“TO talk of drama is to speak of the very essence of the Grand National, but in the long and compelling history of this extraordinary race there have been few finishes to match the breathtaking late, late surge by the favourite Rough Quest on whom Mick Fitzgerald seized the most spectacular of victories.”
So wrote John Karter for The Sunday Times of the 7/1 shot trained by Downings man Terry Casey in 1996.
It was, as they say, a thriller and as the runners go to post this Saturday for the biggest steeple chase in the world, no doubt commentators will look back on the magic masterminded by the duo of Casey and Fitzgerald a quarter of a century ago.
TBHS U15 quad strikes gold at Maadi Cup stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“Their boys did exceptionally well and achieved a great result.” Golds were won in the men s intermediate double sculls (Sam Wilson, William Talbot), men s intermediate coxed four (Billy McCully, Will Davidson, William Light, Wilson and Tim Bartlett), men s club singles sculls (Hamish Yeatman), men s intermediate coxed quad sculls (Wilson, W Talbot, Davidson, McCully and Ty Bishop), men s novice coxed quad sculls (Josh Bartlett, Ben Allen, Mac Brown, Blake Parker and Bishop). There was also celebration for the women who gained a silver in the intermediate coxed quad sculls (Emma Wood, Elsie Talbot, Kate Crawford, Lucy Crawford and Samantha O Neill). Bronzes went to the men s novice coxed four (J Bartlett, Ben Williamson, Allen, Parker and T Bartlett), men s novice double sculls (J Bartlett and Parker) and men s novice club coxless quad sculls (Hooper Kelly-Smith, Cameron Moffat, Liam Parker, Seb Van Den Bosch).