The talented livewire who nearly pulled off a remarkable double - what is The Last Samuri up to now?

They say leopards never change their spots and similar sentiments apply to The Last Samuri, who came within a whisker of pulling off the Grimthorpe Chase-Grand National double nine years ago.

From the outside, The Last Samuri looked a straightforward staying chaser with a particularly fine record over the famous Aintree fences, but those closest to him knew all about his alter ego.

A quirky trait stayed with him even after a six-year racing career, during which he earned more than £400,000 by winning eight of his 27 starts and finishing second in the 2016 Grand National for Kim Bailey. 

"He was a very good jumper who loved racing, but he got very wound up on the biggest days – that was his biggest problem," the trainer recalled.

"He was always an excitable horse who had to go out on his own, so the big days were quite difficult for him. 

"He's done a few things in showjumping since he retired from racing but he still has a knack of getting wound up. He'll never change, that's the way he's always been." 

The Last Samuri retrained to be a showjumping starCredit: Kim Bailey Racing

The Last Samuri, who was owned by Paul and Clare Rooney, moved to Bailey from Donald McCain for the start of the 2015-16 season and won the Grimthorpe at Doncaster impressively on his third start for his new stable.

The ten-length success from Cheltenham Festival winner The Druids Nephew under David Bass teed up the then eight-year-old perfectly for the Grand National five weeks later. 

At Aintree, The Last Samuri led over the last but was headed in the last 150 yards by Irish novice Rule The World.

"I watched the National sat next to Mags O'Toole, who buys all the horses for Gigginstown, and as The Last Samuri jumped the last she said well done, to which I replied it's a bloody long run-in," Bailey said. 

"Of course, she was the one who had the last laugh. I thought we were going to win and it was very, very difficult – I couldn't speak for three days, I was so upset."

The trainer's daughter Pandora retrained The Last Samuri to become a showjumper and he will always have a special place in the hearts of the whole family.

"He was a lovely horse who was very special," added Bailey. "He wasn't very big but he was one of those horses who wanted to do everything for you.

"My daughter had a lot of fun out of him as well, but she's got more on her plate now as she's just had triplets. He's out in the field just down the road at Nick Sutton's with other ex-racehorses and they're having a nice time together."

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