ARTEEA (IRE) (1999) b g Oscar - Merric (Electric) - Won a NH flat race, 2 hurdles and 3 chases between 2004 & 2009. Trained for most of his career by Michael Hourigan in Ireland. Was quite a useful novice chaser winning a Grade 3 event at Galway in September 2005 before finishing second in the Arkle Perpetual Cup at Leopardstown. Outclassed and down the field at long odds in the Arkle Chase at the 2006 Festival. Won a small race at Clonmel in February 2008 but generally did not live up to his initial promise and he was sold at the Doncaster May sales at the end of the season. Now running in the colours of the Wilson family he made mistakes and finished down the field in the Kim Muir at the Festival before lining up at 200-1 in the National. Tailed off on the first circuit he made an incredible amount of ground on the second and two out was one of a number of horses vying for the lead. He ran out of steam after the second last and finished tenth but it was a stunning performance for such an outsider. He showed nothing in this next start the Scottish National and the Wilsons having had their "fun" with him put him up for sale again. He later ran in a handful of point- to points.

BATTLECRY (2001) b/br g Accordian - Miss Orchestra (Orchestra) - Won 1 bumper, 2 hurdles, 3 chases and a point to point . Very useful novice in 2007-08 finishing third in the Reynoldstown and the Sun Alliance Chase and then chased home Big Bucks in the Mildmay Novices Chase. Did well to finish the National considering he was just out of novice class but he never hit the headlines thereafter. Unseated in the 2010 Topham and last ran under rules at Ffos Las in August 2013. Tried in point to points in 2014 but was to be frank useless. Six runs and he never beat another horse home, pulled up twice and unseated the last three. Not surprisingly he was not seen out in 2015.

BOB HALL (IRE) (2001) b g Sadlers Wells - Be My Hope (Be My Native) - Won 2 hurdles and 6 chases between 2005 & 2011. Won two hurdles in his native Ireland in 2005-06. Was only an average novice although he did show some ability finishing second in a novice event at Aintree on Grand National day 2008. Showed very little form the following year and came to Aintree as a 100-1 outsider and to be frank ran like one pulling up. Still only seven he thereafter only raced in hunter chases and actually was pretty decent winning five times. He last was seen at Stratford in May 2011.

BROOKLYN BROWNIE (IRE) (1999) b g - Presenting - In the Brownies (Lafontaine) - Won 5 chase, 4 hurdles and a NH flat race between 2003-2011. Won on his chasing debut at Hexham in 2006 and mostly plied his trade on the northern circuit the highlight being a victory over the useful Snoopy Loopy in a valuable chase at Perth in the summer of 2008. Finished second in the Grand Sefton Chase in 2008 but his National experience was brief, falling at the second fence. Thereafter pulled up in a Scottish National, won again at Perth and last raced at Doncaster in December 2011.

BUTLER`S CABIN (FR) (2000) b g Poliglote - Strictly Cool (Bering) - Won 5 chases between 2004 & 2009. Sprung a 33-1 shock when lifting the National Hunt Chase in 2007 and in his following race he landed the Irish Grand National. Never won again but on the back of that success he was A P McCoys chosen mount for both 2008 and 2009 Nationals. In 2005 McCoy had been carried out at second Bechers by two loose horses when leading on Clan Royal and on the approach to the brook second time in 2008 he must have been feeling confident as this horse was travelling very well. A few seconds later though McCoy was picking himself up off the floor, Bechers claiming him once again. Despite showing little in four starts the following season he started favourite in 2009 but was never travelling as well and a mistake five out didn`t help his cause and he struggled home. To makes matters worse he collapsed moments after crossing the finishing line. He had needed oxygen after races before and after a spell on the sidelines it was decided by connections that he had done enough and he was retired at the relatively early age of nine.

CHELSEA HARBOUR (IRE) (2000) b g Old Vic - Jennyellan (Phardante) - Won 3 hurdles and 4 chases between 2005 & 2010. Won Grade 2 chase at Navan as a novice in 2007 but unseated in Denman`s RSA at the Festival. Ran in several long distance chases the following season winning the Punchestown Grand National Trial and in the National itself was always prominent leading for a couple of fences after the second Canal Turn before weakening to finish ninth. Won a couple of races the following season but was not so fancied in 2009 and he fell early. Later finished unplaced in both the Irish Grand National and Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and was not seen out again after finishing tailed off in a hurdle race at Navan in March 2010.

CORNISH SETT (IRE) (1999) b g Accordian - Hue `n` Cry (Denel) - Won a NH flat race, 3 hurdles and 4 chases between 2004 & 2011. Second in the Racing Post Chase and sixth in the Betfred Gold up in his first season out of novice company. Got round in his own time in two Nationals in 2008 & 2009 and enjoyed the highlights of his career in between his two Aintree attempts when he lifted the valuable Badger Beer Trophy at Wincanton and later chased home Notre Pere in the Welsh National. Last seen at Uttoxeter in June 2011.

EUROTREK (IRE) (1996) ch g Eurobus - Orient Jewel (Pollerton) - Talented but extremely difficult to train and he only managed nine races over fences between 2001 & 2009. However, he did manage to win over the National fences when landing the 2006 Becher Chase at 25-1 despite trying to take the wrong course after the last. Didn`t manage to see a racecourse again until the National where he was going well until he was brought to a standstill by Royal Auclair falling in front of him at Valentine. That effectively ended his race although he continued until second Bechers. Didn`t see a racecourse for another two years so it was surprising to see him next line up in another National. Only managed one circuit before pulling up. Away from Aintree he won Warwicks Classic Chase in 2006. What more could he have achieved if he could have got to a racecourse a little more often ?

FLEET STREET (1999) b g Wolfhound - Farmers Pet (Sharroud) - Won 3 hurdles and 2 chases between 2003 & 2009. Useful hurdler finishing third in the 2004 Supreme Novices Hurdle. Lightly raced over fences but reached the frame at the Festival again finishing fourth in the Jewson Novices Chase. The National was only his ninth start over fences and it was his last. Suffering a slight leg injury in running he was retired but later that year was back in training with a planned assault on the Foxhunters on the cards. Nothing came of it and he didn`t race again.

FUNDAMENTALIST (IRE) (1998)  b g  Supreme Leader - Run for Shelter (Strong Gale) - Won 2 hurdles and 5 chases between 2004 & 2010. Won three Irish point-to-points in 2003 and won the Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle the following year on his third start over hurdles. On that day he had future World Hurdle winner Inglis Dreaver behind him and when he won his debut chase at Cheltenham he beat another future Festival winner Contraband. Thereafter he was not so good but he did run twice in three days at the 2008 Festival (eighth in William Hill Trophy and third in Racing Post Plate). Didn`t show much in two Nationals falling early in 2008 and pulling up in 2009. Did win a small race over the Mildmay course in October 2009. Last raced at Towcester in March 2010.

GOLDEN FLIGHT (FR) (1999) - b g Saint Cyrien - Sunday Flight (Johnny O`Day) - Top French chaser when trained by Guillaume Macaire amassing over £500,000 in prize money. Won Grade 2 & Grade 3 chases at Auteuil and won the valuable Grade 1 Prix la Haye Josselin (Frances equivalent of the King George VI Chase) in 2005. Also finished an a distant third to Mid Dancer in the 2007 Grand Steeplechase de Paris. Missed a year and was sent to be trained by Nicky Henderson in the summer of 2008 with the National as his target. A fibrilating heart and a minor operation restricted him to just one prep race where he finished down the field in the William Hill Trophy at the Festival. His National experience was brief - he fell at the first. He showed nothing in three starts the following season. At the age of fourteen he reappeared in the pointing field and wasn't very good. All rather sad really - he may have been better off staying in France

HEAR THE ECHO (IRE) (2001) b g Luso - Echo Creek (Strong Gale) - Won a hurdle and 4 chases between 2005 & 2009. Shock 33-1 winner of the 2008 Irish Grand National (which he won by twelve lengths) having only won a couple of small races in his career beforehand. Took the route often taken by Irish chasers in preparation for the 2009 National by running in handicap hurdles in the autumn before unseating at Gowran over fences in his prep race. In the National itself he ran a cracking race and was prominent until he started to drop back rapidly after two out. Sadly as he entered the Elbow looking booked for fifteenth place he collapsed and died.

HIMALAYAN TRAIL (1999) b g Nomadic Way - Hindu Lady (Doon Lad) - Won a hurdle and 5 chases between 2006 & 2010. Started and ended his career with Sue Smith for whom he won the 2008 Midlands National by an impressive twenty two lengths. Sold for 130,000 guineas at Doncasters May sales he was trained by Jimmy Mangan in Ireland for his attempt at the 2009 National. Finished a very remote third (beaten ninety eight lengths by Black Apalachi) in the Becher Chase and fell at the first in the National itself. Returning to Sue Smith he won two chases in the spring of 2010 and was last seen pulling up in that years Scottish National.

IDLE TALK (IRE) (1999) b g  Hubbly Bubbly - Belon Breeze (Strong Gale) - Won 2 hurdles and 2 chases between 2004 & 2011. Won an Irish point-to-point, his debut over hurdles in the UK and his first two novice chases. In fact in his first seven races he finished second in a RSA Chase, fourth in a Scottish National and sixth in a Hennessy. Then it all started to go wrong and he unseated on his next four starts. Gave Kauto Star a run for his money in the 2007 Gold Cup but unfortunately he had had left his jockey at the fifth fence. On the back of two unseateds perhaps an attempt on the National was a little bit ambitious. Badly hampered early on he never got into the race and it was unseated number three at the big ditch on the second circuit. He rounded off his season with unseat number four in the Scottish National. Thereafter he started to get his jumping back on track although he never looked like winning another race. He did finish a very distant fourth in the 2007 Becher Chase and completed the course in rear in both the 2008 & 2009 Nationals. Unseated at the second fence in the 2008 Becher Chase. Last raced at Haydock in February 2011. He did later win a point-to-point but his jumping let him down again in his final season when he unseated in two of his races between the flags in 2013.

IRISH INVADER (IRE) (2001) b g Bob Back - Idealist (Busted) - Won NH flat race, a hurdle and 5 chases between 2006 & 2010. Lived up to his name...an Irish invader and came to Aintree in 2009 on the back of three straight wins at Leopardstown and two at Thurles. Led early on and put up a good display before weakening to finish eleventh. The National was his only race in the UK and he was not seen again after falling in his next race, the Bobbyjo Chase ar Fairyhouse in February 2010.

KELAMI (FR) (1998) b g Lute Antique - Voltige de Nieure (Brezza) - Won a hurdle and 3 chases between 2002 & 2009. French trained horse who made his UK debut in December 2001 when he finished second in a Novice hurdle at Newbury. He was still a maiden when he pulled up in the 2002 Triumph. He did manage a win over fences at Auteuil in March 2003 but was only an average chaser in France. The biggest win of his career came when he pulled off a shock to win the 2005 William Hill Chase at the Festival which was only his third and (as it proved to be) last win over fences. He also finished placed in that years Betfred Gold Cup. He did win a valuable hurdle in the French provinces in October 2006 and when his trainer Francois Doumen switched his attention to the flat he was sent to the UK . He had no luck in the National and failed to finish on each of his four attempts, the nearest he got was when pulling up late in the 2007 race. He last ran at Uttoxeter in May 2009.

KILBEGGAN BLADE (1999) b g Sure Blade - Moheli (Ardross) - Won 2 hurdles and 6 chases between 2004 & 2011. His victory in the London National (a pale imitation of the Mildmay/Cazalet Memorial Chase) in 2008 was sandwiched between two novice hurdle wins at Towcester (in the latter he beat future National winner Mon Mome). Pulled up in the National itself he finished third in the Bet 365 Gold Cup (the latest reincarnation of the Whitbread) at Sandown. His bid to back to back London Nationals failed as he could only finish third and his form under rules then deserted him as he was pulled up in his next four starts. He did manage to win two point to points and he was last seen out at Towcester in May 2011. 

KNOWHERE (IRE) (1998)  b g  Lord Americo - Andoeta (Ballymore) - Won 2 hurdles and 5 chases between 2004 & 2011. Won his sole Irish point to point and his first two hurdles in the UK at Hereford and Chepstow. Won his first two novice chases as well and rather ambitiously ran in the Paddy Power Gold Cup on his third start - clearly too ambitious, he fell but three races later he was chasing home Exotic Dancer in the December Gold Cup. A distant twelfth in Denmans RSA at the Festival he lined up in the 2007 National. Whilst he was still a novice he had run nine times over the larger obstacles. He didn`t get very far though, unseating at the first Canal. The following year he won twice including springing a 16-1 shock in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on trials day and finished sixth in Denmans Gold Cup. He got a lot further in the National in 2008 unseating at Valentines on the second circuit. He pulled up in the Bet 365 Gold Cup on his next start. The following season he sprung another surprise when he beat Exotic Dancer in the Old Roan Chase at  Aintrees October meeting. He was unplaced in both the Hennessy and Kicking Kings Gold Cup and his National again ended at second Valentines but this time he was pulled up when tailed off. Thereafter he raced almost exclusively at Cheltenham but apart from chasing home the popular Erics Charm in a veterans chase at Newbury in March 2010 he showed very little. He last raced at Cheltenham in January 2011. Then went racing between the flags in 2012 which was a bit of a disaster - five races - four unseated riders.

L`AMI (FR) (1999) ch g Lute Antique - Voltige de Nieve (Breso) - The horse who ended Mick Fitzgeralds career when he fell heavily at the second fence in the 2008 National. Won a hurdle, 7 chases and his sole Irish point-to-point between 2003 & 2011. Originally trained by Francois Doumen in France. Took time to get his head in front winning on his twelfth race, a small chase at Auteuil in November 2004. Made his UK debut when he won Lingfields` December Novices Chase and after falling in the Feltham at Kempton he won at Warwick. Fancied for the RSA Chase at the Festival he chased home the brilliant but fragile Trabolgan and found himself chasing the same horse home again in the 2005 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. That season he was continuously campaigned in the highest class. He finished fourth behind Kicking King in the King George, fourth behind War of Attrition in the Gold Cup and third in the Betfair Bowl over the Mildmay Course behind Celestial Gold. Not so good thereafter for Doumen the following season but he still ran credibly enough to finish seventh in the Gold Cup and on his National debut he was the choice of A P McCoy. He was prominent until he made a mistake at second Bechers and weakened rapidly after the twenty eighth ultimately finishing a distant tenth beaten a total of ninety seven lengths !  When Doumen gave up training jumpers he moved to Enda Bolger in Ireland and after a victory in a point to point on his debut for new connections it was perhaps not surprising that his future lay in cross country events. He competed but never won over the Cheltenham Cross country course but won four times over the banks course at Punchestown, the highlight being victory in the 2010 La Touche Cup. He last raced in the cross country event at the Festival in March 2011.

MUSICA BELLA (FR) (2000)  b m  Bateau Rouge - Cote Bleue (Katowice) - Won 5 hurdles and 5 chases between 2004 & 2009. Won a listed chase at Auteuil but her best performance came in defeat when she finished second in the prestigious Prix la Haye Josselin in 2008. The 2009 National was her sole UK race and she was behind when she fell at the twelfth. Sadly she was killed in her next start when she fell in Frances most prestigious jumps event, the Grand Steeplechase de Paris at Auteuil.

OFFSHORE ACCOUNT (IRE) (2000) b g Oscar - Park Breeze (Strong Gale) - At fourteen he is still in training having run at Wincanton in early April. He has won a hurdle and 6 chases since 2004. Very useful novice chaser in Ireland in 2007 winning four on the bounce including a valuable Grade 1 event at the Punchestown Festival. Jump forward two years and he is lining up in the National having only run in once chase since that Punchestwon win (he has unseated in the 2007 Betfair Chase) . He ran well at Aintree until the petrol tank emptied. Left in the lead at second Bechers he stayed in front until two out and he dropped back to finish nearly a hundred lengths behind the surprise winner Mon Mome in fifteenth place. He returned to Aintree in April in each of the next four years finishing seventh in the 2010 Topham and his best placing third in the 2011 Foxhunters. He failed to complete the course in two more attempts at the Foxhunters. Won the same hunter chase at Newbury`s late March fixture in 2012 and 2013 and also won four point to points.

PARSONS LEGACY (IRE) (1998) b g Leading Counsel - The Parsons Girl (The Parson) - Won 2 hurdles and 4 chases between 2002 & 2010. Ran in four Kim Muirs at successive Festivals finishing second in 2007 and third in 2005. Also finished third in the 2007 Scottish Grand National and won the Badger Ales Trophy in 2006. Fell at second Bechers on his one visit to Aintree in 2009. Last raced at Cheltenham (where he raced fourteen times only winning once) in April 2010. 

RAMBLING MINSTER (1998) b g Minster Son - Howcleuch (Bucksin) - Won NH Flat race, 3 hurdles and 6 chases between 2003 & 2011. Managed one big race win a season during his chase career. Won AGFA Diamond Chase at Sandown beating seasoned handicappers on what was only his fourth star over fences, the Scottish Borders National at Kelso and set out his National credentials in 2009 winning the recognised Haydock Grand National Trial (run that year as the Blue Square Vodka Gold Cup). In the National itself he was badly hampered before pulling up before the nineteenth. Won a veterans chase by a wide margin at Doncaster in February 2011 and connections decided to go out on a winning note.

REVEILLEZ (1999) gr g First Trump - Amalacher (Alleged) - Won a hurdle and 6 chases between 2004 & 2009. Won four times on the flat. Won Jewson Novices Chase at the Festival in 2006 and the following year lifted a handicap chase at the Aintree festival. On the back of this he started favourite for the Betfred (formally Whitbread) Gold Cup but was beaten by Hot Weld. Off the course thereafter for twenty months he changed stable and moved from James Fanshawe to Jonjo O`Neill but showed nothing in two comeback starts and was unluckily brought down early at Aintree. For whatever reason the National was his last race.

SILVER BIRCH (1997) b g Clearly Bust - All Gone (Giolla Mer) - Won 2 hurdles and 5 chases between 2002 & 2010. Winning Irish pointer who was sent the UK to be trained by Paul Nicholls. He won two novice hurdles and looked like he would stay but he did not exactly set the world alight. Until late 2004 that is when, eighteen days after winning by a neck at Newton Abbot he landed the Becher Chase in fine style beating Aintree perennial Just In Debt by a length. The following month he completed his hat-trick of wins with victory in the Welsh National. On the back of these successes he was propelled to 14-1 favouritism for the 2005 National. Sadly heat in his leg one month before the race ruled him out and he did not see a racecourse for over a year. He did line up in 2006 but having pulled up on his previous two starts over fences he was unconsidered at 40-1 and was unluckily hampered and fell at the Chair. Owner Paul Barber and Nicholls concluded that his chance had come and gone and he was sent to the Doncaster sales. He was sold to Brian Walsh for £20,000 guineas and we was sent to new trainer Gordon Elliott with the aim of running him in cross country chases with a possible aim of running him in the Velka Pardubicka. He ran twice over the Cheltenham cross country course and finished second at the Festival and also filled the runners up spot over the banks course at Punchestown. Entered for the National he was only allotted 10-6 and with connections feeling he was thrown in decided to take their chance. Intended rider Jason Magurire was committed to the Donald McCain trained Idle Talk so Robbie Power took the ride in what was to be only his second National. Settled in mid-division on the first circuit he was jumping well only pecking slightly at second Bechers. He had moved into second place by the third last, outjumped Slim PIckings two out and managed to just hold off the fast finishing McKelvey. Very much the forgotten horse in the field he was only Elliotts fourth win as a trainer and he was still to train a winner in his native Ireland. A tendon injury prevented him from defending his crown in 2008 but he ran a blinder in 2009 and was still in contention when he fell at second Bechers. He was entered again in 2010 but narrowly missed the cut. Connections wanted to give him one final spin over the Aintree fences and he finished twelfth in the Topham (ridden by his intended National partner Jason Maguire) and was immediately retired.

SOUTHERN VIC (IRE) (1999) b g  Old Vic - Hug in a Fog (Strong Gale) - Won 2 hurdles and 5 chases between 2004 & 2010. Irish chaser who won a Grade 1 novice chase at Leopardstowns Christmas meeting in 2005. Having won four races in his novice season he didn`t really live up to that promise and he was campaigned both in hurdles and over fences thereafter. First tried the Aintree fences in 2008 Becher Chase and unseated at the Canal but he did manage to complete the course in eighth place in the 2009 National. Only seen out four more times last running in Leopardstown in January 2010.

STAN (NZ) (1999) b g Super Imposing - Rake Care (Wham) - Won on the flat in New Zealand. In the UK he won 2 hurdles and 4 chases between 2004 & 2010. The highlight of his career came at Aintree in 2008 when he won an eighteen runner Red Rum Chase over the Mildmay course on day one of the National meeting and followed that up with a victory in the Silver Trophy Chase at Cheltenhams April meeting. Stable jockey Aiden Coleman had the choice of this one and Mon Mome in the 2009 National. He chose the wrong one !!! This horse gave him an uncomfortable looking fall at Foinavon first time round although both horse and rider were quickly on their feet. He won a Grade 3 chase at Doncaster later that year and in 2010 he returned to Aintree but chose the slighly calmer waters of the Mildmay Course finishing sixth in the Red Rum Chase. He last raced at Market Rasen in July 2010.

ZABENZ (NZ) (1997) b g  Zabeel - In the Country (In the Purple) - Won three times over hurdles in Australia including the prestigious Grand National Hurdle at Flemington in 2002. Followed that up with a win in a valuable chase at Saratoga, New York in the USA before coming to the UK. Didn`t reproduce that form over here but put up several good performances in defeat. Unlucky in his first National when his leather broke and he had to be pulled up early. Fifth in the Betfred Gold Cup on his next start but was then off the course for two years before his next National appearance in 2009 (although he did win two points to freshen him up for his Aintree challenge). He was a rare faller at the water. Last raced under rules in May 2009.