Big Brave Black Apalachi

By Stephen Dwyer

In Greek Mythology, The Fates were three mystical figures that predated even the Gods. It is unclear how far their influence extended, but not even the most powerful rulers of mankind would dare to challenge their authority. This triumvirate, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, possessed the collective power to decide not only all of our destinies, but also that of the Gods. This mythology gave rise to the Latin root, “fatum,” which means “that which has been spoken.” It is from this word that the word Fate is derived.

Fate can be a cruel mistress. On the day of the Grand National, Ruby Walsh, an Aintree specialist and winner of two Grand Nationals, fell heavily at the second last flight in the Aintree Hurdle when Celestial Halo crashed out. This happened just an hour before he was to ride the Paul Nicholls-trained Big Fella Thanks, the 10/1 joint favourite for the Grand National. While on the ground Ruby, was kicked by Won In The Dark, his arm was fractured in three places and he missed the National and is set to miss two months of racing, including the Punchestown Festival. Meanwhile, as Ruby was carted off to nearby Fazakerley Hospital, Big Fella Thanks had just finished fourth under a solid ride from Barry Geraghty and the peerless Tony McCoy was adding another trophy to his groaning cabinet, the only big one that he didn’t already have. This time McCoy was collecting a bespoke Inkerman prize, engraved with all the race details from his deserved Grand National victory minutes earlier aboard the aptly named Don’t Push It.

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill and McCoy had an aggregate of 62 failed attempts at the race before Don’t Push It finally brought victory. Scenes of jubilation followed with a teary McCoy, the master of understatement, admitting on live television “I can think that I’ve sort of done all right as a jockey now.” McCoy is now 7/2 joint favourite with Wayne Rooney for the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He also visited Ruby in hospital that evening – sharing pain and joy is something they are well accustomed to in their field.

When even the great Tony McCoy was too young to sit on a rocking horse, Dessie Hughes was winning a Gold Cup aboard Davy Lad. Long before he was winning Champion Hurdles as the trainer of Hardy Eustace, Hughes was beating Sea Pigeon from Monksfield’s back. That Champion Hurdle win was in 1979. A year later, the 37-year-old Hughes took out his training licence, and big race success followed quickly when he won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 1982 with Miller Hall. Then the scales tipped, setbacks followed with a virus entering his yard for several years before success re-arrived through horses like Colonel Braxton, Rathbawn Prince, Schindlers Hunt and the exceptional Hardy Eustace.

In 2004, a few months after Hardy Eustace had won the Punchestown Champion Hurdle, a 7/4 favourite won a modest maiden hurdle in Downpatrick by 20 lengths. The horse was a five-year-old gelding called Black Apalachi. He was owned by an Oranmore farmer, Gerard Burke, whose first foray into horse racing was with his wife Teresa when Galwaybay Stan won a point-to-point in 2002. Galwaybay Stan was subsequently sold to England where he was trained to success by Lawrence Wells.

Trained at the time by Philip Rothwell, Black Apalachi was bred out of the Be My Native mare Hattons Dream. The Old Vic gelding passed through the Tattersalls Ireland sales ring twice, firstly selling for Ir12,000gns to Pat Leonard as a foal and then for €48,000 at the 2002 Derby Sale.

Black Apalachi won another hurdle race shortly afterwards, finished the RSA Hurdle in eighth place and then won his beginners’ chase before claiming the Paddy Power Chase as a six-year-old. He went to Cheltenham that year finishing sixth in the Kim Muir. He was tried over longer distances, finishing 10th in the Irish Grand National, and a fifth place finish in the Thyestes was his last run for Philip Rothwell. By chance, the owner’s son, Justin, met Dessie Hughes at the 2007 Galway Festival and agreed a change of trainer might refresh the horse.

Now with Hughes, he finished a good second in the next Thyestes before travelling to Aintree as a nine-year-old where he fell at the second fence in The National. He returned to Aintree later that year when Denis O’Regan partnered him to win the Becher Chase over the National fences by a distance. In the 2009 Grand National, he was travelling well when he fell at Becher’s Brook second time.

In this year’s renewal, the horse ran brilliantly. He jumped fluidly throughout, ridden aggressively, and he rallied at the Elbow, but he could not pass Don’t Push It. He went down by just five lengths in the end, with 20 lengths back to State of Play in third.

Converted to Euros, second place paid €224,000. Not a bad day for Mr. Burke and Mr. Hughes who said he “would hardly be happier if he had won it.”

Black Apalachi will turn 12 next year when he will be primed for another attempt at the National. His connections should not fret too much about his age. He is brave, he is flamboyant and 12-year-olds have a good record in the race: Amberleigh House won it in 2004, Royal Athlete won it in 1995, Little Polveir and Ben Nevis won it in the eighties and, remember, Red Rum claimed his third National in 1977 as a 12-year-old.

No matter what The Fates think, hope arouses, as nothing else can, a passion for the possible.

By Stephen Dwyer