16 Facts About Many Clouds

Many Clouds was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2015 Grand National.

Many Clouds won a National Hunt Flat race and two Novice hurdle races before moving to steeplechases as a six-year-old in the autumn of 2013.

Many Clouds emerged as a top-class chaser in the following season, winning his first three races including the Hennessy Gold Cup and the Cotswold Chase before disappointing when strongly fancied for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Many Clouds won one race in the following season but finished unplaced when joint-favourite for the 2016 Grand National.

Many Clouds was a "big, old-fashioned" brown gelding bred in Ireland by Aidan Aherne at the Windward House Stud in County Cork.

Many Clouds was one of several good jumpers sired by Cloudings, a son of Sadler's Wells, who won the Prix Lupin in 1997.

Many Clouds' dam, Bobbing Back, has produced The Tullow Tank, winner of the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and the Future Champions Novice Hurdle.

Many Clouds was trained throughout his racing career by Oliver Sherwood at Upper Lambourn in Berkshire and ridden in all of his races by Leighton Aspell.

Many Clouds began his racing career in National Hunt Flat races.

Many Clouds began to race over fences in the following season, competing in novice chases.

Many Clouds took the lead three fences from the finish and won from the favourite Eduard, with Holywell fifteen lengths back in third.

Later that month, Many Clouds was assigned a weight of 11 stone 6 pounds for the 58th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup over three and a quarter miles at Newbury Racecourse.

Many Clouds disputed the lead from the start and stayed on strongly over the last two fences to win from Smad Place, Dynaste, The Giant Bolster, and Black Thunder.

Many Clouds went three lengths clear at the last and held on to win by one and three quarter lengths from the French-bred Saint Are, with Monbeg Dude six lengths back in third.

Many Clouds is the first horse to win both the Hennessy Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season.

Many Clouds then attempted to repeat his 2015 success in the Cotswold Chase and finished second to Smad Place.