Kitty's Light gives family uplifting result and lands £26k in Grand National

13 April 2024 , 16:24

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Kitty's Light loves racing over long distances and is a 12-1 chance for Aintree glory (Image: Steve Davies)

A Grand National horse trained on the beach like its most famous winner Red Rum is lifting spirits of a family battling cancer.

And Kitty's Light's preparation for Aintree by galloping along golden sands near the rugged coastline of Ogmore-by-Sea in Wales certainly paid off, finishing fifth in Britain's most famous race to land £26k in prize money

The popular staying chaser is trained by Christian Williams, whose six-year-old daughter Betsy was diagnosed with leukaemia just over a year ago. Her eight-year-old sister Tilly, mum Charlotte, a physio – and racing's tight-knit community – have rallied round the brave youngster.

And aptly-named Kitty's Light, who completed a unique steeplechasing treble around the same time, has made dark days a little brighter. Now, a 12-1 shot, has brought more smiles with it's performance in the Aintree showpiece.

"It was great, wonderful. The horse tried its heart out and the children cheered him on," Williams told ITV. Daughter Betsy adds that she's really proud.

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Williams, a former jockey forced to retire at the age of 29, said in the build up: "The hardest thing has been seeing how the treatment has affected Betsy mentally. They take them to the brink with treatment, close to death. One day we'll probably look back and wonder how we got through it."

Racing no longer dominated Williams' thoughts when he learned of especially tough times ahead during last year's Cheltenham Festival in March. After arduous treatment at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff, the horseman will sit with Betsy while she takes her daily chemotherapy in pill form. Charlotte had 12 months off work as a physiotherapist in hospital, how Tilly feared her younger sibling had caught the cancer.

"It has been tough," said Williams. "I have felt very emotional but together we have found a way to cope. Hopefully in May 2025, Betsy will get to ring the bell."

Kitty's Light gives family uplifting result and lands £26k in Grand National

Charlotte and Christian Williams with their daughters Tilly and Betsy at Aintree (@RacingPost)

The milestone signalling the end of treatment is a long-awaited time for the Welsh couple, running a business around the clock with 30 thoroughbreds to care for.

Kitty's Light, who cost just over £5,000, excelled in staying chases at a time when the family needed it most. The Flat-bred jumper was first in the 2023 Eider Chase, Scottish National and, a week later, Sandown's Bet365 Gold Cup. Part-owned by Richard Bedford, who became a racehorse owner for a lockdown interest, the story of Kitty's Light has warming familiarity to a special result in 1981.

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"Kitty's Light also trains on a beach like Red Rum did, so hopefully it's lucky," added Williams, a year above rugby star Gavin Henson at nearby Brynteg School. "He's not very big but he's a very clever horse. The owners dream of having a National runner and he deserves to have a go at it."

Jockey Jack Tudor (left) and trainer Christian Williams with the Scottish National trophy (PA)

On sand similar to what other trainers pay five-figure sums per year to maintain on gallops, Kitty's Light is reaching peak form.

With regular dips in the water and room to roam his paddock freely, the horse with a seaside routine could be about to make waves in Liverpool.

"We are privileged to have a horse good enough for the National," said Williams, rider of 2005 runner-up Royal Auclair. "When he won the Scottish version last April, it was the first big win after the little one was diagnosed.

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"I know he'll try his best at Aintree and that is all I can ask for. If he was human, he'd be smiling all the time. He's a happy horse with a great zest for life – and means such a lot to us all."