Who Was Ballabriggs? Donald McCain’s Grand National Winner Remembered on November 10, 2026

Information checked: November 10, 2026, at 01:07 UTC (London, GMT; UTC+00:00).

Ballabriggs, the racehorse who gave trainer Donald McCain his first Grand National victory in 2011, has died at the age of 25. McCain announced his death on November 9, 2026, and paid tribute to a horse whose Aintree success fulfilled a lifetime ambition and added another chapter to his family’s racing history.

Ridden by Jason Maguire and owned by Trevor Hemmings, Ballabriggs won the Grand National at Aintree on April 9, 2011. He spent his retirement at Hemmings’ Ballaseyr Stud on the Isle of Man. McCain told the Press Association that he owed the horse a great deal and recalled the victory as the last Grand National his father, legendary trainer Ginger McCain, witnessed.

Destaques

• Ballabriggs died aged 25 after a long retirement on the Isle of Man.
• He gave Donald McCain his first Grand National win under jockey Jason Maguire in 2011.
• His owner was Trevor Hemmings, for whom the victory was a second Grand National success.
• The horse also won the Kim Muir at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival and retired from racing in 2013.

What did Donald McCain say about Ballabriggs?

McCain remembered Ballabriggs both for his racing achievements and for the years he enjoyed afterward. In an interview reported by Racing TV, he said the horse had been well cared for in retirement and that the team had great memories of him.

The trainer also reflected on the personal significance of the Aintree victory. Ginger McCain was there to see his son win the race in 2011, but died later that year. Donald told the Press Association that he had not realized at the time how important it would be that his father saw that National.

The tribute has brought renewed attention to a partnership that connected two generations of the McCain family with Britain’s most famous steeplechase. It also remembers the wider team: Maguire in the saddle, Hemmings as owner and the stable staff who cared for the horse.

Who was Ballabriggs, and how did he win the Grand National?

Ballabriggs was an Irish-bred National Hunt racehorse, born in 2001. A gelding, he competed over obstacles and developed into a staying chaser: a horse suited to races over fences and long distances. He was known around the stable as Briggsy.

His defining performance came at Aintree in 2011, when he started at odds of 14-1 and won under Maguire. The Jockey Club’s Grand National roll of honor records McCain as his trainer and Hemmings as his owner. Ballabriggs finished ahead of Oscar Time, securing a place in the race’s long history.

The win meant different things to the people involved. It was McCain’s first victory as a Grand National trainer and Hemmings’ second as an owner, following Hedgehunter in 2005. Hemmings later won the race again with Many Clouds in 2015.

What was Donald McCain’s connection to Red Rum?

Donald McCain is the son of Ginger McCain, the trainer most closely associated with Red Rum. Ginger trained Red Rum to Grand National victories in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and later won the race with Amberleigh House in 2004.

Ballabriggs’ 2011 success therefore added Donald’s name to a family tradition already closely tied to Aintree. It was a distinct achievement for the younger McCain, earned with a different horse and team, while also giving father and son a moment to share at the racecourse.

What did Ballabriggs achieve outside the Grand National?

Before his Aintree triumph, Ballabriggs won the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival in 2010. McCain later explained that the team began planning toward the following year’s Grand National after that victory, with the horse’s preparation designed around the Aintree target.

Ballabriggs won seven of his 28 career starts, according to Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse. He returned to the Grand National twice after winning it: he finished sixth in 2012 and was pulled up in 2013, meaning his jockey stopped him before the finish.

Where did Ballabriggs spend his retirement?

McCain announced Ballabriggs’ retirement in April 2013, after his final Grand National. The horse then went to the Isle of Man, where he spent his later years at Hemmings’ stud. In his 2026 tribute, McCain said Ballabriggs would be laid to rest there.

For racing followers, his lasting legacy rests on more than one afternoon: a Cheltenham Festival win, a carefully planned Grand National campaign and a connection with a family whose story is interwoven with Aintree. The recent tribute gives those achievements a personal context, recalling the people and relationships behind the result.

FAQ

How old was Ballabriggs when he died?

He was 25. Donald McCain announced his death on November 9, 2026.

Who rode Ballabriggs to Grand National victory?

Jason Maguire rode him to victory at Aintree in 2011.

Did Ballabriggs win the Grand National more than once?

No. He won in 2011, finished sixth in 2012 and was pulled up in 2013.