Mangan's hopes high that Monty can be a National hero
Mangan’s Monty’s Pass, the pride of Conna, Co. Cork, will step up to the tape alongside 39 other hopefuls and, less than ten minutes later, we’ll know whether this hugely popular and colourful character will be taking his place in the folklore of National Hunt racing’s most spectacular ’chase.
Mangan’s a realist and nobody’s fool. He’s not about to make bold predictions regarding the hardest and, arguably, the most cherished event in the calendar.
“The National is the National, but I’m hopeful of a big run,” says Mangan. “Monty’s performance in the Topham last year makes me very hopeful.”
The then nine-year-old took to the obstacles like a duck to water. He travelled strongly for much of the journey, before being outspeeded in the closing stages and finishing six lengths second behind compatriot, Willie Mullins' Its Time For A Win.
The Topham is run over two miles and six, in contrast to the four and a half of the National, so it will be fascinating to see how Monty’s Pass copes with such an extreme distance. In any case he left Dublin yesterday morning at 9.00, arriving at Liverpool at 3.00, on his way to a date with destiny.
“The horse is in mighty form, never better, and I have no worries about him coping with the fences or getting the trip”, says Mangan.
“Tom Lombard rode him here at home, and at Liam Burke’s, over fences recently and immediately told me, “do no more with him, he’s spot-on.”
Mangan, a first-class point-to-point rider in his day, has enjoyed plenty of success as a trainer, the highlights being Monty’s Pass’s Kerry National win at Listowel last year and Stroll Home’s victory in the Galway Plate of ’97. But he’s well aware that winning the English Grand National, a race soaked in tradition, would catapult him onto a different plain entirely.
Monty’s Pass is owned by the five-member Northern Ireland based Dee Racing Syndicate, headed by Michael Futter. The inimitable Futter, who makes his money from bingo halls, is described by Mangan as a “massive gambler”.
Indeed, Futter has promised that one of his halls in Dublin will have a 50,000 jackpot should Monty’s Pass do the business. The last time the horse actually visited the winner’s enclosure was last September when he landed the Kerry National.
“Do you know Michael took 200,000 out of the ring that day”, says Mangan. The trainer first came in contact with Futter when he got a call from him out of the blue one night. Futter wanted to buy Monty’s Pass. A deal was duly struck and then, much to Mangan’s delight, Futter said: “Sure don’t you train horses, you may as well keep him.”
Mangan admires Futter and loves his attitude. “He’s a great man to take his beating, although I hope I won’t be saying that on Saturday night”, cracks Mangan. “He’s the ideal owner, he never bothers you.”
For years Ireland couldn’t win the National. Then Bobbyjo went and scored for Tommy Carberry in ’99 and Papillon followed up for Ted Walsh the following year. Believe in coincidences?
Well, both Carberry and Walsh gave their horses preparatory runs over hurdles. Guess what Monty’s Pass has been doing of late?
Come Saturday we will have to be forgiven, however, if concentrating a trifle more on Monty’s Pass, rather than any other horse. I cannot think of anyone who would begrudge Jimmy Mangan a glorious day in the sun.
But what would it mean to him? “Every trainer wants to win the National”, comes the response. “But if I was lucky enough to have the winner, it wouldn’t change me. I don’t think I would be leaving the ground!”
