RANDOX will sadly not be appending their name to the world’s most famous race this year, the 2020 Aintree Grand National having been cancelled. They will, however, be remembered for their first sponsorship of another National, this one in Downpatrick and behind closed doors.

We are well used to the Aintree race producing fairy tale stories, and the Randox Ulster National at Downpatrick did so too. The winner, Space Cadet, provided his amateur, seven-pound claiming rider Ben Harvey with his first winner on the track. It was also the biggest success to date for trainer Gearoid O’Loughlin who trains the 10-year-old son of Flemensfirth (Alleged) for Chris Jones.

Formerly trained by Gordon Elliott, Space Cadet has been successful between the flags for Sunday’s winning connections, and this victory was just his second over fences, though he was always a horse who promised much, ever since he won a Leopardstown bumper at the Christmas meeting there in 2014, ridden by Jamie Codd.

Space Cadet was bred at the Vasicek’s Kenilworth House Stud in Tipperary and he sold as a foal at Fairyhouse for €16,500 to Autumn Bloodstock, making a splash two and a half years later at the Derby Sale when he sold from Shanaville Stables to Mags O’Toole for €100,000. With his latest success he has brought his earnings to more than that purchase price, and while he has not managed to win a blacktype race, his placings include being runner-up in both the Grade A toals.com Leinster National Chase at Gowran Park and the Grade 2 Woodlands Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at Naas, while he was third to Monbeg Notorious in the Grade A Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran.

Space Cadet is out of Shuil A Hocht, a daughter of Mohaajir (Sadler’s Wells), who won a mares’ bumper and maiden hurdle within six weeks of each other at Limerick. She carried the colours of Joerg Vasicek and was bred by his wife Diana. John Kiely trained her. The now 19-year-old is dam of four winners, Gallant John Joe (Presenting) being the best of them. A listed hurdle winner at Naas, he has twice been placed at Grade 1 level, most recently when third in the Arkle Chase in February at Leopardstown behind Notebook.

Shuil A Hocht is one of three winners from the unraced Shuil A Cuig (Quayside), and the better of her winning siblings was The Outlier (Roselier), victorious in the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock when trained by Venetia Williams.

Anyone with even a modicum of interest in breeding will have recognised by now that Space Cadet is from a female line that is simply referred to as the ‘Shuil’ family. Shuil A Cuig is a half-sister to six winners, notably the Scottish Grand National winner and placed, Baronet (Roselier), and to the dam of Grade 1 bumper and hurdle winning mare Liss A Paoraigh (Husyan). Indeed, under Space Cadet’s third dam, three-time winner Shuil Agragh (Cassim), you will find a dozen blacktype winners, and among these is the dual Grade 1 star Next Destination (Dubai Destination).

Space Cadet is currently one of a quartet of winners from his dam, but that number is likely to grow as young stock include a four-year-old full-brother to Space Cadet (sold for €56,000 as a foal to Richard Rohan), a two-year-old colt by Califet (Freedom Cry) (sold for €39,000 as a foal to J C Bloodstock), and a yearling colt by Sageburg (Johannesburg), a €17,500 yearling at this year’s Tattersalls Ireland February Sale when selling to Hill Farm.