Hallo Dandy (1974 - 8 January 2007) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing.

Hallo Dandy
SireMenelek
DamDandy Hall
DamsireLast Of The Dandies
SexGelding
Foaled1974[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
OwnerRichard Shaw
TrainerGordon W. Richards
Major wins
Grand National (1984)

He raced in 4 Grand Nationals (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986) winning the 1984 race.

He is also known for being discovered in 1994, many years after his retirement, in very poor health highlighting and raising awareness of neglect in ex-racehorses.

Racing career

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And it's Greasepaint on the far side, Hallo Dandy on the nearside, there's nothing between them as they come to the line. Hallo Dandy on the nearside is just gonna win it, Hallo Dandy has won it!

BBC Commentator Peter O'Sullevan describes the climax of the 1984 National

Hallo Dandy won the 1984 Grand National, ridden by Welsh jockey Neale Doughty. The pairing had finished fourth in the previous year's National.

Before the race he had been a freely available 33/1 chance for the race at the start of 1984, having been pulled up in the Hennessey Cognac Gold Cup but was the subject of huge gambles when the handicapper seemed to have completely underestimated him by raising him just 1 lb in the weights to run carrying ten stones 2 lbs. A good prep race at Ayr and conditions at Aintree suggesting the horse would get the good ground he favoured, as opposed to the soft ground upon which he had tired to finish fourth last year only served to enhance his chances with his backers who sent him off at 13/1.

By the 26th fence Hallo Dandy and last year's runner-up Greasepaint were contesting the lead, which Hallo Dandy took at the second-last and held on to, securing victory by a distance of four lengths. The 1983 winner Corbiere finished third.[2]

He ran in the next two Nationals, falling at the first in 1985 and finishing twelfth in 1986 at the age of 12. He was then retired from racing.

Post-racing career

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Following his retirement from racing Hallo Dandy was loaned to the Earl of Onslow, who rode him to hounds with the Fernie Hunt in Leicestershire. However at the age of 20 Hallo Dandy was turned out in a field on Onslow's Surrey estate.

In 1994 he was discovered in a very poor condition and suffering from neglect. The owner, Richard Shaw, took Hallo Dandy back and gifted him to the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre (BTRC) who nursed him back to health and he became a champion for the welfare of ex-racehorses.[3]

He died in January 2007 at the age of 33.[4]

Grand National record

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Grand National Position Jockey Age Weight SP Distance
1983 4th Neale Doughty 9 10-1 60/1
1984 1st Neale Doughty 10 10-2 13/1 Won by 4 lengths
1985 DNF Graham Bradley 11 10-12 14/1 Unseated rider at fence 1
1986 12th Neale Doughty 12 10-8 16/1

Pedigree

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Pedigree of Hallo Dandy (GB), bay gelding, 1974[5]
Sire
Menelek (IRE)
1957
Tulyar (IRE)
1949
Tehran (GB) Bois Roussel (FRA)
Stafaralla (FRA)
Neocracy (GB) Nearco (ITY)
Harina (IRE)
Queen of Sheba (GB)
1948
Persian Gulf (GB) Bahram (GB)
Double Life (IRE)
Ojala (IRE) Buen Ojo (ARG)
Dursilla (GB)
Dam
Dandy Hall (IRE)
1954
Last of the Dandies (GB)
1927
D'Orsay (GB) Son-in-law (GB)
My Dame (GB)
Bill and Coo (GB) William the Third (GB)
Coo-Ee (GB)
Overjoy (GB)
1938
Alishah (GB) Tetratema (GB)
Teresina (GB)
Under Thirty (GB) Nothing Venture (GB)
Austin (GB)

References

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  1. ^ "Hallo Dandy profile". Racing Post. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Hallo Dandy 1984 Grand National". grand-national.me.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Hallo Dandy at TRC". BTRC. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Farewell to horse who became charity flagship". Guardian. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Hallo Dandy Pedigree". pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 11 April 2021.