Maori Venture

{{Short description|British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox racehorse

|horsename= Maori Venture

|image= 230px

|caption=

|sex= Gelding

|breed= Thoroughbred

|sire= St. Columbus

|grandsire= Saint Crespin

|dam= Moon Venture

|damsire= Eastern Venture

|foaled= 1976

|country= United Kingdom

|colour= Chestnut

|breeder= Dai Morgan

|owner= Jim Joel

|trainer= Andrew Turnell

|record=

|earnings=

|wins=

|awards=

|honours=

| race = Mandarin Handicap Chase (1984, 1987)
Grand National (1987)

|updated=

}}

Maori Venture (1976–2000) was a thoroughbred racehorse noted for winning the 1987 Grand National.{{cite web | url=http://www.pedigreequery.com/maori+venture|title=Maori Venture | publisher=www.pedigreequery.com | accessdate=13 September 2013}}{{cite web | url=http://www.grand-national.me.uk/2028/maori-venture/ | title=Maori Venture | date=13 March 2010 | publisher=www.grand-national.me.uk | accessdate=13 September 2013}}{{cite web | url=http://www.sporthorse-data.com/d?i=10556694 | title=Maori Venture | publisher=Sporthorse-data | accessdate=13 September 2013}} The horse was so-named because breeder Dai Morgan had played rugby in New Zealand, home to the Māori.

An eleven-year-old owned by Jim Joel, trained by Andrew Turnell he was stabled in East Hendred, Oxfordshire.{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19870406&id=SRA1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=sKULAAAAIBAJ&pg=2670,1197696 | title=Maori Venture's win is the crown in Joel's career | publisher=The Glasgow Herald | date=6 April 1987 | accessdate=13 September 2013}} He was ridden by Steve Knight. Carrying 10 st 13 lb, Maori Venture won the race by five lengths at a price of 28/1 and in a time of 9 min 19.3 s.{{cite web|title=Grand National winners and results|url=http://www.aintree.co.uk/pages/grand-national-winners/|publisher=www.aintree.co.uk|accessdate=13 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415003636/http://www.aintree.co.uk/pages/grand-national-winners/|archive-date=15 April 2012|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Grand National 1-2-3|url=http://www.grandnationalrecords.co.uk/grand-national-1-2-3.htm|accessdate=13 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526090625/http://www.grandnationalrecords.co.uk/grand-national-1-2-3.htm|archive-date=26 May 2013|url-status=dead}} It was both Maori Venture's first and last race in a Grand National.

At the time of the race, owner Jim Joel was aged 92 and had been trying to win the Grand National since 1957. Maori Venture was retired from racing immediately after the race and given to his rider in the Grand National, Steve Knight.{{cite web | url=http://www.richardhannonracing.co.uk/knight.htm | title=Steve Knight | publisher=Richard Hannon racing | accessdate=13 September 2013 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130818082955/http://richardhannonracing.co.uk/knight.htm | archivedate=18 August 2013 }}

Maori Venture died in 2000, aged 24.{{cite web | url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Maori+Venture+dies%3B+Grand+National+winner+fulfilled+a+lifelong...-a060964098 | title=Maori Venture dies; Grand National winner fulfilled a lifelong ambition for owner. | publisher=Racing Post | date=18 February 2000 | accessdate=13 September 2013}}