This fast moving feature length documentary packed with never seen before archive footage and images, relates the fascinating history of this historic race, contextualizing it with relevant transformative events in Irish history. Known as the ‘people’s race’, its strong emotional stories will capture the hearts of all viewers not just the horseracing fans.
Revealing and intimate accounts come from those most associated with this iconic race, including members of the generations of racing families who helped to make it famous, such as the Carberrys, Dreapers, Hughes’, Moores, Mullins’, Taaffes, Walshs and Woods.
Other contributors including David Elsworth, Jenny Pitman, Mouse Morris and Richard Dunwoody tell their own special intriguing stories of their participation in the Irish Grand National. Expert insight comes from commentator Dessie Scahill, Guy Williams, senior national hunt handicapper Noel O’ Brien, Robert Hall and Ted Walsh.
It features racehorses that have taken their place in sports folklore such as Desert Orchid, who had movie star status and was stabled in a secret location before the race, the great Arkle, who won in 1964 and Brown Lad the King of Fairyhouse. Part of the allure of the race is you don’t have to be a celebrity racehorse to win it and horses including 50-1 shot Liberty Counsel in 2013 have proved this.
The captivating programme, also examines how this thrilling and dramatic sport, steeplechasing came to be and how far it has evolved around the world. When two gentlemen challenged each other to a race in 1752 (for a hogshead of wine), between the Church Steeples of the small towns of Buttevant and Doneraile, in North Cork, hence the name steeplechasing.