Corach Rambler, race favorite, won the Grand National 2023 on Saturday. The event was delayed after protestors got on the Aintree course track.

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Rambler started as an 8-1 favorite. He was ridden by Derek Fox. The horse, trained by Lucinda Russell, managed to edge past Vanillier (2nd), Gaillard Du Mesnil (3rd), and last year’s winner Noble Yeats (4th).

Who is Derek Fox?

Derek Fox is an Irish jockey. He is 30 years old and rides Corach Rambler.

Fox was born on May 14, 1992. He won the 2017 Grand National on One For Arthur. Some of his other major achievements include winning the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle in 2021 and the Mildmay Novices’ Chase in 2022.

Impressive performances are something Derek Fox is known for, but this Grand National champion’s own journey is also rather inspiring.

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Fox is reported to have quit school at the age of 14 after being diagnosed with dyslexia and being unable to read and write. He acknowledges that he used to waste too much time watching television or at the bar, but that these days he would much rather delve into a good book.

In spite of everything, Fox had no doubts about becoming a jockey since he was a child and used to ride a Welsh pony named Reggie. On some occasions, he and a select group of friends would board the bus for school just to abandon it at the next stop and spend the rest of the day riding bareback across the field.

‘My mother almost always caught us out but sometimes we got away with it clean,’ Fox says with a smile. ‘I used to play a little bit of football and other sports in school hours but outside school, I just rode the ponies. That’s all I ever wanted to do. ‘I never made a decision to ride racehorses it was just something I assumed I was going to do.’

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After winning the race, Fox spoke to ITV, praising his horse, saying, “He is just a phenomenal horse. I can’t believe it. He normally gets his head up a wee bit but today he traveled everywhere. He is the cleverest horse. He is so intelligent.”