From pub bouncer to Grand National winner: Guest remembers Red Marauder owner

Richard Guest on Monday fondly remembered his Grand National-winning ally Norman Mason, who has died at the age of 85 and whose Red Marauder captured a famous running of the Aintree marathon in 2001.

A quietly spoken, self-made millionaire, Mason had extensive interests in the leisure and entertainment industry in the north-east and his love of racing was fuelled when he was given a broodmare as payment for a debt.

He had horses in training with the late Gordon Richards – most notably prolific winners Centre Attraction, Music Be Magic and Clever Folly – and George Moore, but took his passion for the sport in-house by becoming a permit-holder in 1991, although he left the day-to-day running of his yard in the Durham village of Brancepeth to staff at the 340-acre estate.

They included Guest, who rode and essentially trained Red Marauder to win the 2001 National in which only four horses finished in conditions that were so desperate some questioned whether the race should have taken place.

A mud-splattered Richard Guest after the 2001 Grand NationalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Guest said: "I heard Norman was looking for an assistant, so, after a holiday, I went up and met him and we got on straight away. He was very easy to get on with and I said I'd come but needed to be left alone and to do it my way.

"He said, 'You can do whatever you want'. I told him to leave the training to me and he could pick up the trophies! He was very happy to let me do it and was absolutely true to that. The only time I'd see him was when I was having a run at 5.30am and he'd be walking his dogs on the way in from a nightclub."

Guest, who said he had recently visited his former place of work with his family, added: "He started as a bouncer and kept throwing all the troublemakers out, but the landlord kept letting them back in, so he decided to buy the pub and that's how he started.

"He had great big hands and was a big man, but a lovely one – a gentle giant. I'm sure you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him, but you'd have to be a pretty bad person to do that. He was extraordinarily laid-back.

"He gave me a chance to hone my skills without the pressure of my name over the door. "

Champion Hurdle-winning trainer Tommy Robson, who helped source Red Marauder, assisted Mason in launching the operation, which perked up when Guest joined in the late 1990s.

"Winning the National meant everything to Norman," Guest added. "Red Marauder wasn't the greatest jumper, so he needed testing ground. He'd fallen the year before, but came back with an abscess on his foot, which was brewing, and he didn't fall often, despite making a few rickets.

"It came up testing and the rest, as they say, is history. We had a big party as the Grand National was the race for him. He was a working-class man and that's a working-class race."

Aintree hero Red Marauder with Richard Guest (left) and Norman MasonCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Mason, who often gave his horses 'Red' names to go with his colours, gave up his permit in 2003.

"I've got some very fond memories and we had some great times," Guest continued. "He was a good guy and was rare in that he was a self-made millionaire who didn't want to be a megalomaniac or control freak.

"He was pretty unique to be so hands off. He was easy to deal with and look at the success we had, which may be a lesson to a lot of owners out there! You could see how humble and decent he was from the interviews after the National."

Mason's funeral is at 1pm on Friday at St Andrew's Church in Sunderland.