‘Aintree oracle’ and National guru dies

Mar 26 2008 by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post

THE “Aintree oracle” – course historian Reg Green – died yesterday .

Reg was a fixture at the racecourse and wrote at least six books chronicling the world’s greatest steeplechase and the personalities that made it famous.

Having attended every post-war National, he was said to be uniquely qualified to be its historian.

Aintree’s managing director Julian Thick said he and his staff were saddened at the news and said the course was “hugely indebted” to Reg for his work.

It is said Reg saw his first Grand National after sneaking through a gap in Aintree’s fence.

Ginger McCain, the trainer of legendary mount Red Rum, recalled Reg telling him about watching his first race aged six from a vantage point by Becher’s Brook.

Mr McCain said Reg had an “encyclopedic knowledge” of Aintree. He told the Daily Post: “He was a man who knew the history of Liverpool, the jockeys and everyone who rode in it. He has been hooked on it all his life. He was quite the records man. He was a complete Grand National nut really.

“It’s a pity he couldn’t have hung on another 10 or 12 days - that’s very much out of order.”

Maghull-based Reg had been suffering from heart problems for a number of years.

He once named the 1950 National as among his favourites.

He described it as a “tremendous race” and a “terrific moment in the history of the Grand National”.

Of the 49 runners, just seven completed the course.

One of the finishers was the Queen Mother’s horse, Monaveen, which came in fifth and was her first entry into the race.

Mr Thick said Reg was recently at Aintree for a media launch and to help a German television crew make a film about the course.

He said Reg was “part of the furniture”. Mr Thick added: “He had a personal passion and love for the place that never went away. He was a great guy. You could just pick up the phone if you needed to. When there was somebody who needed to know about the Grand National, we would point him in Reg’s direction – he was the Aintree oracle. He did it for the love of it, which we were hugely indebted to him for.”

A life member of the course, Reg was commissioned to write an article for this year’s John Smith’s Grand National race card. The article, which focuses on the National’s unlucky losers, will still be printed.

In it, Reg recalls the career of Wyndburgh, who finished second in 1957, 1959 and 1962, but never won in six outings.

Reg wrote The History of the Grand National: A Race Apart and Kings for a Day: Aintree's Bravest Sons, among other titles.

RACING: PAGES 26-27

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