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/ Romilly Evans / 06 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Second at Cheltenham - Can Finian's Rainbow go one better at Aintree
"While I've had some great wins, the truly life-changing ones have always just eluded me, I'm afraid. Backing Spirit Son and Finian's ante-post at the festival provided two eloquent cases in point, although I did save on them each-way."
Michael Buckley
Romilly Evans talks to colourful leading owner, Michael Buckley, about his career and hopes for Aintree
Reversals of fortune are part of life. But if you really want to corner the market, why not become an entrepreneur? Or for the terminally committed, what about racehorse ownership? Never one to duck a challenge, Michael Buckley has tried both. Repeatedly. The results have ridden the tightrope between gloom and glory, but he clearly has no plans to step away from his high-wire act any time soon.
The slower and steadier types among you will be glad to know I join Buckley at an ostensibly calmer point is his career. His business interests are no longer all-consuming (he recently sold his gaming company, Cashcade, responsible for the highly popular Foxy Bingo) and, equally importantly, his best horses are well.
But wellbeing alone is, of course, no guarantee of victory on the racetrack. You need that bit of luck too, and Buckley's charges were glaringly without it at the Cheltenham Festival where no fewer than three runners were struck down with an acute case of the runner-ups. While Mossley, Spirit Son and Finian's Rainbow all came up a fag paper shy of greatness, each gets the chance to set the record straight this week at Aintree where they will be among the favourites for their respective races.
Mossley gets the ball rolling in Friday's Sefton Novices' Hurdle where he'll be glad not to see the backside of flashy stablemate, Bobs Worth. "Bobs Worth won fair and square at Cheltenham, but he's a six-year-old and Mossley's only five. I don't see why he won't improve."
Saturday is Grand National Day and the curtain-raiser sees Spirit Son renew rivalries with Cue Card.
"I think both were simply outstayed off a scorching pace by Al Ferof, but I was impressed by my horse. He was tanking down the hill and in retrospect I think we got there plenty soon enough. The same comment would apply to Cue Card. Spirit Son is well and should enjoy this trip and better ground."
It promises to be a fascinating clash between possibly the two most exciting novice hurdlers in training.
However, it is in the ensuing Maghull Novices Chase where the apple of Buckley's eye, Finian's Rainbow, attempts to regain the winning thread.
"There's none of mine of whom I'm fonder," he said.
"A beautiful horse with the talent to match. I always assumed he would be a stayer but his innate speed has proved me wrong. Some have questioned his jumping, but he's a natural athlete. Such is his rangy stride and scope, he just thinks he can clear a fence from a mile off."
"He still races a little too freely (which probably cost him last time) but will relish Aintree and if he gets into a rhythm, they won't be able to live with him."
While he has no runners in Saturday's showpiece itself, Buckley has had his leading protagonists over the years. Brown Windsor was favourite for the great race when finishing fourth to Mr Frisk in 1990. "He broke the track record. It's just a shame three others also did!"
The same horse then looked set to go a few better in 1992 when cruising up to Becher's Brook. "The form says he fell, but that's unfair to Brown Windsor. Richard Dunwoody was unseated. Albeit by a loose horse crashing into him mid-air."
If Buckley sounds phlegmatic, it's an acquired skill. The National of 1977 is best remembered for Red Rum's historic third victory in the race. Peter O'Sullevan's timeless commentary still resounds through perennial replays. Grown men wept. And Buckley was among them. But for very different reasons. His horse, Zeta's Son, was also engaged and took high rank among the principals.
"They look after the courses so well nowadays, but before Valentine's on the second circuit, he put his foot in a pothole and went down."
The horse, travelling like the winner at the time, was killed. His owner was inconsolable.
By comparison, Buckley's punting exploits seem trivial. That said, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales reads like a mere leaflet next to Buckley's own weighty tome on Gambles Landed or Narrowly Thwarted.
"While I've had some great wins, the truly life-changing ones have always just eluded me, I'm afraid. Backing Spirit Son and Finian's ante-post at the festival provided two eloquent cases in point, although I did save on them each-way."
"I also have a love affair with tennis and golf, and like a bet on both. I started backing Federer when many judges had him down as a young hot-head who might not break through. I have a special place in my heart for Phil Mickelson, too. I even had him at [19.0] to win in Houston at the weekend and expect to play up some of those winnings on The Masters. He owes me nothing and is simply the most exciting player to watch. You never know what you're going to get with him - death or glory - the golfing gambler."
It takes one to know one. So whether Finian's scoots up on Saturday, or Phil says his prayers round Amen Corner, Buckley will have seen it all before. And while he's learnt to treat those impostors of triumph and disaster both the same, at least it's only the former who ever asks to stay the night.
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