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Red Rum trainer’s grandson rides first Cheltenham winner: ‘He’s worked so hard’

Jennifer Donald Jennifer Donald

    • Half a century after the legendary Grand National-winning trainer Ginger McCain sent out his stable star Red Rum to the second of his three Aintree successes, his grandson Toby McCain-Mitchell is also making waves in the sport of kings.

    The rookie jockey started out in showjumping, before making a name for himself in point-to-points, but on Friday (25 October) he produced a masterful ride under Rules on The Newest One to land a milestone first Cheltenham winner, claiming the Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase in tremendous style.

    “He’s one tough lad so I knew if I was bang in there turning in and just saved enough to get home, he’d tough it out,” said the jockey on the “amazing” win for local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, for whom he rides out every day.

    “All the good jockeys there help improve you no end”: Toby McCain-Mitchell

    Toby McCain-Mitchell is the son of the late Ginger McCain’s daughter Joanne and is rightly being touted as a rising star of the weighing room, absorbing skills on a daily basis from the hard-working team around him at the Naunton stables.

    “I love it there and all the good jockeys there help improve you no end,” he said.

    The emotional young jockey secured his victory at odds of 10/1, hitting the front four fences out in the 3m1f contest at Cheltenham’s Showcase Meeting, the traditional curtain-raiser to the jumps season. He held off some strong challenges to pull one and a half lengths clear of Archie Jones on the Henry Daly-trained Jimmy The Digger, with Imogen Mathias on Jessie Lightfoot in third.

    Nigel’s son and assistant trainer Willy Twiston-Davies credited Toby by saying: “He’s worked so hard for us for a long time – he gave The Newest One a fantastic ride.”

    Toby’s cousins Abbie and Ella McCain have also followed the family footsteps and been successful in the saddle, and the racing dynasty’s celebrations continued at Aintree on Sunday (28 October) where Toby’s uncle Donald McCain saddled Minella Drama to win the Grade Two Virgin Bet Old Roan Handicap Chase under Brian Hughes.

    Read the full reports from Aintree and Cheltenham in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in shops Thursday, 31 October.

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    Jennifer Donald
    Jennifer Donald

    H&H showjumping editor
    Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
    Jennifer Donald

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