The trainer of Grand National winner Corach Rambler got a special congratulations from the horse’s most famous fan – Abba singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
The star recently had lunch with Lucinda Russell, partner Peter Scudamore and the horse's syndicate of seven owners.
After Corach Rambler, who coasted through the Aintree showpiece to beat Vanillier by two and a quarter lengths, received a hero’s welcome at his stable yesterday, Scudamore revealed how the Abba star was fascinated by the horse.
"We have some lovely owners and we had lunch with them one day and they said 'we have a guest coming' and Frida (Anni-Frid Lyngstad) from Abba turned up.
"She was just the most beautiful person, as a human not just in her beauty itself. Unbelievable, just so kind. I felt really humbled. She was kind enough to ask me about horses and stuff.
"We were driving up the motorway yesterday and the phone went 'ping' and it was the owners, she'd said tell Scu and Lucinda 'well done'.
"After the lunch we had said, who is the most famous person we had ever met and we couldn't come up with anyone more famous - the Queen, well that didn't count I don't think.
"That is the Grand National. We live in this bubble of racing that doesn't really step outside but that makes you realise, Frida from Abba - as big as it gets!"
Scores of people were on hand to welcome Corach Rambler and Apple Away, a Grade One winner on Friday, back to Russell's Arlary House Stables, in Milnathort, north of Edinburgh.
Russell said: "It is just amazing. We were coming up the M6 last night... what Corach does is very important to us because we know him so well and you just wonder whether other people feel the same way.
"It was just amazing driving in today, the number of cars and people and the support he has.
"I know he was favourite in the race the but it is just lovely, how important he is to the community, not just the racing community.
"It is pretty overwhelming I have to say."
Russell admitted she did not see much of the race itself having been overcome with emotion.
"I didn't really see very much of it because I was crying so much," she said.
"I wasn't sure he was going to be able to lie up with the pace, but Derek managed to bounce him up quite handy,
"I wasn't sure he would take to the fences, he hadn't jumped round there before and he jumped the first two or three and I wasn't sure.
"But he jumped Becher's Brook and suddenly he was like 'I love this' and you could see his body shape and stuff and after that he just loved it and I thought we had a right chance."
The race itself was delayed by around 15 minutes due to a group of animal rights activists, and Russell feels education is the way forward if the two sides can ever sit around a table.
"I have always said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion," said Russell.
"I would like them to be a little bit more educated in their opinion.
"If they could come and see the horses, understand that we are doing everything that we can. We can't reduce risk to zero, you just can't.
"I get that some people don't like racing, that is fine, but I would like them to come and see how well they are looked after."
