Talkischeap Grand National Wins
Talkischeap has never won the Grand National.
They have never finished the race.
Talkischeap ran for the Alan King yard during his career and won a Grade Three handicap on the biggest day of his career. Eventually, that would lead the horse to run in staying races over the bigger obstacles and, ultimately, the Aintree Grand National.
Foaled in 2012, the horse ended his career with a total of 25 races under rules, winning five of those. Before that, he was in Ireland and had a perfect record in the point-to-point sphere, running three times and winning all those races.
He made the Grand National in 2021 but was not able to finish the race as he was pulled up at the 25th fence. He didn’t run too poorly that day but began to struggle towards the end, and after weakening, was taken out of the race.
Full Results
| Year | Result | Prize Money | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Fence 26 - Pulled Up | - | 10-12 | Tom Cannon | Alan King |
Talkischeap’s Early Years
The early part of Talkischeap’s career was very good, beginning with point-to-point races in Ireland. Unusually, he ran in one point-to-point before going into a national hunt flat race under rules and then going back to run in two more point-to-point races.
He won all three starts in point to points and was impressive, with winning distances of six lengths, five lengths and ten lengths. However, in the flat race, he was disappointed, only managing to finish 15th of 16 runners, more than 100 lengths behind the winner.
After those runs, he would move to the UK and go in training with Alan King, who gave him his rules debut in January 2017. This was a national hunt flat race, and he would finish second before finishing third in two similar events. He would go over hurdles straight away in the spring, winning his first two starts.
Another win in the winter gave him three victories from four starts over hurdles, and that took him to the Cheltenham Festival, where he would run in the Albert Bartlett Grade One Novice Hurdle but would be pulled up in that race.
Chasing would come next, finishing third on debut before being moved up in grade to a Grade Two contest where he would finish second. On his third start, he got a win on the board, the first of two wins he would get over the bigger obstacles.
Talkischeap’s Big Race Wins
The only big win of note in Talkischeap’s career came at Sandown in the bet365 Gold Cup. The race is a big end-of-season race, a competitive Grade Three handicap, and he won it in April 2019.
It was in this race that we first saw the horse’s true staying power, winning over a distance of three miles and five furlongs. Fifteen went to post, and Talkischeap didn’t just win this race but blew apart the field with a fantastic performance.
A winning distance of 10 lengths was recorded, taking the lead at the final fence and drawing quickly clear up the run in, seemingly with plenty left in hand. At that point, he looked like a Grand National runner, but when he went to the big one in 2021, he was pulled up in the contest.