Minella Times and Rachael Blackmore destined to enjoy finest moment together

Almost 32 years ago, on July 2 1989, Eimir and Charles Blackmore of Killenaule County Tipperary were impatiently waiting for their second child to burst into this world.

At that time, just five miles down the road, a young Sadler’s Wells was patiently awaiting the success of his first crop of three-year-old runners at Coolmore (John Magnier maybe not so patiently).

Sadler’s Wells sired a first-crop Classic winner (phew!) and nine days later Eimir and Charles gave birth to a baby girl, named Rachael.

J.K. Rowling could not have imagined the legacies that those two individuals would create. That all these years later Rachael and Sadler’s Wells would be two of the most celebrated names in racing and that the neighbours’ paths would actually cross in the 2021 history-making Aintree Grand National.

So, Minella Times. Fast-forward eight years from Sadler’s Wells’ first crop of three-year-olds. One of his sons, trained by Pascal Bary, significantly placed second to the subsequent Arc winner Peintre Celebre in the French Derby.

It perhaps did not appear all that significant at the time, but that horse was Oscar.

And although running just four times - winning his maiden and also placing second in the Group Two Prix Hocquart - the Derby placing was enough to grant Oscar a chance as a stallion at Grange Stud in County Cork the following year, 1998.

He was joining the likes of soon-to-be heavyweight jumping sires Old Vic, King’s Theatre and Poliglote as Sadler’s Wells sons already standing at stud, most of whom were initially retired as flat sires before developing into potent National Hunt sources.

We are all too aware of the influence Sadler’s Wells has imparted upon the breed as a whole, let alone his complete dominance of the jumping scene where his sons have quite simply reigned supreme across the land.

But looking at the Grand National alone, a pilgrimage in itself, sons and grandsons of Sadler’s Wells have sired seven of the last 13 winners. In fact, Sadler’s Wells features on both sides of the pedigree of back-to-back hero Tiger Roll (in-bred 3x3), and his very first Classic winner Old Vic sired two winners of the race (Comply Or Die and Don’t Push It).

But with two placed in the Grand National already – Oscar Time who was second in 2011 and Teaforthree who was third in 2013, as well as being the damsire of 2016 runner-up The Last Samuri – 2021 was finally Oscar’s time to shine at Aintree. Not only did he sire the winner Minella Times, but also third place Any Second Now.

Humbly beginning his stallion career at a fee of 1000 Irish Punts back in 1998, Oscar was yet another branch through whom Sadler’s Wells genes governed. And throughout his 17 years standing at Grange, was best represented by the likes of six-time Grade One winning chaser Big Zeb, Champion Hurdle winner Rock On Ruby, brilliant stayer Paisley Park, Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere, Punchestown Champion Bumper and Stayers’ Hurdle heroine Refinement, and three-time Grade One winner God’s Own, to mention but a few.

But this isn’t about those superstars. This is about Cathal Ennis from County Westmeath sending his Anshan mare, Triptoshan, to visit Oscar in 2012 when his fee had risen to €6,000.

Ennis purchased Triptoshan privately 15 years ago from her breeder Liam Norris. She did not race herself and Ennis sent her to visit to Oscar on her second mating. That offspring resulted in Aintree bumper winner Cruiseaweigh, who must have looked promising as a foal as Ennis repeated the mating and sent Triptoshan back to Oscar again.

That second visit brought life to Saturday’s Grand National winner.

Ennis sold Minella Times as a foal at the Tattersalls Ireland November sale in 2013 and he was snapped up by John Nallan for €31,000. On that same day, Nallan also bought this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo for €24,000… read that sentence again.

With regards to Minella Times’ damsire Anshan, who was a Group winner over seven furlongs in his hay day - he has been represented by a number of top-class staying progeny over the years including

Punchestown Stayer’s Hurdle winner Asian Maze, Listed Chase winner over four miles Mckelvey and Punchestown Cross Country Chase winner over the same distance, Quantitativeeasing.

Stamina was never a concern.

He didn’t pick the resilience off the floor either. Minella Times’ grandam Triptodicks was incredibly sound. She ran under rules a whopping 79 times, winning on 11 of those occasions including a Listed Hurdle race over three miles at Listowel and placing third in the three-mile-one Grade Two Pat Taaffe Chase at Punchestown.

Triptodicks never bred a winner herself but her dam’s sister bred Rambling Master who won a three-and-a-half mile Grade Three chase at Haydock.

And as for continuity of the family, Minella Times has a winning full-sister named L'Attendue, a three-year-old half-sister by Kayf Tara and a two-year-old half-sister by Flemensfirth. As well as

younger half-brother Black Gerry (Westerner) who won on his second start last January for Gary Moore, and unraced four and five-year-old geldings Malton Groove (Kayf Tara) and Trip To The West (Westerner).

No pressure, just some 173rd Aintree Grand National winning, Rachael Blackmore carrying shoes to fill. Hopefully there is much more to come from that pair yet as Saturday’s feat looks far from the final act.