RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL FESTIVAL NEWS: "IT IS NICE TO COME HERE AND DO YOUR BIT AND PUT A SMILE OR TWO ON THE FACE OF THE CHILDREN” – NEWS FROM ANNUAL JOCKEYS’ VISIT TO ALDER HEY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
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Friday 12th April
By Graham Clark
Past and present stars of the saddle joined together on the eve of the Randox Grand National to make a special visit to youngsters at the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital earlier today.
Around 15 current and former jockeys took time out of their schedules to attend the visit, which is organised by The Jockey Club, ahead of racing taking place on the second day of the Randox Grand National Festival, Ladies Day, at Aintree.
During their time at the Liverpool-based hospital the jockeys had their pictures taken with staff, patients and parents and 2012 Grand National winner Neptune Collonges, along with handing out signed sets of goggles before being taken on a tour of various wards.
For a number of the jockeys in attendance it was their first time visiting the hospital. Among the newcomers to the event was Grade One-winning rider, and current Jump jockeys’ championship leader, Harry Cobden.
He said: “This is my first time here, but it is a great cause and it is nice to come and support it. The children here are going through, and have gone through, a tremendous amount of treatment.
"It is nice to come here and do your bit and put a smile or two on the face of the children. It is a fantastic facility, and it has really opened my eyes as to what they do here. There is a good bunch of us that have come from all over the place this morning and they have put in plenty of effort.
"It just goes to show what a good team of lads I ride with. You have got the likes of Jack Quinlan, Nico de Boinville, Sean Bowen and some of the Irish boys here. It is just fantastic.”
Fellow first time participants on the trip included last year’s Randox Grand National-winning rider Derek Fox, who will bid to steer the Lucinda Russell-trained Corach Rambler to glory in the race for the second time tomorrow.
Fox said: “This is my first time that I have visited here. I was speaking to Brian (Hughes) yesterday about it and I thought I would pop down and have a look around. It is nice to do something like this and give back something.
"Racing is a great sport, and it is great for the kids to be able to meet some of the professional jockeys as it gives them a thrill. It is nice to be nice and hopefully we can make a small difference to the children’s life on the day.”
For Grade One-winning rider Jack Quinlan, who was also making his first trip to the hospital, he admitted the visit was all the more special with his wife expecting their first child in June.
Quinlan said: “My wife and I are expecting our first little one in June so that has made this visit all the more important. If you can come here and just brighten up the kids' day a little bit then it is a job well done.
“I heard some positive stories from the lads that have been here plenty of times before so I was really keen to support it. It is great to see the enjoyment they get with the big beaming smiles after meeting Neptune Collonges.
"The way the whole hospital is set up is like no other hospital that I have been in before. They really try to make what is probably a really stressful, and worrying time, for families as easy as possible.”
Having been touched by joining in with the visit 12 months’ ago, Sean Bowen admits he was keen to come back this year.
Bowen said: “It is my second time doing this as I did it last year as well. It is just an incredible place and we were saying earlier it is not like a drowsy hospital, but instead it is quite an upbeat hospital.
"They do a brilliant job with the children, and some of them stay here for a very long time. The kids all look in good form today. A lot of them are in a lot worse situations than we are, but any little thing we can do to help I suppose is something that can take their mind off it for a couple of hours. It is nice they have got Neptune Collonges the former Grand National winner here as well.
"I wasn’t aware of it much before I came last year, but we are much more aware of it now. It is good that it is being supported as there was a good group of us last year, and a good group again.”
Henry Brooke is a stalwart of the visit and the father of two was pleased to see a
number of the biggest names in the business support this year’s trip.
Brooke said: “For the jockeys this is very special. I was coming here this morning whether I was going to Sedgefield or not!
“We think we are having a bad day when we get beat on a couple of favourites or fall off of one that looks like it was going to win, but when you put it into perspective and see what the children are going through in here it is never a bad day.
“This visit has massively touched base now for me having children at home. It is very special for me to come here and give my time to children that really appreciate it.
"To get the big lads here is the main thing and we have the likes of Harry Cobden and Sean Bowen, who are both battling for the title, but I’m sure when they walk around here today the title will be the last thing on their mind.”
Meeting Neptune Collonges was the highlight for many of the youngsters, however it was particularly special for Aria Shaw, who suffers from Dandy Walker Syndrome, with it being the first horse the five-year-old from St Helens has ever met.
Emma Parr, carer, said: “Within the past week she has had a VP shunt externalised and she has been in bed for three days now. This is her first day out of bed. She has been absolutely made up seeing the racehorse today. It is the first day we have got some big smiles out of her which is great.
"She has never seen a horse before, but she has loved seeing one, and what a special horse to see for the first time. She was smiling from ear to ear when she saw him."
Sporting an equally big smile on her face after meeting the John Hales-owned gelding was six-year-old Ella Hughes from Anfield, who is currently undergoing treatment on a broken foot.
Lauren Hughes, her mother, said: “Ella is in a lot of pain with her foot, and we can’t keep her out too long, but she really enjoyed stroking the horse. She couldn’t wait to see him and she had been up early wanting to get dressed and come down. She has got a pair of signed goggles and she loves them. She loves horses as she did a bit of horse riding when she was younger. It has really made her day.”
One of the first in the queue to meet Neptune Collonges was two-year-old Teddy Atkinson, who is spending time in hospital recovering from a broken leg, and his mum Laura Wynne, who live close to the racecourse at Aintree.
Wynne said: “It is just great to get out of the ward. Teddy was really excited as he loves animals, and we live right near Aintree racecourse. We are missing all that, but we are here today meeting all the jockeys and Neptune Collongnes.
“His grandad has the horse racing on the television, but Teddy loves horses as he loves seeing them on the farm. We have been up for hours pacing the ward waiting for this and he has been asking all morning about it.”
