Venetia Williams

Born May 10, 1960

Venetia Williams had a great deal of experience as a trainer and rider before setting out with a licence at her family's Herefordshire estate. She had 10 winners as an amateur through 1986-88 and rode in the 1988 Grand National on Marcolo, who knocked her unconscious when coming down at Becher's, before she broke her neck in a fall and was forced to retire on medical advice.

She went all over the world to further her knowledge of training, starting off with seven years as assistant to John Edwards at Sellack, only a few miles from where she is now based. Later she had spells with Martin Pipe and Barry Hills, John Fulton in the United States and Colin Hayes in Australia. She began with a string of limited size and talent but her success has prompted great reaction and new owners have flocked in with the result that her yard is full with more than 80 horses.

She began training in 1995 and her first part-season produced a respectable, if modest, seven winners but things really took off the following campaign when her score went up to 33.

In 1997/8 there were 45 winners from her yard at King's Caple in Herefordshire and the following two seasons Williams sent out 74 winners on each occasion and has hit a similar total of winners each season since.

Her first Cheltenham Festival win came courtesy of Samakaan in the 2000 Grand Annual Challenge Cup, while Idole First won the 2005 Coral Cup and the 2007 Racing Post Plate.

Prior to 2009, her biggest successes came via Teeton Mill in the 1998 Hennessy Gold Cup and King George VI Chase, while she has also enjoyed success at Aintree with the likes of Edelweis Du Moulin (1999 totesport Handicap Chase), Montalcino (2001 Citroen C4 Mersey Novices' Hurdle), Spring Margot (2002 John Smith's Novices' Handicap Chase), Limerick Boy (2003 John Smith's Top Novices' Hurdle), His Nibs (2004 John Smith's Extra Cold Handicap Hurdle) and Mon Mome (2006 John Smith's Novices' Chase).

But last season capped it all when she enjoyed a further two successes at the Cheltenham Festival, courtesy of Kayf Aramis in the Pertemps Final and Something Wells in the Freddie Williams Festival Plate and of course is now best known for her 2009 Grand National victory with Mon Mome.

Cheltenham Festival wins (5):

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual: 2000 Samakaan

Coral Cup: 2005 Idole First

Byrne Group: 2007 Idole First, 2009 Something Wells

Pertemps Final: 2009 Kayf Aramis