Mon Mome Grand National Wins
- 2009 - ridden by Liam Treadwell trained by Venetia Williams
Grand National winners come and go, some are remembered, others sometimes forgotten, but for a couple of different reasons, Mon Mome is certainly one that many will remember.
This is undoubtedly the case for those who backed him, he won at 100/1, and of course, winning jockey Liam Tredwell will live long in the memory after he sadly passed not too long after retiring from the sport of racing.
In terms of breeding, the win of Mon Mome was also a boost for French runners. He became the first French bred to win the race for over 100 years, showing that they were once again involved in breeding top-quality strong stayers who could compete with those who had come from a point-to-point background.
In total, Mon Mome ran four times in the Grand National, just getting to the race four times is an achievement, let alone winning one of them. He managed to complete the course twice, finishing 10th in 2008 and winning in 2009. After that, he wasn’t able to complete, falling and being pulled up in 2010 and 2012.
Full Results
| Year | Result | Prize Money | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Fence 22 - Pulled Up | - | 10-8 | Aidan Coleman | Venetia Williams |
| 2010 | Fence 26 - Fell | - | 11-7 | Aidan Coleman | Venetia Williams |
| 2009 | 1 | £506,970 | 11-00 | Liam Treadwell | Venetia Williams |
| 2008 | 10 | - | 10-11 | Aidan Coleman | Venetia Williams |
Winner Of The 2009 Grand National
An SP of 100/1 will imply that hardly anyone backed Mon Mome to win the Grand National in 2009, but there were indeed some that did so. The win was one that claimed a lot of records in terms of the race. He became the first French-bred to win the race for 100 years, which was a significant boost to the French breeding program.
He was the biggest price winner of the race since Foinavon, who also won at 100/1 back in 1967. Both trainer Venetia Williams and jockey Liam Tredwell recorded their first win in the race here, and in the case of Tredwell, it was also his first ever ride in the race.
In terms of being a 100/1 shot, there is certainly an argument to be made that he should not have been anywhere near that price. He ran in the race a year prior, so he had course experience and didn’t run too poorly. Just a few months before, he was sent off favourite for the Welsh Grand National. He pulled up in that race, but being favourite showed that many people thought he had a big race win in him. It is the starting price that makes most of this story so special, but looking back, it was crazy to see him at such a price.
Despite many thinking he had no chance, he couldn’t have won the race any better, recording a winning distance of 12 lengths and powering clear. He was far enough ahead that Tredwell was able to stand tall and celebrate as the pair crossed the winning line. He beat a former winner, with 2008 winner Comply Or Die back in second place.
The remarkable durability of this horse remained on show for years to come. He would run in the Grand National on four occasions, finishing in his first two and failing to finish his final two attempts.
He will forever be known as the 100/1 winner of the race in recent years.
Mon Mome’s Early Years
Mon Mome had a really low-key start to his racing career, running once on the flat in France before running over hurdles in the UK. He failed to win any of those, but given that his career path was always going to take him into staying chase races, that should come as no surprise.
He bagged his first win on December 12th, 2005, in a staying chase at Plumpton, and then followed up with another easy win a month later at Fontwell.
It was at this point that we knew what his future would be, long distances, big fences and races that required heart and determination.
In April 2006, he won an amateur riders race for novices’ over fences at Aintree, his first success at the course and, again, a sign that he was about to develop into a horse capable of running at the higher levels in racing.
Mon Mome’s Big Race Wins
Mon Mome had six career wins in total, but just two of those can be regarded as big race wins. The first came at Cheltenham in December 2008, where he won a listed handicap by half a length. This was the race that would set up his run in the Welsh Grand National and came just months before his Grand National win.
Secondly, of course, the Grand National win in 2009 was without a doubt the biggest win of his career. He took home a prize of just over £500,000 that day and was undoubtedly the biggest day in his career, as well as the biggest day in the career of both his trainer and jockey, who also won the race for the first time.