Broadway Boy Grand National Follow Up: Back to Health but Unlikely to Race Again

Close Up Eye of Dark Brown Horse

As ever, the 2025 edition of the Aintree Grand National captured the racing headlines last year. Nick Rockett stole the show in leading home a 1-2-3 for Willie Mullins, as the Closutton maestro added yet another feat to his incredible CV. However, much of the focus in the aftermath centred around two of the horses that didn’t make it to the finish line.

Eighteen of the 34 failed to complete the course: 13 were pulled up, three fell, one was brought down, and one unseated their rider. 16 of those runners were soon back on their feet, but the fate of Celebre d’Allen and Broadway Boy was not so clear.

Tragically, Celebre d’Allen died three days later – not as a direct result of his run in the National, but rather an infection picked up following the race. The sad fate of Celebre d’Allen only served to increase the focus on the well-being of the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Broadway Boy.

Happily, eight months on from the Aintree showpiece, the news emanating from the Twiston-Davies yard is positive. While unlikely to race again, Broadway Boy is happily enjoying life at his Naunton home. Here we look back on the career of a chaser who lit up the track with a series of boldly brilliant displays.

Talented Over Hurdles

Date Race Course Position
15/10/22 Novices’ Hurdle Market Rasen 2nd
15/11/22 Maiden Hurdle Lingfield 2nd
3/12/22 Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Aintree 1st
1/2/23 Handicap Hurdle Exeter 4th
22/3/23 Handicap Hurdle Haydock Unseated
29/3/23 Handicap Hurdle Market Rasen 1st
19/4/23 Handicap Hurdle Cheltenham 1st

By Malinas and out of a King’s Theatre mare, Broadway Boy boasts a rock-solid National Hunt pedigree. That appeal on paper saw Twiston-Davies Equine pay £22,000 on behalf of Dermot Proos at the 2021 Goffs UK Spring sale.

Making his debut as a four-year-old in 2022, the strapping bay finished second on his first two outings. His first win arrived on his third start at Aintree, with the step up to 3m½f inspiring an easy success by more than four lengths.

Having confirmed stamina as his strong suit, Broadway Boy was kept to staying handicap hurdles in his first season in open company. Following a win in a Class 4 event at Market Rasen, he posted a career-best effort to claim a hot handicap at Cheltenham in April 2023.

Even Better Over Fences

Date Race Course Position
29/9/23 Novices’ Chase Worcester 1st
28/10/23 Novices’ Chase Cheltenham 2nd
18/11/23 Novices’ Chase Cheltenham 1st
16/12/23 Handicap Chase Cheltenham 1st
13/1/24 Hampton Novices’ Chase Warwick 3rd
12/4/24 Mildmay Novices’ Chase Aintree 5th
26/10/24 Handicap Chase Cheltenham 3rd
30/11/24 Coral Gold Cup Newbury 2nd
1/1/25 Handicap Chase Cheltenham 4th
11/3/25 Ultima Handicap Chase Cheltenham Pulled-Up

While no slouch over hurdles, Broadway Boy was always expected to make a better chaser, and so it proved. Having reached a peak rating of 131 over hurdles, his bold, front-running style saw him climb as high as 150 over fences.

Showing an immediate aptitude for the greater jumping challenge, Broadway Boy bolted up by almost 10 lengths on chase debut at Worcester. His jumping wasn’t as fluent next time out in a novice event at Cheltenham, but he still ran respectably to finish second to two-time Stayers’ Hurdle champ Flooring Porter.

Returning to Prestbury Park for a Listed event in November 2023, he produced one of the standout performances of his career. Barring a blunder at the fourth last, Broadway Boy jumped and galloped his rivals into submission on his way to a 20-length triumph. Backing that up with a tenacious win in a Premier Handicap at the December Meeting, he shot towards the head of the market for the National Hunt Chase and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. That excellent effort proved to be the final win of his career.

Subsequently suffering a setback following a subpar effort in the Hampton Novices’ Chase, Broadway Boy ultimately missed his Cheltenham targets and rounded out 2023/24 with an error-strewn round of jumping in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices Chase at Aintree.

2025 Grand National

Barring a pulled-up outing in the Ultima Handicap Chase, Broadway Boy had enjoyed a solid season ahead of his tilt at the 2025 Aintree Grand National. Whilst without a win, his gutsy second to Kandoo Kid in the Coral Gold Cup was right up there with his best efforts.

Moving on to the big one, Broadway Boy was relatively unconsidered at odds of 66/1. However, the mount of Tom Bellamy looked like an interesting outsider, given his front-running style and the possibility of improvement on his first crack at more than four miles. Could he give Dermot Proos a dream result 35 years after Rinus carried his owner’s silks to a third-place finish in the National?

Once underway, Broadway Boy set out to make the running in trademark style. Grabbing the inside rail, he attacked the famous fences with relish and continued to lead well into the second circuit. Unfortunately, it only takes one mistake to end a Grand National challenge. For Broadway Boy, that error arrived at the 25th of 30 fences. Taking off a fraction too soon, he clipped the top of Valentine’s and crashed headfirst into the turf.

Still moving well at the time of his departure, we will never know how Broadway Boy would have fared had he stayed on his feet. However, the well-being of the horse was the only concern of connections following a heavy and worrying fall that left his rider with a broken wrist.

Overnight Stay at Aintree

Aintree’s veterinary team were quick to reach Broadway Boy and administered treatment at the track. Whilst shaken, the horse was able to walk on to the equine ambulance before spending the night at Aintree.

Keen to have their much-loved star back at home, connections were delighted when Broadway Boy returned to his Naunton yard on the Sunday following the big race. Speaking with a cast on his left wrist, Tom Bellamy stated at the time:

“I’m so happy Broadway Boy is heading home – I’ll take that over anything.”

A Home for Life in Naunton

Initially requiring 24-hour care, Broadway Boy has been lovingly supported in his recovery by all at the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard. Ever since the fall, connections have been keen to emphasise that the horse’s ability to race again is secondary to his overall well-being.

While back to his old self in most ways, October 2025 brought the news that we had almost certainly seen the last of this brave chaser at the racetrack. Giving an update on Broadway Boy’s health, Willy Twiston-Davies said:

“Broadway Boy is fine. He’s really happy out in the field and isn’t in training. There’s nothing wrong with him at all; he’s just not 100 per cent. It’s unlikely he’ll race again. The vet looks him over every week, and he trots up sound, but whether he can run again is another story.”

The assistant trainer then added:

“He’ll always have a home for life here.”

Broadway Boy won six of 18 career starts, earning over £200,000 for connections, and a place in the hearts of the racing public.