Horse with Number 4 Race Cloth
by: Racing EditorPosted on:

Jamie Brace Bounces Back to End Stephen Allen’s 31-Year Wait for a Winner

It is unusual to see a headline emerge from a low-key summer jumping meeting on a Thursday evening. However, those tuning into the action from Worcester on 17th July witnessed a remarkable result in the 2m7f chase on the card.

Offering £3,247.81 to winning connections, the Class 5 eventmasters.co.uk 40th Anniversary Handicap Chase didn’t stand out on the eight-race card beforehand. By the time the runners crossed the finish line, we had a tale of a jockey returning from a broken back, a horse without a win in over two years, and a trainer who hadn’t tasted success under rules since 1994.

The Jockey: Jamie Brace

Initially starting out on the flat in 2017, Jamie Brace has ridden extensively in the point-to-point sphere. Now eight years into his riding career, he has plenty of experience, but his progress under rules has been slow.

Failing to reach double figures in each of his first five seasons, Brace enjoyed a breakout 2024/25 campaign, with 17 winners from 87 rides, representing a near 20% strike rate and handing his backers a healthy £14.70 profit to £1 level stakes.

While successful overall, 2024/25 ended on a low note for the rider. Lining up aboard the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained High Treason in a Novice Handicap Chase at Perth on 25 April, Brace took a heavy fall when unseated at the eighth fence. Subsequent scans revealed two broken vertebrae in his back, resulting in an extensive spell on the sidelines.

Initially expected to require an operation, Brace recovered far quicker than anticipated – so much so that the rider was ready to return to the saddle in under three months. That comeback outing came in his only ride on the Thursday evening card at Worcester.

The Horse: Grillon De Monty

Eye of Dark Brown Horse in Shadows

Formerly based in France, Grillon De Monty won three on the spin for Patrice Chemin back in 2021. That promise saw the Crillon gelding snapped up by Clarke Ohrstrom and sent to the high-flying Dan Skelton yard in November 2022. In five outings for the Warwickshire handler, it’s fair to say he didn’t deliver all that may have been hoped for. Winning only once – a Class 4 event at Huntingdon in April 2023 – he joined his new trainer, Stephen Allen, in December 2024.

Those hoping a change in surroundings may spark an upturn in fortunes received little encouragement. Before his Worcester engagement, Grillon De Monty’s form figures for Allen read PP5P426.

The Trainer: Stephen Allen

If two years is a long time for a horse to wait for a win, what must 31 years feel like for a trainer? One man who can answer that question is 70-year-old handler Stephen Allen. Best known for his exploits in the Point-to-Point sphere, Allen last picked up a win under rules when Blue Danube landed the Vale of Evesham Hunters Chase at Cheltenham in May 1994.

There were few, if any, signs of that hiatus coming to an end during the 2024/25 campaign. From 21 runners under rules, Allen had only a solitary third-place finish to his name. On the plus side, 2025/26 had started more encouragingly, with two of his first eight runners filling the runners-up position. Could Allen finally be ready to go one better?

The Race: Grillon Too Good

Combining the above ingredients didn’t create a convincing case for Grillon De Monty ahead of his Worcester assignment. However, against all expectations, this formerly talented sort chose this opportunity to display a glimpse of his old sparkle.

Held up in the early stage, Brace allowed his mount to move into contention as the runners passed the winning post for the first time. Hitting the front six fences from home, it soon became clear that Grillon De Monty travelled much the best. Forging clear in the straight, he moved four lengths clear on the run-in before scoring by an eased down half-length.

An unexpected success, but one which delighted all concerned, with Brace stating in the aftermath: “The win brought a tear to Stephen’s eye. I promised him after the injury that I’d ride him a winner, and I’ve done that now. He was absolutely over the moon.”