Bacton's finest Grand National day

And with the great tradition of horsemanship in Herefordshire, come next April we could be celebrating another addition to the relatively small pantheon of the county's stars in the greatest of all jump races, the Grand National.

The victory of Venetia Williams' 100-1 outsider Mon Mome is still fresh in the memory, particularly of those who may have made a small 'investment' at that favourable price.

Those of a slightly older vintage will recall the celebrations of 1959 when Michael Scudamore came home at the head of the field on Oxo.

But the previous county-connected winner will not be recalled at first-hand by many readers.

That success came some 89 years ago, back in 1927, with the success of Sprig, owned by Mrs W B Partridge of Bacton, trained by Tom Leader and ridden by his son Ted Leader.

As with many of the best stories, the tale of Sprig is one of joy out of tragedy.

William Bailey Partridge, from Llandewi Court in Monmouthshire, sprang from a South Wales family with interests in mining and railways.

In 1871, at the age of 31, he married 17-year-old Mary Frances Elizabeth Hamp, of Bacton Manor and the couple built a new home called The Green but later called Bacton Stud.

Their eldest son, Richard Crawshaw Bailey Partridge, became lord of the manor upon his father's death in 1909 but was himself killed in the First World War on September 28, 1918.

Before his death, Richard, a lieutenant in the Shropshire Yeomanry, had followed in his father's footsteps as a breeder of steeplechasers.

One of the last foals he bred, Sprig was born in 1917 and was left to Mary Partridge when Richard died.

Sprig was sired by the noted racehorse Marco, whose blaze he inherited, out of Spry.

He grew into a strong, chestnut gelding and was sent off to Newmarket at the age of three to be trained by Tom Leader.

A number of victories followed over the years and there were two Grand National appearances which saw him finish in fourth place on each occasion.

But his moment of glory arrived on Friday, March 25, 1927.

Heavy rain during the night saw Sprig installed as 8/1 favourite but the race turned out to be one of the most thrilling in years with, although there were no casualties, only seven from the field of 37 finishing the race.

At the conclusion, Sprig eased home by just a length from the rank outsider, 100/1 shot Bovril 3rd, who only had one eye, with Bright's Boy in third.

And all this in the presence of the King, who had watched the race from Lord Derby's private box and to whom owner, jockey and trainer were presented afterwards.

The Daily Telegraph reported that His Majesty told Mrs Partridge that 'success was extremely well deserved, because he had been made familiar with the peculiar facts of the horse's career'.

Daily Express racing journalist 'The Scout' caught up with Mary Partridge shortly after the win when 'she was sitting in a a quiet corner of a private balcony and still wiping away a few tears that she could not keep back'.

"I am not a racing woman at all but I love and breed horses," she told him.

"And my husband owned Timothy Titus when it won the National Hunt Chase.

"Sprig would never be carrying my colours today if my son had not been killed in the war.

"I somehow felt that he would have raced Sprig himself and not sold him, so I made it my duty to run the horse myself to keep his memory dear.

"I have Sprig down at my home near Chepstow all the summer and I am afraid I treat him more as a pet than I do as a racer."

Trainer Tom Leader had been feeling that the great prize of the National would never be his, especially after Sprig's two fourth-place finishes in the two previous years.

"But third time more than paid for all," he said.

Mary Partridge was the third woman owner to win the National, taking home a prize of £8,000, and the church bells rang out in Bacton to celebrate Sprig's success.

There was to be no dream repeat of his victory, however.

Sprig ran twice more in the National in the two succeeding years but fell on both occasions.