Minella Times (foaled 4 March 2013) is a retired Irish-bred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
racehorse who competed in
National Hunt racing
In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...
. In
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, he won the
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 st ...
under
Rachael Blackmore, becoming the first horse ridden by a female jockey to win the race.
Background
Minella Times is a bay horse with no white
markings bred in Ireland by Cathal Ennis at Quill Farm near
Kilbeggan in
County Westmeath. As a foal in November 2013 he was consigned to the
Tattersalls
Tattersalls (formerly Tattersall's) is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Founding
It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. T ...
Ireland November National Hunt Sale and was bought for €31,000 by John Nallen of Minella Racing. Nallen bought the future
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (3 ...
winner
Minella Indo
Minella Indo (foaled 18 April 2013) is an Irish racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. He was one of the leading Novices' Hurdlers 2018/19 season when he recorded Grade 1 victories in the Spa Novices' Hurdle and Irish Daily Mirror No ...
at the same sale. The horse was
gelded
A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...
before the start of his racing career.
He was sired by Oscar, a horse who finished second to
Peintre Celebre
Peintre Celebre (17 March 1994 – 19 October 2018) was an American-bred, French-trained champion thoroughbred racehorse. He won the French Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1997.
Background
Peintre Celebre was bred and owned by Dani ...
in the
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over ...
before becoming a leading sire of National Hunt horses. His other major winners have included
Lord Windermere,
Rock On Ruby
Rock On Ruby, (foaled 11 May 2005) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist Hurdling (horse race), hurdler he is best known for his performances in the 2011–2012 National Hunt season, when he won the Gerry Fe ...
,
Oscar Whisky,
Paisley Park
Paisley Park Records was an American record label founded by musician Prince in 1985, which was distributed by and funded in part by Warner Bros. Records. It was started in 1985, following the success of the film and album '' Purple Rain''. ...
and
Big Zeb
Big Zeb (foaled 13 May 2001) is a retired, Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing and was best known for his performances in steeplechases over the minimum distance of two miles. He was slow to mature and made little i ...
. Minella Times's dam Triptoshan was an unraced mare from a family which had produced several good steeplechasers.
Racing career
Early career
Minella Times began his career on the amateur
Point-to-point circuit. He made his debut in a three-mile race on
yielding ground at Belclare in which he fell at the last obstacle when two
lengths clear of his rivals. Later that month the gelding was offered for sale at Tattersalls but failed to attract any bids.
He then entered the ownership of
J. P. McManus and was sent into training with
Henry De Bromhead
Henry de Bromhead (born 28 October 1972) is an Irish horse trainer who specialises in training horses for National Hunt racing. He has trained a number of Grade 1 winners including Sizing John and Honeysuckle_(horse), Honeysuckle, and is based at ...
at
Knockeen,
County Waterford. On his first run under professional rules he ran fourth in a
National Hunt Flat race at
Cork Racecourse
Cork Racecourse, also known as Cork Racecourse Mallow, is a horse racing venue at Mallow, County Cork, Ireland which stages both National Hunt racing and Flat racing. It is located 35 km north of Cork and 64 km from Limerick
The cou ...
on 19 November.
2018/19 National Hunt season
In the 2018/19 National Hunt season Minella Times was initially campaigned in
Novice
A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience.
Religion Buddhism
...
hurdle
A hurdle (UK English, limited US English) is a moveable section of light fence. In the United States, terms such as "panel", "pipe panel" or simply "fence section" are used to describe moveable sections of fencing intended for agricultural us ...
races. At
Kilbeggan Racecourse
Kilbeggan Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, Ireland. The first recording of racing in the Kilbeggan area was in March 1840. The course is located from the nearest, larger town of Mullingar and from the capital ci ...
on 11 May he started at odds of
9/2 for a
maiden
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
hurdle in which he was ridden by
Mark Walsh and won by two and three-quarter lengths from Glorious Legend after taking the lead after the second last hurdle. He went on to finish fourth at
Galway Racecourse in August and seventh when matched against more experienced opponents in a
Handicap at
Tipperary Racecourse
Tipperary Racecourse is a horse racing venue in County Tipperary, Ireland which stages both National Hunt and Flat racing. The course is located adjacent to Limerick Junction railway station and approximately two miles from Tipperary town. Tippe ...
on 7 October. In December, he finished runner-up in a novice hurdle at
Punchestown Racecourse
Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish National ...
and then came home eighth in a novice handicap at
Leopardstown Racecourse. On his final run of the season he finished third behind Galvin and Whoshotthesheriff in a novice hurdle at
Navan Racecourse
Navan Racecourse is a horse racing venue at Proudstown near Navan, County Meath, Ireland, approximately 48 kilometres from Dublin. The course stages Flat racing but is best known for National Hunt racing. Navan Racecourse is owned by Horse Racing ...
on 15 January.
2019/20 National Hunt season
Minella Times began the 2019/20 National Hunt season by competing in novice
chases. In the summer he finished ninth to Count Simon at Punchestown in June, second to Westland Row at Kilbeggan in July and fourth to Dandy Mag at Galway in August. At
Clonmel Racecourse on 3 October he started 7/4 favourite for a three-mile novice chase but was beaten half a length into second place by Generator City.
Rachael Blackmore took the ride when Minella Times started at odds of 6/1 in a two and a half mile handicap at Navan on 7 December when he was matched against more experienced chasers. After settling in sixth place in the twelve runner field he made steady progress, took second place approaching the last fence, and overtook Ben Dundee on the run-in to win by three quarters of a length. In his two subsequent races that year, the gelding finished second to Sumos Novios in a handicap at
Limerick Racecourse
Limerick Racecourse (Greenmount Park) is a horse racing venue in County Limerick, Ireland, which stages both National Hunt and flat racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden ...
on 29 December and came home sixteenth of the eighteen finishers in the Leopardstown Chase on 2 February.
2020/21 National Hunt season
On 25 September 2020 Minella Times began his next campaign by carrying a top weight of 164 pounds in a handicap chase over two and three-quarter miles at
Listowel Racecourse and starting at odds of 7/1 in a ten-runner field. Ridden by Blackmore, he was restrained towards the rear of the field before moving up to dispute the lead at the final fence and gained the advantage in the closing stages to win by half a length from Beyond The Law with Bay Hill three quarters of a length away in third. At Leopardstown on 27 December he contested the three-mile Paddy Power Chase and finished second to Castlebawn West, beaten four and a half lengths by the winner. At the same track on 7 February he finished second again, beaten half a length by Off You Go in the Leopardstown Handicap Chase.
For his next race, Minella Times was sent to England to contest the
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 st ...
over four miles, two and a half furlongs at
Aintree Racecourse on 10 April, and, with Blackmore in the saddle, started the 11/1 fourth choice in a forty-runner field. He raced in mid-division as the outsider Jett set the pace before moving into contention at the 26th fence. He took the lead on the final turn and steadily increased his advantage over the last two fences to win by six and a half lengths from his stablemate Balko Des Flos. Blackmore, who became the first female jockey to win the race, said "I just got such an unbelievable passage through the race.
Minella Times just jumped fantastic and brought me from fence to fence... you need so much luck to get around with no one else interfering first of all. You need so much to go right and things went right for me today. I feel so incredibly lucky. It is unbelievable, I'm just so thrilled."
Retirement
During preparation for the
2023 Grand National Minella Times sustained an injury to his shoulder which meant he wouldn't be able to run in the race and it was decided that he would retire.
Grand National record
Pedigree
References
{{reflist
2013 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Ireland
Racehorses trained in Ireland
Grand National winners
Thoroughbred family 1-k