A small but significant reunion took place here in rural Co Tipperary, when Rule The World returned to the stable where he was prepared for April’s Grand National, his one and only victory over fences. “He looks well, I can’t get over it,” said a beaming Mouse Morris, his trainer who has not seen the nine-year-old since he was retired in the spring to spend his days in a field with War Of Attrition, a Gold Cup hero for the same owner some years ago.
Morris is too diplomatic to use the word “fat” in relation to a horse that gave him the biggest day in his 40-year career, but Rule The World certainly stood out for carrying plenty of condition as he circled the yard among horses who go up the steep local gallop every day. The trainer has no concerns about the decision to retire such a talent at an age when he could have gone on for another three years.
“He’s had so many problems and where do you go after winning a National?” Morris asked. “Basically only downhill. He’s got out at the top.” He praises Rule The World’s bravery for still wanting to do the job after twice cracking his pelvis earlier in his career, requiring months of box-rest each time.
Asked if he had harboured any real hope in the National for a maiden steeplechaser, Morris replied: “I suppose there’s no point sleeping if you don’t dream.” And in that spirit, the 65-year-old’s thoughts turned to Rogue Angel, his main hope for the next National, the first to be backed by Randox Health, some four months from now. “I’d love to win another one. I’d have no objection to it at all.”
Rogue Angel is “a real National horse”, in the trainer’s view, and there is no arguing with that, as the chaser won both the Irish and Kerry Nationals last season. He will have a spin over the famous green fences in Saturday’s Becher Chase and then be freshened up for the real thing in April.
Since he scrambled home by a short-head in the Irish National in the spring, Rogue Angel’s form has taken a significant dip and he has not finished within 28 lengths of a winner in three outings. Many a punter will be put off but that could be a mistake, as Morris believes he has identified a cause.
“He had a slight wind problem. He ran OK [at Cork last time] but he just didn’t get home. He had a small operation since. Seems to have made a big, big difference.”
Winning the National has not, however, made much of a difference to Morris and nor did he hope that it might. With 45 horses, he was already at capacity and reckons he might have been sent one extra animal as the result of his sudden additional fame. “I’m too old to build any more stables,” he said, smiling.
But he certainly noticed the reaction to Rule The World’s victory and joked that it had been seen by a bigger audience than the recent US presidential debates. “It’s worldwide, you know. I won a Gold Cup and probably no one rang but everybody seems to know about the Grand National. Something like 600 million people watched it and there’s only 60 million watched Trump.
“We got good letters and funny letters from literally all over the world. Australia, unbelievable. Emails, all that kind of thing.”
Back in the days before he started training, Morris had a few rides in the National, finishing fifth on Rough Silk when Red Rum won for the second time. He is entertaining on the race’s evolution, the importance of speed and stamina becoming greater as the emphasis on jumping has declined.
“In my day, they were bigger fences and harder. You need a class horse now. It’s much more of a race per se. Then, it was just like a good day’s hunting. Except you had time to say a Hail Mary on the way down to Becher’s.”
