National treasure with unique hat-trick

The Grand National was first run in 1839. The Scottish National was inaugurated in 1867. The Welsh National began life in 1895. Many horses - including Red Rum, who won at Aintree and Ayr but never essayed the Chepstow stamina test - have won more than one National, but in all those years Earth Summit is the only horse to win all three races.

BEFORE

Nigel Payne, co-owner Six of us got together – me, Bob Sims, Ricky George, Peter Earle, Gordon Perry and Mike Bailey – and put in £1,000 each for Peter Scudamore to buy us a horse at the Doncaster sales. He came back with two; we chose the right one. His back legs weren't terribly straight, and Steve Smith Eccles, with whom I was working on a promotion at the time, said he was an ugly-looking beast and we'd be lucky if he won a seller. I often remind him of that. We named him after the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit that was held that year.