did a little shimmy, put himself right and from then on I trusted him, he knew what he was doing.

And that sound jumping helped him avoid a lot of trouble – though there were some heart in your mouth moments on the first circuit as you alluded to?

We almost jumped into the back of one at Becher's, had to avoid a faller at Foinavon and then had to hurdle a faller at the Canal Turn!

He was such an intelligent horse jumping round there, it was like he was weighing it all up before he even got to the fences.

He was always a very quick and nimble horse on his feet and he needed to be that day, it felt like he was moving his body position in mid-air to enable him to sidestep any fallers. He was incredibly intelligent.

After avoiding all the traffic problems on the first circuit you started to creep into contention, is that when you thought you were in with a chance?

On the first circuit I just wanted to get him enjoying it and get him jumping, trying to feel my way into the race.

That day they went very quick and though Neptune Collonges was an older horse he wasn’t slow, he wasn’t a plodder, but I wasn’t on the bridle on that first circuit. But we managed to pick our way through and I found a nice pocket of space going to The Chair, jumped it nicely, and I knew then, after the bend, I was in the first 12 and I was happy.

I wouldn’t say I thought we were in with a chance of winning at that stage, but the plan was going well.

So, was it all plain-sailing from here on in, then?

No! He half came back on the bridle going down the back straight and I remember we had to bypass the fence before Becher’s. That’s when I had to react quickly and felt I had to make a bee-line to cut the corner and get into a good position jumping Becher’s.

Then, if anything did happen, I’d be in a good position to avoid any trouble and also make up a little bit of ground. So I went for the shortest route and would you believe it On His Own fell in front of me.

We managed to skip round him and from then on I was in a lovely position, really happy with where we were.

So, the drama was over and you rode him home without fuss to become a National hero?

No! Me being an idiot I winged the next two and then squeezed him at one fence and he put down on me.

I thought **** I can’t do that again. He was very good to get over it, mind. He got himself over it but he could quite easily have fallen there if he wasn’t so good.

Crossing the Melling Road I was in the top 10 but loads of horses were travelling better than me to my outside. I knew he’d stay well, but I wanted to try and fill him up.

At the same time I was trying to get him rolling, so if anything quickened I wouldn’t be caught flat-footed.

Two fences to go now, talk us through what happened…

Jumping two out I thought I’d win. Going to the last I was telling myself ‘I’m going to win the National’ and then Sunnyhillboy and Seabass went away from me again.

I thought ‘****, where have they found that extra gear from?!’ And then it happened.

It was just down to Neptune. Pure heart, desire, class and guts.

I went between the front two and boy, did he put his head down. His nose was on the floor the whole way up that run-in. I just kept pushing and pushing and pushing.

If I’m being honest, I had no idea where the finish line was. I was head down through the line and only stopped when my good friend Richie McLernon stopped pushing on the inside.

It was so close between you and Sunnyhillboy, when did you know you’d won?

I hadn’t a clue. I was hoping and praying, looking up to the heavens to Kieran Kelly, a good friend of mine who had died in a racing accident nine years before.

It felt like an age. The longer it went on, I was such good friends with Richie, I almost wanted it to be a dead-heat. I would’ve taken it in that moment, he had given his horse an incredible ride.

They called my number and I was elated, obviously, but I looked across to Richie and my heart sank for him, it was so close. The anguish on his face, it was like someone had punched their fist into his chest and ripped out his heart.

We were such good friends, I look back on that moment with so many mixed emotions as I genuinely felt devastated for him. But I had won the National.

That’s amazing we would presume it would just be a feeling of pure joy. How do you look back on it now 11 years on?

I’m so proud, of course, but I probably didn’t appreciate it at the time the way I should’ve.

I was relatively young and I just thought there would be more opportunities, I thought I’d ride in it every year and I’m still hoping now another opportunity will come up.

The phone didn’t stop ringing in the weeks and months afterwards for interviews and TV and I didn’t do any of that. I just wanted to ride winners. I didn’t want to feel like a celebrity.

But winning the National, it was fantastic and it was the last year of the old fences, quite historic in itself, the last jockey to win over the wooden fences.

Poor old Synchronised lost his life that year and there have been loads of modifications since. Neptune was the last of the old guard, really, and his was a National won thanks to class and courage.

All the credit goes to the horse, what he did that day. Side-stepping the horses, jumping, being in the right place at the right time and then the heart he showed on the run in. He was so brave.

So that’s how I won it. It was all down to him.

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org