Lucinda Russell was born on the 24th of June in 1966 and became just the fourth woman to train the Grand National winner after Jenny Pitman, Venetia Williams and Sue Smith. When Corach Rambler won it in 2023, she matched Pitman’s record of two victories in the ‘World’s Greatest Steeplechase’.
Training horses out of Kinross in Scotland, Russell began her life as a trainer in 1995 and in 2018 she was given an OBE for her services to horse racing by Queen Elizabeth II. Though her success is all her own, there is no doubt that being married to eight-time Champion, Jockey Richard Scudamore, also offers her someone to bounce ideas off.
About
Training her horses half an hour north of Edinburgh, boasting eight-time Champion Jockey Richard Scudamore as her assistant, Lucinda Russell has established herself as one of the most exciting horse racing talents in Scotland. She specialises in National Hunt racing, as evidenced by the fact that she’s trained two Grand National winners and seen countless victories in the week of the Cheltenham Festival. In 2012, for example, Brindisi Breeze won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, which is just one of countless Grade One events that Russell has trained the winner in. She has also won the likes of the Scottish Grand National.
Major Successes
Given the fact that Lucinda Russell has trained over 900 winners, it is fair to say that there is barely a National Hunt event that she hasn’t been in the Winners’ Enclosure for. Even so, there are some events that stand out a little more readily than others, with the following being the most noteworthy ones that she has won at least once:
- Grand National
- Mildmay Novices’ Chase
- Sefton Novices’ Hurdle
- Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
Horses Trained
Lucinda Russell has trained hundred of horses over the years, with the likes of Ahoy Senor, Apple Away and Brindisi Breeze being on the list of the OBE-awarded trainer. Given the fact that she won the Grand National twice, however, there is little question that the horses that did that for her are the most deserving of a closer look:
One For Arthur
A bay gelding with a white blaze, One For Arthur struggled to find a home during his first few years. He was eventually bought by Russell in the December of 2014, with the training paying £60,000 for him. Having begun his life in point-to-point races, the horse was moved to compete in professional races once he one to Russell’s yard. He actually failed to win under professional rules initially, being moved to take part in novice hurdles during the 2014-2015 season. It proved to be invaluable experience as he won his first race of the 2016-2017 National Hunt season. It saw him given wight of 10 stone 11 pounds for the Grand National, which he won by four and a half lengths.
Corach Rambler
Interestingly, Corach Rambler is also a bay gelding with a white blaze. He was sired in Ireland by Jeremy, beginning his racing career taking part in Irish point-to-point races. He began training with Lucinda Russell in 2020, making his debut under rules in 2021. He won two of his first three runs in novice hurdle events, at which point he was switched to take part in steeplechases. He won his second ever chase event at Aintree, which was something of a sign of what was to come. There is no question that the biggest win of his career came in the 2023 Grand National, which he won as the 8/1 favourite by two and a quarter lengths.