Lifetime Ambition Grand National Wins
Lifetime Ambition has never won the Grand National.
They have never finished the race.
Lifetime Ambition has spent his career under the care of Jessica Harrington and always looked like being a long-distance chaser. In the early part of his time racing, over hurdles, the horse didn’t really hit the heights expected, but as soon as he was switched to the bigger obstacles, he started to impress.
Foaled in 2015, Lifetime Ambition made his Grand National debut in 2023, however, that wasn’t his first run over the big obstacles at Aintree. In November 2022, during his preparation for the big race, he ran in the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase, over a shorter distance than the big one, but using the same fences and he finished a respectable fourth. That proved he could jump the big fences, but we didn’t see much of that in the 2023 Grand National, as Lifetime Ambition was badly hampered by a loose horse at Valentine’s, the 9th fence, and that caused him to unseat his rider.
Full Results
| Year | Result | Prize Money | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Fence 9 - Brought Down | - | 11-3 | Sean O’Keeffe | Mrs John Harrington |
Lifetime Ambition’s Early Years
We saw Lifetime Ambition begin his racing career in Irish point-to-point races, the first of which came in October 2019. He finished second on that occasion, but went one better the following month, winning his second race by six lengths and that was the final time we saw him on the amateur circuit.
To start 2020, he would run twice in flat races, but as these were over two miles, he struggled to get involved. Then came hurdling, but Lifetime Ambition would take time to warm up to that. He finished second on his first two starts over hurdles but would go six runs without winning, which was disappointing.
He finally landed his first win under rules in March 2021, winning a maiden hurdle at Limerick and then followed that up with another hurdle win a month later at Punchestown.
When he went chasing the following season, there was a definite improvement in his form. He won his chasing debut at Down Royal, before going straight up into Grade One company and finishing fourth at Fairyhouse. Further good efforts in good races came before he ended his novice chase season with a win in a Grade Three and a second in a Grade One.
After taking some time to get going as a hurdler, there was none of that as a chaser. This is what Lifetime Ambition was always going to be, and he was now proving it on the track, jumping well and staying strongly.
Lifetime Ambition’s Big Race Wins
After struggling over hurdles, Lifetime Ambition was able to move up in class when going over fences. However, that all only turned into one big race win, and that was a Grade Three novice chase success at Limerick. The race was the Hugh McMahon Memorial Chase, ran over three miles and half a furlong, with Lifetime Ambition coming away from the field to win by just over four lengths.
Further placed efforts have come, including finishing second in a Grade One, but no more wins as of yet in his career.