Ain't That A Shame Grand National Wins
Ain't That A Shame has never won the Grand National.
Their best finish to date was in 2024 where they came 6th. They were ridden by Mr David Maxwell and trained by Henry De Bromhead.
Ain’t That A Shame has spent all his career running over longer distances and is known as a good jumper, staying chase contests quickly became what he would compete in. The horse has never run over a distance of less than two and a half miles, even as a youngster, stamina is certainly his strong point.
Foaled in 2014, the horse began his career in a point-to-point contest in Ireland before moving to the Henry de Bromhead yard for his career under rules. Although he has yet to hit real heights and win a big one, the horse has shown some quality and will make his Grand National debut in 2023.
Full Results
| Year | Result | Prize Money | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | £13,200 | 10-13 | Mr David Maxwell | Henry De Bromhead |
| 2023 | 17 | - | 10-5 | Rachael Blackmore | Henry De Bromhead |
Ain’t That A Shame’s Early Years
Ain’t That A Shame began life in the Irish point-to-point field, where he would run just once but made a really nice impression. He finished second in that race, going down by just a short head, and that was enough for him to go running under rules with Henry de Bromhead.
On his first rules race, which came in December 2020, the horse finished fifth in a maiden hurdle and followed that up with a third-placed finish a month later in a similar race. On his third start, he got a win under his belt, and the key to that was a step up in trip, which was to just under three miles, and really made a difference to his running.
The following season, Ain’t That A Shame would go chasing for the first time, running in four races, but failing to win any of them. He finished third, second and second in three Irish starts before running down the field in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
In his first two seasons under rules, plus his one point-to-point run, Ain’t That A Shame won just once, which will be seen as a disappointment for a horse of this quality.
Ain’t That A Shame’s Big Race Wins
The career of Ain’t That A Shame hasn’t really taken him to many of the big races as of yet, and therefore he hasn’t won them. He has performed well in those he’s taken part in, though, with his best effort being a second placed effort in the Munster National, losing out by just a head.
The feeling is that there will be many more big days to come for this horse in the future.
2024 Grand National
Overall a much better result in 2024 with Mr David Maxwell in Ain’t That A Shame’s saddle. Placing sixth shows he had an excellent run. Early on during the race, Ain’t That A Shame stayed in the rear of the pack, gatherings his rhythm and seeking his space. For the first 10 fences, he stayed well back protecting his place, conserving energy and enjoying the rhythm of others. Jockey, Maxwell clearly steered him out wide as they reached the straight from fence 15 onwards at which point he moved forward into the lead. Throughout the race, he was placed in a lovely position, lucky to be clear of fallers or being hampered as he was at the back of the pack.