Grand National trainer and ex-jockey comes out of retirement to ride against wife, son and daughter in the same race
Welsh handler Tim Vaughan is gearing up for a true family affair in the Town Plate - the world's longest Flat contest.
2
In what is thought to be a British first in racing, four members of the same family will do battle in the charity bash.
Run over a massive 3m6f, it's a distance Vaughan is more used to as a trainer of staying chasers.
In fact, Vaughan had hopes of winning the world's most famous race in 2023 when Eva's Oskar was running a beauty.
The 50-1 outsider was rolling along nicely at Aintree under Alan Johns when fate cruelly intervened and he unseated his rider at the 21st fence.
Vaughan, a former chartered surveyor who is based just outside Cardiff, has combined training with a tough fitness regime as he gets ready to race again.
He was Champion Welsh point-to-point jockey many moons ago and rode 117 winners between the flags.
Now a Grade 1-winning trainer, his son Edward has shown plenty of skill in the saddle too.
Daughter Grace knows what she is doing on horseback as well, while wife Abbi won a charity race at Chepstow a few years ago.
Vaughan told the Racing Post it had been 'carnage' in the house ahead of the race on Auguse 23.
The mindgames have well and truly begun - and Vaughan, 45, has been hitting the gym in a bit to shift some weight.
It's proved successful - he's lost two stone since he started working out.
Vaughan said: "It's been real fun, we've been winding each other up and I'm trying to pick the fastest horse so that I win.
"We've had such a good time getting there, there's been so much camaraderie already.
"We've got four horses lined up and I'm definitely the most bullish as I'm choosing the horses.
"Me and Ed have a lot of competition for it, the girls are a little less aggressive.
"Ed thought Grace's was faster the other day and tried jocking her off, I'm trying to jock Abbi off and we're all scrambling!
"It's been carnage, things have been getting heated in the house.
"It's got me fitter and sharper, we're all pumped."
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
5 minutes ago
- BBC News
Panathinaikos 1-1 Rangers (agg 1-3): What Martin said
Rangers head coach Russell Martin told BBC Scotland: "I've just said to the players in the dressing room, I'm so proud of them."To be five weeks into the process, from where they were to where they are is incredible."It's never easy away from home. A really difficult place to come. They really dug in and that's going to be important for us. "Big John [Souttar] and Nasser [Djiga] were fantastic. Jack Butland's been brilliant over the two games; we need to rely on him less."We spoke about the importance of the subs before the game and they did great."It's no mean feat. We've qualified for the Europa League and now we can really attack the Champions League."We will get better. The group will grow so much from this."
BBC News
5 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cardiff exit Champions League after defeat to Athlone
Cardiff City Women bowed out of the Champions League qualifiers after they lost 4-0 to Athlone Town in the semi-finals of the first qualifying Groves put the reigning League of Ireland Women's Premier Division champions ahead after 15 Molloy's two goals in the space of three minutes before the break gave the hosts a 3-0 lead at Waesch's goal early in the second half sealed the win and end the Welsh double winners' hopes of will face newly-crowned Croatian champions ZNK Agram in the final on Saturday, 2 August.
The Sun
5 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘It's complicated…I made different choice' – Single Lewis Hamilton, 40, opens up on love life and plans after retiring
LEWIS HAMILTON has opened up about making a "different choice" to prioritise "winning" in his Formula One career above all else. And that includes relationships, with the legendary Brit cementing his name as one of the best F1 drivers of all time. 6 Hamilton, 40, hasn't gone public with a girlfriend since his famous relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger. After having an on/off romance that spanned seven years, the former couple eventually called it quits in 2015. Hamilton 's love life has since been unclear, with the F1 star winning four of his seven world championships since their split. Most recently, rumours that he was dating pop singer Raye were sent into overdrive after her latest appearance in the Ferrari garage at Silverstone. But, in an interview with French publication RTBF, Hamilton said he has long since parked his love life, something which is 'very complicated' to balance these days. Put to him that it must be hard to also have a private life on the side, Hamilton replied: 'Yes, it's very complicated, especially in today's world. 'I see other drivers and I wonder how they manage it. Some have children, are married, have girlfriends. 'I went through that when I was in my twenties. I've made a different choice: I've decided to maximise the time I have here because it's shorter than you think. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 6 'I don't want to have any regrets, or think that I could have given more.' The Ferrari driver added: 'Over the last ten years, I've concentrated on my performance. And when I retire, I'll be able to do what I want. Lewis Hamilton gives lucky F1 rival a lift home on his private jet 'I'll be able to devote myself to other things without constraints. 'As long as I'm competing, I'm concentrating on my health, my well-being, my mental health and my driving technique. 'I want to be the best engineer I can be and the best team-mate too. That's my main objective: I want to win.' Interestingly enough only TWO F1 drivers currently on the grid are fathers, with Max Verstappen recently joining Nico Hulkenberg in the dad's club. Hamilton mostly wants to win a record eighth world title with Ferrari, after joining the Scuderia from Mercedes at the end of last season. He added: 'My dream is to win a title with Ferrari. It's been a long time since that happened. 'Ferrari has all the ingredients to win, you just have to put it all together. That's what I'm trying to do behind the scenes with Fred Vasseur and the team.' 6 But Hamilton has suffered a challenging start to life as a Ferrari driver. His wait for a first podium with the team is ongoing while Charles Leclerc has pulled off that achievement five times this year, including at the most recent Belgian Grand Prix. Hamilton has done plenty of that, his tally of 105 Grand Prix wins unmatched, while he holds the title record alongside Michael Schumacher. Hamilton has also been in r umoured relationships with other celebrities in the past, including singer Rihanna, Rita Ora, Barbara Palvin, Winnie Harlow and Danielle Lloyd. In 2023 he was romantically linked with Colombian singer Shakira, but their relationship never went past the friend zone. 6
