'We had a great time and it stays with you forever' - Grand National winner and 'life-changer' Auroras Encore dies at 24

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Auroras Encore, the 9,500gns buy who went on to spring a 66-1 surprise in the Grand National in 2013, has died at the age of 24.

The winner of eight races, he also finished second in the Scottish National the previous season and earned over £725,000 in prize-money in a 47-start career for Sue Smith that ended a year after his Aintree triumph.

"He'd had 12 years in the fields so he'd had a good retirement," said Joel Parkinson, Harvey Smith's grandson who now shares the licence at the yard near Bingley in West Yorkshire.

"He came in to get his feet done and his teeth done, he kept up with his vaccinations and came in when the weather was rough during the winter – he couldn't have had a happier time."

Auroras Encore makes his way through the crowds to the Aintree winner's enclosureCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Recalling the National triumph, the first for a horse trained in Yorkshire since 1960, Parkinson said: "It was a massive day for the yard – it's not easy to find a horse like him for nine grand! That's what my grandad paid for him at the sales, he has a great eye for a horse."

Auroras Encore, who had a history of causing upsets at Aintree having won a handicap hurdle there at 50-1 in 2008, was ridden in the National by Ryan Mania in the colours of Jim Beaumont, David Van Der Hoeven and Douglas Pryde.

"It was one of those very unexpected things in life, a monumental success for me and the horse," Mania said.

"It was life-changing for me as it opened a lot of doors and gave me opportunities I hadn't had before.

"And it is history. Whatever happens, my name is always going to be there."

Ryan Mania: hoping to partner Hill Sixteen in this year's Grand National

Ryan Mania with the trophy after winning the Grand NationalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"We were very lucky to have him," said Pryde, an independent financial adviser. "When we got him, the plan was always to run him in the Grand National and it worked out well!

"He was a huge price but Harvey was very sweet on his chance. There was snow on the ground the week before and Harvey got it off the gallops and said he was working the best he had for a long time.

"Everything has to go right but he got a great ride from Ryan. I remember it very well – four out I thought he was going to be placed then two out I thought if he jumps he's going to win. We had a great time and it stays with you forever."

Auroras Encore was the first horse ever owned by Van Der Hoeven, who has a financial planning business in Glasgow, and the National was his first success.

"It had been Jim and Douglas's life goal to have a National horse and I was very fortunate to sit on their coat tails," he said. "My ego kicked in when they said do you want to buy a horse and I said yes. He was my first horse and my first winner.

Jim Beaumont (right) and Douglas Pryde with Auroras Encore the day after his Grand National successCredit: John Grossick (racingpost/photos.com)

"It's only with hindsight I look back and think how lucky we were to get a horse in the National, let alone have the winner."

But he missed Aintree and said: "We only got him a few months before the National and I already had a holiday booked. We were in Crete and there was no sports bar or anything.

"I remember my daughter calling me up and screaming down the phone 'you've won, you've won!'. I remember saying 'Harriet, you'd better not be kidding me!' But then my phone was red hot with friends and people asking 'was that your horse? Why didn't you tell us!'

"We ended up going to a bar in a little village. My brother-in-law got a bottle of what he thought was champagne – he opened it and poured it on my head and all these local Greeks were thinking 'Oh no, there's going to be a fight!' It's a different memory to the other owners but no less special for that."

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