COMPLY OR DIE
b g Old Vic - Madam Madcap (Furry Glen) 11-11-05
Form: 11214/1211F2P6/4P//0P211/P002-00
Owner: David Johnson
Trainer: David Pipe
Breeder: Martin Dibbs
Originally trained by David’s father Martin, Comply Or Die posted an easy victory on his racecourse debut in a novices’ hurdle at Chepstow in October, 2003. After another comfortable win in a similar event, Comply Or Die stepped up to Graded company and followed a good second in the Grade Two Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow with a convincing three-length victory in the Grade Two Tripleprint Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in December, 2003.
A good first season finished with a sound fourth behind Fundamentalist in the Grade One Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, 2004. Having started his chasing career with a victory at Bangor and a second behind Ollie Magern at Cheltenham, Comply Or Die took the spoils in the Grade Two Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Wincanton in November, 2004.
He returned to the Cheltenham Festival in March, 2005, finishing second to Trabolgan in the Grade One RSA Chase, before being pulled up in the Scottish Grand National the following month. He finished the 2004/05 season with a creditable sixth in the Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown. He began his second season chasing with a good fourth, again behind Trabolgan, in the Grade Three Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. Comply Or Die’s season was cut short after suffering a setback in the Coral Welsh National, and it was nearly two years before he saw a racecourse again. Lining up in a handicap chase at Cheltenham in October, 2007, Comply Or Die lacked race sharpness and finished a weary 16th. The gelding also disappointed on his next run when pulled up in the Grade Three Servo Computers Services Trophy Handicap Chase at Cheltenham the following month.
The application of blinkers produced a better display in the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase at Haydock in December, and Comply Or Die ran his best race for some time when finishing second behind Cloudy Lane. Racing over a marathon extended four miles in the totesport Eider Chase at Newcastle in February, Comply Or Die showed that he would have the stamina necessary for the John Smith’s Grand National with a brilliant eight-length victory, despite being burdened with top-weight.
Then sent off 7/1 joint favourite for the world’s greatest chase at Aintree, Comply Or Die produced a near faultless display of jumping under regular pilot Timmy Murphy, taking the lead at the penultimate fence before staying on after the elbow to record a four-length victory over Irish raider King Johns Castle. The 2008/09 season began with another crack at the Servo Computers Services Trophy Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in November but he produced a lacklustre display without the blinkers and was pulled up. Comply Or Die returned to the Cotswold course the following month for the Listed Boylepoker.com Handicap Chase but, racing again without headgear, he finished a distant 11th behind subsequent National winner Mon Mome.
The blinkers returned for Comply Or Die’s final run prior to last year’s John Smith’s Grand National at the Cheltenham Festival on March 10, when he produced his best performance of the campaign to be seventh behind Wichita Lineman in the William Hill Trophy Chase.
The return to Aintree duly transformed Comply Or Die as he beat all bar Mon Mome, going down by 12 lengths. This season he has run twice, finishing down the field in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham in November and 13th in the William Hill Handicap Chase at the same course on March 16.
Race Record: Starts: 26; Wins: 8; 2nd: 5; 3rd: 0; Win & Place Prize Money: £798,005
David Johnson: David Johnson’s is a self-made entrepreneur. A docker’s son, born in 1944, from the East End of London, he began working at the Midland Bank in East Ham for £9 a week aged 16 and soon set up in the moneylending business. In 2001 he sold his company J & J Securities, which employed 1,000 people, for £216 million and is now CEO of Commercial First, which he set up in the autumn of 2002. A trip to Newmarket races in the mid 1980s resulted in an introduction to trainer Robert Williams and the purchase of a share in the two-year-old Mister Majestic, who went on to win the 1986 Group One Middle Park Stakes.
Despite his colours being the reverse of the late Robert Sangster’s, he concentrates on jumpers and had his first victory over hurdles when Beebob scored at Chepstow in November, 1992, the start of a highly successful partnership with 15-time champion National Hunt trainer Martin Pipe (now retired). His horses were generally bought in France, including Arkle Chase winners Or Royal (1997) and Champleve (1998) and Cyfor Malta, winner of the Topham Chase as well as the Paddy Power Gold Cup (twice) and Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham. In latter years he has bought horses from Ireland including a large team from Tom Costello, such as the chasers Our Vic, Therealbandit and Celestial Gold, winner of the 2004 Paddy Power and Hennessy Gold Cups. Johnson finished the 1997/8 campaign as the leading owner over jumps, took the title again in 2001/2 when collecting over £725,000 in prize money, in 2002/3 with over £917,000, in 2003/4 when his earnings topped £924,000 and in 2004/5 with over £1.77 million.
Comply Or Die’s victory in the 2008 John Smith’s Grand National helped Johnson secure a sixth leading owner title, with over £1.4 million in prize money for that season. Johnson is a keen punter, admitting he frequently bets in five figures, and has enjoyed 13 successes at the Cheltenham Festival, including a brace in this year - Great Endeavour and Poker De Sivola. He lives in Hornchurch, Essex, with wife Shirley and has two children - Stephen and Lisa.
John Smith’s Grand National Record (since 1980): 1998 Challenger Du Luc (Fell 1st); 1999 Eudipe (Fell 22nd), Tamarindo (Fell 6th); 2002 Iris Bleu (Fell 5th); 2003 Iris Bleu (PU bef 16th); 2004 Lord Atterbury (3rd), Jurancon II (Fell 4th), Montreal (Fell 6th); 2005 It Takes Time (4th), Lord Atterbury (Fell 1st); 2006 Therealbandit (PU Bef 27th), It Takes Time (PU Bef 29th); 2007 Celtic Son (PU bef 22nd); 2008 COMPLY OR DIE (WON), Vodka Bleu (PU bef 19th); 2009 Comply Or Die (2nd)
David Pipe: Born on February 7, 1973, David Pipe is the son of 15-time champion jump trainer Martin Pipe. He started out riding in point-to-points in 1992, going on to record 22 wins in his career over the next five seasons, plus two under Rules, which included victory aboard Bonanza Boy in the Ludlow Gold Cup. After finishing as a rider, he had spells with Michael Dickinson in the US, Criquette Head-Maarek in France and Joey Ramsden in South Africa, before setting up as a point-to-point trainer, handling the likes of Horus, Lord Atterbury and Celestial Gold, who went on to have successful careers under Rules when transferred to his father’s yard.
Based at Purchas Farm, a mile away from his father’s Pond House, he sent out 164 point-to-point winners over six seasons, with Well Armed successful 15 times. He took over the reins at Pond House in Somerset following the retirement of his father on the last day of the 2005/6 jump season - Saturday, April 29. Pipe Jnr made the best possible start to his training career under Rules when getting on the scoresheet with his first runner, Standin Obligation, in a three mile and one furlong novice chase at Kelso on May 9, 2006. Our Vic landed the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October, 2006, on his seasonal return to provide him with his first big success. In his initial season, David sent out 134 winners, with star filly Gaspara providing a memorable double in the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown and the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival three days later.
Those achievements were surpassed in the 2007/2008 season with Comply Or Die's John Smith's Grand National victory augmented by the fantastic triumphs of stable stalwart Our Vic in Aintree's Grade Two totesport Bowl, in which he defeated the mighty Kauto Star, and in the Grade One Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Further big-race successes in the 2007/08 season came courtesy of Tamarinbleu who gained both the Boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December and Ascot's Victor Chandler Chase the following month. David completed a brace of wins at the Cheltenham Festival in 2008 with An Accordion prevailing in the William Hill Trophy alongside Our Vic's Ryanair Chase triumph, while Ashkazar captured the Imperial Cup at Sandown and old favourite Lough Derg carried off the Grade One BGC Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. The trainer ended his second season with 100 winners and almost £2.5 million in prize money to his name, placing him second behind Paul Nicholls in the trainers' championship.
Last season, David consolidated his position as one of the country's leading trainers, with Madison Du Berlais' victories in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and the Levy Board Chase at Kempton being the highlights, while the current season has seen further success at the Cheltenham Festival, with two winners (Buena Vista & Great Endeavour) plus the Grade Two victories of Our Vic, Seven Is My Number and Mamlook.
John Smith’s Grand National Record: 2007 Puntal (8th), Celtic Son (PU bef 22nd); 2008 COMPLY OR DIE (WON), Madison Du Berlais (Fell 8th), Vodka Bleu (PU bef 19th), Joaaci (Fell 20th); 2009 Comply Or Die (2nd), Arteea (10th)
