You’re only as young as...

What a great piece Aisling Crowe filed last week on Paul McMahon’s smashing success on his own Clondaw Warrior at Cheltenham.

Better still, horse and rider were produced to such excellent effect by fellow-columnist ‘Shark’ Hanlon, making this a truly in-house affair.

As Doctor Paul reflected, owner-riders have become rara avis in this specialised day and age, which only heightened his exultation at bringing home his winner at the expense of Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh, heroes both.

This correspondent can still recall similar elation on opening his own winning account at the expense of Ted Walsh, ‘Mouse’ Morris and David Moorhead.

No, it wasn’t quite Cheltenham. In fact that epic triumph was achieved at Stereame, Nenagh, where the North Tipps held their point-to point by kind permission of the McCutcheon family.

But the sense of triumph was as great; elation as an owner-trainer rider beating the ‘cracks’ of the day.

Ted went on to head the Irish amateur table on a record 11 occasions, his reign commencing that very year.

Reference to the Sweeney Guide to the Irish Turf confirms that since records began in 1868 no Irish amateur comes within an ass’s roar of Ted’s tally.

Well, perhaps the legendary Beasleys did.

But it took four of them to amass their 10 titles between Mr Tommy Beasley heading the list for the first time in 1876 and his grand-nephew Bobby taking the honours in 1953.

The other contributors were Tommy’s brothers Harry and Willie Beasley.

‘Mouse’ Morris went on to a distinguished, if injury prone professional career, as a prelude to becoming an even more successful trainer.

David Moorhead may be a less familiar name to younger readers.

Nevertheless, he also enjoyed a colourful period as a professional on the northern circuit in Britain, riding principally for Ken Oliver – ‘the benign bishop’ – as that larger-than-life character was fondly known.

As to the sporting doctor’s concern that he may have left it a little late at the ‘great age’ of thirty-seven, a sizeable book of precedent says otherwise.

‘Old Harry’ Beasley – referred to above – of Eyrefield House was born in 1850.

He trained and rode Come Away to win the 1891 Grand National.

He rode the last of many Punchestown winners when successful on Pride of Arras in 1923.

Far from resting on his laurels at 72, ‘Old Harry’ rode on until he sacked himself for ‘lack of race-fitness’ after finishing down the field on Mollie at Baldoyle – Monday, 10 June, 1935.

Yorkshire trainer and Aintree specialist Bobby Renton made a point of taking an annual mount over hurdles each year, only relinquishing his licence in 1968, aged 80.

Ironically, when Bobby retired from training, among the horses he handed to his successor, Tommy Stack, was the greatest Aintree exponent of all – Red Rum.

William St George Burke, enthusiastic owner-trainer-rider from Ballydugan, Loughrea, was a sexagenarian when riding his own Irish Coffee in the 1960 Grand National, the last one run over the old-style Aintree fences, upright, black, forbidding and with no aprons on the take-offs. American Tim Durant was 66 when he rode King Pin in the 1966 Grand National, against 46 rivals.

Two years later he tried again on Highlandie. This time the bookmakers offered him a case of champagne, plus £500 to the Injured Jockeys Fund, should Tim get round.

He did, even though it meant remounting.

John Thorne was a 54-year-old grandfather when riding Spartan Missile – the favourite – into second place behind cancer survivor Bob Champion on Aldaniti in the 1981 Grand National.

Poor John met his end in a point-to-point the following year.

Far from being deterred by his friend’s misfortune – perhaps more as attribute to John’s memory – 48-year-old amateur and Jockey Club member ‘Dick’ Saunders took the mount on Grittar in the 1982 Grand National.

Dick Saunders became the oldest rider to succeed since the National began in 1837 when bringing that 7/1 favourite home 15 lengths to the good.

From a field of 39 only eight finished.

Among those Geraldine Rees became the first female to complete in a Grand National when eighth on Cheers. Sensibly, Dick promptly declared that winning ride his last.

Hopefully Dr McMahon will continue to uphold that time honoured Corinthian tradition.

He may never be asked why he didn’t turn professional, as Ted Walsh memorably was.

Ted’s response was a model of clarity: ‘Because I couldn’t afford to!’ The name of the horse that carried me to triumph over Ted at Nenagh? The Jolly Doctor.