THE GRAND NATIONAL
The first Grand National took place in 1839 over a somewhat different course to the one we see today. The Grand National horses were required to jump a stone wall, run across a ploughed field and then over two hurdles. The first Grand National winner was aptly named Lottery!
The Mildmay course on which the Grand National is now run was opened in 1953 at the same time as the motor racing circuit which you can see around the outside of the course. Aintree is where Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix.
Grand National history hit its lowest point in 1975 with the smallest ever Aintree attendance. Seeing that the Grand National was in danger of being lost forever, Ladbrokes stepped in to save the race and keep the spectacle alive. I wonder if they regretted this in 2005 when heavily backed favourite Hedgehunter won The John Smiths Grand National and reportedly cost the betting industry £000’s!
Seagram injected much needed money into the Grand National through sponsorship between 1984 and 1991 when the last Seagram Grand National was fittingly won by a horse called Seagram.
Red Rum is undoubtedly the most famous of Grand National horses having won the 1973, 1974 and 1977 races as well as finishing runner up in 1975 and 1976. Red Rum remains the only horse in Grand National history to have won the race three times and after his death in 1995, at the age of 30, was buried near the winning post on the Grand National course.
In late 1979, Bob Champion, the successful jockey, was told that he had cancer and only months to live. Shortly earlier Aldaniti had almost been retired because of his leg trouble. Against all the odds, Champion and Aldaniti combined to win the 1981 Grand National. Bob Champion made a full recovery and, with the help of Aldaniti, raised £millions for cancer research. The story inspired the 1983 film Champions.
The 1956 Grand National was lost by Devon Loch after collapsing just 50 yards from the line in a thrilling finish. An experience for jockey Dick Francis which led him to writing many other thrillers!
Carl Llewellyn has the best record of current riders, having won the Grand National twice, on Party Politics in 1992 and Earth Summit in 1998.
In 1982 Geraldine Rees on Cheers became the first female jockey to complete the Grand National course.
Famous Grand National trainers Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell have both trained four winners. Red Rum was a three time winner for McCain who returned to the winners enclosure two decades later when Amberleigh House won the 2004 race.
Captain Tim Forster entered the Grand National history books when joining the Grand National trainers with three winners (Well To Do 1972, Ben Nevis 1980 and Last Suspect 1985).
Jenny Pitman was the first Lady in Grand National history to train a winner with Corbiere in 1983. Jenny then saddled the 1991 runner up Garrison Svannah before training the “winner” of the 1993 void race, Esha Ness. But in 1995 she finally won her second Grand National with Royal Athlete. Son Mark, who rode her 1991 runner up Garrison Savannah, has now taken over at the yard where he will be hoping to train many more Grand National horses.
