Leighton Aspell (born 12 June 1976) is a retired Irish jockey, whose wins include the
Champion Four Year Old Hurdle
The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its run ...
riding
United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
, two runnings of the
Welsh National
The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of about ...
, the
2014 Grand National
The 2014 Grand National (officially known as the 2014 Crabbie's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 167th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase, whic ...
riding
Pineau de Re
Pineau de Re (foaled 8 May 2003) is a French-bred, British-trained AQPS racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Grand National.
Background
Pineau de Re is a bay gelding with no white markings bred in France by Michel Hardy. His sire Marres ...
and the
2015 Grand National
The 2015 Grand National (officially known as the 2015 Crabbie's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 168th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase took ...
riding
Many Clouds
Many Clouds (21 April 2007 – 28 January 2017) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse best known for winning the 2015 Grand National. After being sold as a foal, he was sent to England and trained for a Nationa ...
.
Personal life
Leighton Aspell was born 12 June 1976
in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, Ireland.
He grew up in Narraghmore,
County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
. Aspell has a brother, Paddy, who is also a jockey,
and was originally taught to ride by his father, Patrick.
He was later apprenticed to Reg Hollinshead.
Aspell has a
fan club
A fans club is an organized group of fans, generally of a celebrity. Most fans clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to support them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the per ...
, making him "one of the few jockeys" to have such a thing.
He and his brother Paddy are second cousins of former Ireland Rugby international
Shane Horgan
Shane Patrick Horgan (born 18 July 1978) is an Irish former rugby union player who played wing or centre for Leinster and Ireland.
Early life
He was born on 18 July 1978 in Bellewstown, County Meath, to an Irish mother, Ursula (née Campbell) ...
and his actress sister
Sharon Horgan
Sharon Lorencia Horgan (born 13 July 1970) is an Irish actress, writer, director, comedian and producer who co-wrote and starred in the comedy series '' Pulling'' (2006–2009) and ''Catastrophe'' (2015–2019). She also created the HBO comedy ...
.
Career
Aspell has competed in seven
Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
s,
winning both the
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2015 Grand National
The 2015 Grand National (officially known as the 2015 Crabbie's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 168th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase took ...
s
and coming second in the
2003 Grand National (his debut), riding
Supreme Glory.
Aspell had several other notable successes. He won the Welsh National on Supreme Glory in 2001 and the same race on L'Aventure in 2005. Also, in 2005, Aspell won the Grade I
Champion Four Year Old Hurdle
The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its run ...
at
Punchestown Racecourse
Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 Regional road (Ireland), regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays ...
on the Lucy Wadham-trained mare
United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
. In 2006, Aspell came near to victory at the Grand National, riding Ballycassidy, but he fell at Valentine's Brook second time round.
In July 2007, Aspell announced his retirement from race riding, and left to work for trainer
John Dunlop in
Arundel
Arundel ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs, West Sussex, England.
The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much large ...
.
However, he began his comeback in April 2009, saying
"I'm really looking forward to coming back. It's something that has been in the back of my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I didn't want to find myself in ten years time regretting not having ridden for longer."
During the 2013–2014 season, Aspell had his best ever season, riding 61 winners so far.
He was given the ride on
Richard Newland's
Pineau de Re
Pineau de Re (foaled 8 May 2003) is a French-bred, British-trained AQPS racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Grand National.
Background
Pineau de Re is a bay gelding with no white markings bred in France by Michel Hardy. His sire Marres ...
in the
2014 Grand National
The 2014 Grand National (officially known as the 2014 Crabbie's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 167th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase, whic ...
after the horse's regular rider
Sam Twiston-Davies
Sam Twiston-Davies is a British National Hunt racing jockey. He was the retained jockey of ten-times British jump racing Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls. He won the 2015 Queen Mother Champion Chase on Dodging Bullets. His father is trainer Nig ...
opted to ride the more fancied
Tidal Bay
Tidal Bay is an Irish bred Bay gelding Thoroughbred race horse foaled on 12 May 2001. He was the winner of three Grade 1 jumps races, the Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Maghull Novices' Chase in 2008 as well as the Lexus Chase in 2012. Train ...
around three weeks prior to the race.
After a
false start
In sports, a false start is a disallowed start, usually due to a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Depending on the sport and the event, a false start can result ...
, Aspell and Pineau de Re won the race by five lengths at odds of 25/1,
winning £561,300 out of a £1,000,000 prize fund.
At the
2015 Grand National
The 2015 Grand National (officially known as the 2015 Crabbie's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 168th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase took ...
, Aspell rode
Many Clouds
Many Clouds (21 April 2007 – 28 January 2017) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse best known for winning the 2015 Grand National. After being sold as a foal, he was sent to England and trained for a Nationa ...
, against a field of 38 including his previous winner Pineau de Re. Pre-race, favourite
A. P. McCoy
Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
had odds of 7–1 riding
Shutthefrontdoor
Shutthefrontdoor is a racehorse that won the Irish Grand National in 2014.
Ridden by Barry Geraghty and starting at odds of 8/1, he finished 3/4 lengths clear of Golden Wonder.
Shutthefrontdoor finished fifth in the 2015 Grand National and ni ...
, Aspell had odds of 25–1. Aspell's victory makes him the first back-to-back Grand National winner in over 40 years since
Red Rum
Red Rum (3 May 1965 – 18 October 1995) was a champion Thoroughbred steeplechaser. He achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years, 1975 and ...
with rider
Brian Fletcher
Brian Fletcher (18 May 1947 – 11 January 2017) was an English jockey known for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 and 1974 and for second place in 1975. He first won the Grand National at the age of 20, in 1968 ridi ...
, and only the third since
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, along with
Bryan Marshall
Bryan Marshall (19 May 1938 – 25 June 2019) was a British actor, with a number of major credits in film and television to his name, in both his native country and Australia.
Early life
Marshall was born in Battersea, south London. He was educ ...
. Aspell stated after the race that "that's the best ride I have had in the National", his riding won £561,300 from the £1 million pot.
Major wins
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
*
Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
– (2)
Pineau de Re
Pineau de Re (foaled 8 May 2003) is a French-bred, British-trained AQPS racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Grand National.
Background
Pineau de Re is a bay gelding with no white markings bred in France by Michel Hardy. His sire Marres ...
(2014),
Many Clouds
Many Clouds (21 April 2007 – 28 January 2017) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse best known for winning the 2015 Grand National. After being sold as a foal, he was sent to England and trained for a Nationa ...
(2015)
*
Welsh Grand National
The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...
– (2) Supreme Glory (2001), L'Aventure (2005)
----
Ireland
*
Champion Four Year Old Hurdle
The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its run ...
– (1) United (2005)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aspell, Leighton
1976 births
Living people
Irish jockeys
Irish expatriate sportspeople in the United Kingdom
Equestrians from County Dublin
Lester Award winners
Equestrians from County Kildare