At a recent meeting in Dorset, the organising committee’s chairman, Rupert Nuttall, received sustained applause at a trophy presentation.
This article first appeared in the Racing Post on Friday 22nd March.
His tiny mare Comonilean (for correct pronunciation refer to the hit by Dexy’s Midnight Runners), who he bred and trains, won the maiden race, deserved reward for a man who rallied his volunteers to stage racing despite this wettest of winters.
Comonilean (right, Will Biddick) on her way to victory at Charlton Horethorne in Dorset
This was my chance to pounce and probe Nuttall for reflections of his remarkable feat when, on April 26, 1997, as a Somerset farmer and amateur rider, he drove Harwell Lad to victory in Sandown’s Whitbread Gold Cup, now sponsored by bet365. The placed horses indicate the company Nuttall was keeping, for he was followed home by Sir A P McCoy, Richard Dunwoody and Paul Carberry. Robert Alner trained the first and second, Flyer’s Nap.
Without diminishing the achievement of recent winners – which include Hewick – the Whitbread was a more significant race in the past, partly because Aintree and Punchestown were not the festivals they have become. It was a regular target for Gold Cup winners and placed horses: Arkle (under 12st 7lb), Pas Seul, Mill House, The Dikler and Desert Orchid won both races, while in 1990 Mr Frisk landed it two weeks after winning the Grand National.
That Sandown’s race was a favourite of racing’s favourite owner, the late Queen Mother, who won it in 1984 with Special Cargo, added to its kudos.
When asked to flick back to that memorable day, Nuttall brushed aside his 15 minutes of fame, saying: “That’s last century, we move on,” but he was facing a wily foe who gently teased out answers.
He says: “Robert Alner was a great man and he and [wife] Sally were great people. It was a privilege to ride against professionals and, while the race was only a grade three, it was the Whitbread. I’ve got a picture at home of Charlie Swan, Richard Dunwoody, A P McCoy and me looking over the first fence. I’m lucky to have it.”
For a clue as to why Alner put the tall, wiry amateur up on Harwell Lad, view the YouTube video of the race, and note Nuttall’s galvanising effort on the run-in with the whip firmly kept from view. “The horse was quirky, and Robert thought I was a horseman,” he says. “We had our good days and bad days.”
Enigmatic Harwell Lad provided Nuttall with six chase wins and he also won some 70 point-to-points before becoming a celebrated father-in-law. His daughter Emma was married to Joe Tizzard, Harriet wed Will Biddick, while Lucy’s husband is former amateur rider Robbie Henderson. Nuttall says: “At Lucy’s wedding, I stood up and admitted each of my daughters married a man who rode more winners than me.”
Harriet’s rise to international showjumper and producer of such horses fashioned development of the family farm in that direction, and last year Biddick moved in with his string of pointers and young thoroughbreds. Nuttall has become a regular visitor to point-to-points once again, following his son-in-law to fixtures far and wide.
