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The Grand National
• 12 Apr 2007 •
 THE world’s greatest annual steeplechase takes place at Aintree on Saturday and millions of Britons all over the world will be glued to their televisions. No other sporting event divides public opinion as much as the Grand National, with the animal rights activists on one side and the racing fraternity on the other. Various changes have been made over the years including making the fences easier and raising the height of the landing side.
The first Grand National was run at Maghull in 1836 and was won by “The Duke”, however the first Aintree National was run in 1839 and the winner was the aptly named “Lottery”. That was also the year when Captain Becher fell from the leader “Conrad” into the brook, giving the name “Bechers Brook” to one of the world’s most famous obstacles.
The most famous winner and without a doubt the most popular, was the great “Red Rum”, who now lies by the winning post at Aintree after his death in 1995. Red Rum won his first national in 1973 setting a record of nine minutes, 1.9 seconds which stood for 16 years.
He then subsequently won again in 1974 and 1977, with these victories being divided by two second places.
Although the Grand National does not have the class of horse which the Cheltenham Gold cup does, it still is seen by many as the jewel in the crown of any career in national hunt racing. The great and the good have had mixed fortunes in their attempts to win this four and half mile marathon. None more so than her Majesty the Queen Mother, when in 1956 her horse “Devon Loch” who having the race at his mercy leapt into the air 50 yards from the line and unseated the future best selling novelist Dick Francis. Many arguments have ensued over the years as to why Devon Loch jumped and it remains a mystery to this day. This may be the reason that Dick Francis became a novelist, but unlike his stories, this mystery has never been solved.
Probably the most heart-warming victory was when Aldaniti, ridden by Bob Champion, was the victor. What made this such an emotional moment was that the jockey had been told that he had terminal cancer, and only had months to live. Bob Champion, like most in the national hunt game, was made of stern stuff and managed to make a full recovery. What made the story even more remarkable was that the owner was told that the horse should be retired due to leg problems. The horse proved to be as stubborn and resolute as his jockey and the partnership proved too strong for all opposition that year.
What is continually astounding about the Grand National is that every year throws up another story like the aforementioned. More books have been dedicated to the events surrounding the Grand National than any other horse race. What is for sure is that it’s still an almost impossible task to pick the winner, but we all love trying, so good luck. |  Return to Top
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