By the Barest of Margins !
Not quite a winner but a winner in our eyes as Surrey Quest and the driving hard Kevin Brogan just failed to get up and win the 2024 Scottish Grand National. It was a lovely sunny day and the course had dried out which did lead to few concerns but Toby was quietly confident that everything had gone to plan and that he would outrun his (wrong?) 40-1 odds which were widely available all day. When Quest came into the parade ring I think there was an audible gasp, he looked amazing, so fit, immense credit to Toby and the team.
26 talented runners, 4 miles and 27 fences to jump and off we went. Kevin Brogan gave Quest an absolute peach of a ride and coming into the final home straight with 4 left to jump we unbelievably were in the top 7 and potentially in the prize money. I’m not sure any of us expected what was to come - a titanic battle with Willie Mullin’s MacDernott that went all the way to the line. Social media called it the race of the season. Cue pandemonium - we had just won the Scottish National - there were many tears shed and then the doubt set in - did we get over the line first ? It looked like we did from the stands, Toby thought we had won, so did Kevin, It took an age for the judge to call it and alas, as Ian Smith famously said, by the barest of margins we came second.
What a pleasure to be involved in a race of that magnitude let alone to go close. It was nearly so very perfect but to get that close, it then felt so far away. The Irish raider got the plaudits and we left to wonder what if. Kevin was heartbroken despite riding the race of his life and will spend many moments thinking how could he improve by a nostril. There’s no doubting that a win at Ayr would have impacted so many people in a good way but we have to be so very proud of what Quest and everyone involved have done. He’s still a novice and will only improve next year so we will all hopefully get a chance to go one better, maybe in the biggest handicap of them all in Liverpool but that’s for another day. Quest’s season has finished now, he’ll enjoy a well deserved summer break and we will look forward to running in some big Saturday races next season. He’s sure to go up to a rating of 140 making him the all time greatest Surrey Racing NH horse, and you wouldn’t argue that there’s more to come.
The irony being that Willie Mullins wouldn’t even have entered Ayr if he wasn’t chasing the UK title - he’s had 5 runners there in 20 years! Onwards and Upwards.