Boris Ponomarenko

Inspired by the favourable report by Mr Georgi Malenkov, the former Russian Premier, who had been the guest of Mrs Topham at the 1956 Grand National, the Soviet Union set their sights on the great race of 1961.

Accordingly, on Tuesday, March 7, 1961, a burly Soviet blacksmith spent the morning shoeing Epigraff, Grifel and Reljef, the three horses chosen to represent Russia in the legendary race. Later, they were taken from their cream walled stables at Moscow's racetrack, put in rail boxes and transported to the capital's Byelo-Russian station. From there they were taken to Best Litovaka, then on to Berlin.

Travelling initially through Poland, East Germany and Holland, it was set to be an arduous journey. The three horses were accompanied by four stable lads. On their arrival in England, they were stabled at Haydock Park.

Officials of the Russian party - Mr. Yevgeni Davidovitch, the head of the Rostov Hippodrome Racecourse, Mr Boris Alexiev, the team leader, Captain Kuibitchev, the trainer and Reljef's jockey, Boris Ponomarenko, - had flown over in advance to ensure a smooth passage.

On Monday, March 13, with the Grand National (March 25) just twelve days away, the three horses - though showing signs of stiffness due to their long train journey - exercised on English soil for the first time when stepping out on a disused football pitch at Dovercourt Bay, Harwich. From this initial steady canter, Epigraff identified itself as the Russians' main contender at Aintree. The biggest of the three geldings, he was a dark bay and stood 17 hands. Bandaged on his forelegs, Epigraff was kept on his own because of his inclination to bite other horses, not an ideal trait for a National runner.

However, it had already won the big Czechoslovakian Chase three times and Red Army Officer and jockey Vladimir Brahkov - aged 29 and the rider of over 300 winners - was hoping for the best. The chesnut bay Grifel, too, was ridden that morning by its National jockey, Ivan Avdeyev, but the pony-sized Reljef was partnered by the reserve jockey, Nickolay Ilkin. 

Reported to be 'a marvellous little jumper', the Russians already realised that Reljef's diminutive build would nonetheless be all against him over Aintree's gruelling marathon, especially as he had been allotted top weight and would be ridden by the tallest jockey in the race, Boris Ponomarenko.

That evening, they were once again loaded on a train to complete their 2,000 journey. They arrived at Liverpool the following afternoon at 3,18 and transported to Haydock Park.

Speaking through Mr Uliy Guli, his interpreter, later, Boris said: 'I think the obstacles in the Grand Pardubice are worse than Becher's Brook. Few horses which raced in today's Topham Trophy (which he had watched) would have got round the course near Prague. Given a clear run, both Grifel and Reljef should take the jumps in the Grand National.'

Having walked the entire course, they agreed that the fast going would suit their horses. Keenly, they got to the weighing room early, but as there were no officials present they waited in the paddock.

Aintree was understandably packed, with millions more expected to watch the race on television. To help sort out traffic bottlenecks, an A.A. spotter plane with air-to-ground radio link was circulating the racecourse. On the ground, police cadets from Lancashire County and Liverpool City Police Forces, with two-way radios, reinforced the traffic police.

The tale of the race from the Russian perspective is simply told: shortly before the race Epigraf was declared unfit to run, Griefel came down first time round at Becher's (Vladimir Prakhov gamely remounting to continue a long way in arrears before pulling up after jumping the water) and Reljef unseated Boris at Valentine's.

On Monday 27 March, the Russian party, travelling in three Rolls Royces and accompanied by Mrs Muriel Topham, was treated to a tour of the English countryside, taking in a picnic in the sunshine by the shores of Lake Windermere.

Boris, looking none the worse for his fall from Reljef, summed up the day saying: 'We've had a wonderful day - most enjoyable. We will be returning to Russia on Tuesday. I hope to come again - and perhaps I shall win.'