Racing: Grand National won by a whisker

Buddy Lammas rides Shamal to victory in the $75,000 Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton. Photo / Race Images

It was easy to misplace Buddy Lammas' background when Shamal bounded over the line in front of the opposition in Saturday's $75,000 Racecourse Hotel Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton.

Little things like Lammas won the $1.2 million Kelt Capital Stakes (now Livamol Spring Classic) on Vosne Romanee in 2009, the last time that race was run for a million or more.

You're forgiven though, because for much of the latter part of the last decade Lammas, always a high quality flat rider, has flitted in and out of racing.

Lammas worked on the roads around the Levin area for a good period, although you wouldn't have recognised him if your car passed by on the road because he was wearing the same lengthy beard he carried two and a half times around Riccarton on Saturday.

And, no, it's not a bro' beard - older brother Cameron Lammas has probably the most pronounced stock of facial hair horse racing has yet seen. The last time they cut that was with a wood-cutter's axe for a fundraiser at Pukekohe races.

"No, I'm not following Cameron, I've always liked having a beard," says the remarkably fresh-faced jockey when clean shaven.

Someone will probably find a reason to prove this wrong, but Lammas is almost certainly the least experienced jumps jockey to win the Grand National. He has had only a handful of jumping rides and Saturday's stunning victory was his sixth win. He gave riding away for two and a half years because of weight issues, which is when the pick and shovel appeared on the roadside and he helped train the greyhounds prepared by former partner Phillipa, now a Trackside Television presenter.

"Then Rachael Frost offered me a foreman's job in her stable and I was back in racing. My weight started coming down and I thought about taking out my licence again, but I gave no thought to jumps riding, even though before I gave it away I had four jumps rides on Bally Heights for Paul Nelson for a steeplechase win at Wanganui."

The weight crept up again and jumps riding reared its head. "I was up around 58kg and getting one ride every two weeks, so it was going over jumps or not riding."

Buddy Lammas.

Lammas said he's proud he keeps his beard a bit more trimmed than his brother. He even had an extra trim Friday night because he thought he and Shamal could win the Grand National. "I had to look right for the after-race photos," he joked yesterday.

Confidence was high because Riccarton was in better winter shape last Saturday and this weekend than we have often seen. "The track was rated a heavy 10, but I reckon it was a slow 9, bordering on an 8." That suited Shamal.

"That's why we went down to Riccarton because we knew if the track was similar to the first day, which it turned out to be, we were in with a great chance."

If Buddy Lammas was delighted, trainer Ken Duncan matched him.

"I love going down to the National meet at Riccarton," said Duncan, a former NZ polo representative.

Just as the jumps jockeys are a close community, so too are the horse connections.

"The jumping brigade is a hardened bunch. We get down there and it's one big camp. We're together day after day and you all get to know each other. You want everyone to go well and when you go well yourself everyone's delighted for you. It's hard to beat."

Duncan has had a trainer's licence for no more than five years, but has been around horses since before he went to school. He is a beef and sheep farmer at Hunterville and still plays polo.

"The whole family plays polo, three children and the wife does as well. We all get out on the front lawn and have a bash around." Once a horseman, always a horseman.

Runner-up Tai Ho is the horse for the future and favourite Chocolate Fish was brave in finishing third. Trainer Shane Brown was hoping for a track less than real heavy, but the surface he was hoping for played more into the hands of the winner.

Chocolate Fish tried hard late, but was outsprinted by the first two and would have appreciated a more dour contest.