Film crews descend upon Southport beach ahead of a Red Rum special

Photo: Crews film a horse wearing Rummy’s colours

Film crews descend upon Southport beach ahead of a Red Rum special

It is that time of the year again when Southport reminisces about the great Red Rum. BBC film crews were today (Wednesday 22 March) on Southport beach filming a show about the legendary race horse.

The show is to be screened in the run up to the national which takes place on Saturday 8 April.

Owned by Noel Le Mare and trained on the sand and sea of the Sefton coast by Southport – based trainer Ginger McCain he won his first National in 1973 when he caught the superb bold-leaping New Zealand horse Crisp on the run-in with Brian Fletcher in the saddle.

Red Rum returned the following year and this time he had to carry top weight but it didn’t stop him as he recorded successive victories, the first horse since Reynoldstown to do so.

The next two years produced two further stunning performances as Red Rum finished second to Gold Cup winner L’escargot in 1975 and Rag Trade in 1976 – giving both weight.

At the age of 12 in 1977 many doubted whether Rummy could ever challenge for the race again but he did more than that and emerged a clear winner under Tommy Stack, becoming the first and only horse to win three Grand Nationals.

Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s famous commentary said : “He’s coming up to the line to win it like a fresh horse in great style –  you’ve never heard the like of it at Liverpool.”

We hadn’t and haven’t since.

Red Rum died 20 years ago this year in October 1995 and is buried on the finish line at Aintree, his head pointed appropriately at the winning post.

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