Looking Back: 4) Comply

Comply Or Die - 2008 Grand National Winner
              (Photo: Bill Selwyn)

With this week supposed to be about the big build up to perhaps the greatest race in the world, the people’s race, the Grand National I thought it would be appropriate to look back at one of the winners of the great race from Pond House – Comply or Die. 

A 1999 born gelding, son of Old Vic and dam Madam Madcap, Comply came over from the Costello family in Ireland as an unraced, un-named three year old in May 2002.  Champion owner David Johnson used to recruit a lot of his horses from Mr Costello and many of his very good horses over the years came from this source.  He was in training the following season but never ran as he needed a bit more time to mature and we knew he was a special horse.

Not considered a bumper type he made his racing debut over hurdles at Chepstow on 4^th October 2003.  A P McCoy rode and he won easily, ‘readily’ was the comment in the Racing Post.  He followed this up with another victory at Plumpton and then he stepped up in class for the Persian War novices hurdle, Grade 2 at Cheltenham.  A bad blunder two out this day cost him victory.  He could not recover from this mistake and finished a close second.  He returned to Cheltenham the following month and to winning ways as he tackled three miles for the first time.  He then ran in the Royal and SunAlliance Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.  The ground was good that day and he ran a cracker to finish a close fourth behind Fundamentalist and Inglis Drever.  Unfortunately with the ground plenty lively enough he did not quite have the pace over 2m5f to get to the leaders but it was still a top effort.

After a summer at grass he returned in the autumn of 2004 to go chasing.  He won three of his first four starts over the larger obstacles at Bangor, Wincanton and Cheltenham and his only defeat was when he finished second behind Ollie Magern.  He fell in a chase at Newbury after that while still in the lead and then the next time we saw him was in the Royal and SunAlliance Novice’s Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2005.  It was another cracking effort to finish second, only two lengths behind Trabolgan.  After this he ran in the Scottish National and then the Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown and while he ran okay he was not at his best.

After another holiday he came back to finish a close fourth in the 2005 Hennessy.  He pulled up in the Welsh National after this and then an injury meant he had to miss the whole of the following 2006/7 season.  When he returned in October 2007 it took him a couple of runs to get his eye back in and as a result the handicapper gave him a chance as well.  He bounced back to finish second in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock and then to his very best in his next two outings in 2008.  The first of these saw him win the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February by 8 lengths off a mark of 139. 

I remember he was not the best traveller in the World, not by the way he actually travelled in the lorry but by the fact that he was never very settled in a strange stable.  Usually, if we go to Newcastle or any long distances, we go the day before the race or even two days before.  With him on this occasion we decided we would let him have his tea, hay and a bit of a rest in his own stable and then they drove through the night to get him to the North East in plenty of time before the race on the Saturday morning.  While this would not suit many horses this is what he preferred and it worked!

After the Eider it was all systems go for the National and was sent off 7/1. If you could ever be calm in such a big race it seems the horse and jockey Timmy Murphy just were exactly that.  They seemed to travel and jump beautifully and there was barely and moments worry the whole way round from watching at home on the sofa and he forged clear from the elbow.  It is a day that will live long in my memory and for many of us here at Pond House.  I remember coming back to the office and we put up signs and balloons everywhere and we set about ringing everyone to come and join us for a party either that night or on the Sunday morning if they could not make it there and then.  After some drinks in our local Culm Valley Pub it was all back to Pond House to watch the replay a few more times and then we greeted our hero off the lorry on his return.  The National was sponsored by John Smiths at that time and so we had quite a few cases of those to unload as well!

The following morning was terrific as we had lots of press and local people come to the yard and we took him down to parade in the local village of Culmstock.  It was particularly nice that 1994 Grand National winner Miiniehoma was still with us at that time and the two Grand National winners from different decades could parade together.  It is fair to say winning this race changes a lot of things for a lot of people and we will always be indebted to Comply for that.

It is probably fair to say that Comply did not really sparkle at any other racecourse after this day and who could blame him really.  He returned to Aintree the following year and made a very bold bid to retain his crown.  He finished second in the great race carrying over a stone more.  He went back in 2010 and again ran a gallant race and completed in 12^th behind Don’t Push It, he ran his final race in the 2011 renewal in which he pulled up.  After this it was an easy decision to retire him. 

David Johnson with Comply or Die in Retirement

He went and lived with Timmy Murphy and loved his retirement with a lot of David Johnson’s other horses such as Well Chief and Vodka Bleu.  Comply continued to go to Aintree every year for the Winners parade until sadly he died in May 2016 at the age of 17.

He won eight races in his career and nearly £800,000 in prize money.  He provided David with the highlight of his career and he was such a tough, genuine and lovable horse.  He is a horse David and everyone associated with him will always hold dear in our hearts.