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Irish-bred BobbyJo's 1999 Grand National win was the first for an Irish-trained horse in over 25 years; trainer Tommy Carberry, whose son, Paul, rode BobbyJo, had ridden the last Irish-trained winner of that race, L'Escargot, in 1975. He was, in the words of his jockey, "...an easy horse to ride...you could do anything you wanted with him...he was also very genuine and he jumped brilliantly." The bay gelding won 8 hurdle and steeplechase races between 1996 and 1999, including the Irish Grand National in 1998. In his Aintree win, he was lightly weighted at 10 stone, 14 pounds under the handicap, and ran the race close behind the leaders, passing them on the run-in to win by ten lengths. BobbyJo was six months old when he was bought "over a drink" by publican Bobby Burke from a building contractor who was getting out of racing, and Burke owned him to the day he died, when he was euthanized at age 11, after failing to recover from a broken bone in his knee, incurred during his run in the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse. He was a grandson of the good stayer, St. Leger winner Bustino, from the great source of staying power, Busted. His dam was linebred to the good producer Malva (dam of King Salmon and Blenheim). |
