LORD SPENCER AND BRUCIE FIGHT OUT A GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE THRILLER AT RICCARTON

By Graham Potter | Saturday, August 8, 2026

Tears of joy followed Lord Spencer’s win in the Grand National Steeplechase as trained J J Rayner celebrated a victory that has been years in the making for her family who have previously tried to win the race multiple times.

“Brucie had us, but he (Lord Spencer) just keeps grinding and grinding. It means heaps. I can’t believe it,” said Rayner. “My team at home … and it is only a little wee team … will be so proud.

“He has just stepped up over these big fences and whatever he does this year is a bonus. He is only learning, so to get this is unbelievable.”

Brucie, who Rayner referred to, was the Raymond Connors trained runner who led the field up early in the 5600m stamina test, and he was still early kicking on strongly in the home straight, putting Lord Spencer, who had tracked the leader in second place throughout, under severe pressure as he tried to close the gap.

In a slogging finish, Lord Spencer the $1.90 favourite, was able to prevail, ultimately beating Brucie (a $5.50 chance) by 0.30 lengths in what had become a two horse race when it mattered most.

It was a thriller with the 5600m contest only being decided in the final strides.

Lord Spencer was ridden by Lemmy Douglas, who not achieved back-to-back wins with Lord Spencer (after they had taken out the Koral Steeplechase over 4250m at the same venue a week earlier), but the win also gave Douglas a notable winning double on the day having taken out the Grand National Hurdle aboard the Kevin Meyers trained Little Thief earlier on the card.

Douglas is just the second jockey to take out the Grand National double on the same day, twenty years after Tom Hazlett achieved that feat in 2006.