1. Horse Won Grand National And Gold Cup
2. Which Horse Won Grand National Today

The Grand National is perhaps the biggest and most famous horse race in the world. It attracts a global TV audience of around 500m and provides around nine minutes of thrilling entertainment and it is a spectacle like no other.

The huge field, the 30 fences (that remain testing despite modifications to improve safety), mammoth distance of more than four miles and two furlongs, and the often tricky going means that this race is perhaps harder to win than any other. Throw in a sapping and seemingly never ending run-in of almost 500 yards and it is clear that it takes a very special horse to triumph in this contest.

It is the most lucrative jumps race in Europe, with winning connections in 2019 taking home more than £560,000. This attracts a high class field and with 40 horses typically going to post, picking the winner is almost as tricky as actually winning the race. The first horse to ever claim glory in this uniquely gruelling contest was named Lottery and many feel that is hugely apposite given the seemingly random nature of predicting the winner.

Image source: Photo Finding a winning horse in the Grand National is one of the hardest tasks as a horse racing punter. This iconic National Hunt race is world-renowned for being one of the most grueling races on the planet, with 40 guaranteed runners and riders, 30 fences to negotiate, and a stiff test of stamina over four miles and two furlongs. The good news for the bookies is that no horse has ever won the Grand National with odds of longer than 100/1. That might change at some point in the future, of course, but it’s unlikely. Something to bear in mind if you tend to opt for the betting tactic of picking one short odds horse, one with middling odds and one outsider. Before 2016, Michael's only previous experience of the National was a hollow one - seven years ago his Irish National winner Hear The Echo collapsed near the Aintree finish and later died.

The questions is, has a horse ever managed to win the Grand National on more than one occasion? Can lightning strike twice and enable the same horse to somehow emerge unscathed through two laps of Aintree and cross the finishing post before the other 39 valiant contenders on more than one occasion?

Horses That Have Won the Grand National More Than Once (Since 1839)

Well, to answer the titular question of this article quite simply: yes, there are horses that have tasted victory in Aintree’s showpiece more than once. Before we list all of the official multiple winners, it is worth noting that whilst Lottery is the first horse to win the Grand National proper, in 1839, there were races that took place prior to that which held, for a time at least, the same moniker.

Somewhat confusingly, that name was not the Grand National but the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase. The race we know as the Grand National was not called that until 1849 and it is believed that at some time within the next 25 years the pre-1839 versions of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase were effectively stripped of their status as “Grand Nationals”, for reasons that history has neglected to make completely clear.

Anyway, the reason we are talking about this confusing nomenclature is that before Lottery wrote his name in the National’s record books, we arguably had our first two-time winner of the race. The Duke won in 1836 and 1837, ridden by a certain Martin William Becher, Becher being both instrumental in establishing the race and also subsequently having one of its most famous obstacles named in his honour (Becher’s Brook, obstacle six and 22 in the current National layout).

Whether we choose to count The Duke or not, there are a number of other horses who have officially won the Grand National more than once:

So, as we can see, there have been seven horses, excluding The Duke, who have managed to defy the odds to win this incredibly difficult race more than once. Let’s look a little more closely at some of their stories.

Red Rum: 1973, 1974 & 1977

Red Rum is undoubtedly the greatest horse in the history of the Grand National and that isn’t just because he is the only horse to win it three times. Red Rum was a horse the public adored and he was trained by Ginger McCain, one of the truly great trainers in National Hunt history, who also saddled Amberleigh House, the 2004 winner. Red Rum’s victories really captured the public’s imagination and his enduring success in this race made fans come to view him almost like part of the family.

Many of Red Rum’s career stats are hard to believe and one of the most impressive is the fact that he never fell in 100 races. The fact he even contested 100 races is mightily impressive, especially considering the gruelling contests in which he typically took part. But there is no escaping the fact that it was his performances in the Grand National that really make him stand out and not just his record three victories. His full record in the world’s greatest steeplechase reads:

• 1st in 1973 – comes from 30 lengths down to win in a new record time
• 1st in 1974 – wins carrying 12st
• 2nd in 1975 – beaten favourite as L’Escargot wins by 15 lengths
• 2nd in 1976 – McCain stated many years after the race that jockey Tommy Stack made a tactical error that may have cost Red Rum the race (to Rag Trade)
• 1st in 1977 – won at the age of 12 carrying top weight

If the Grand National is a lottery then Red Rum must have been the luckiest horse to ever stride around a racecourse. Of course, the alternative view is that a horse with three wins and two seconds to his name in this particular race is quite simply the greatest Grand National horse we have ever seen and that we are likely to ever see.

Many consider his coming-from-behind victory in 1973 as one of the greatest performances ever in the race. His third win, when the public more or less willed him over the line, was voted the 22nd best sporting moment in UK history in 2002 (although some would question the merit of a poll that voted beating Germany 5-1 in a World Cup qualifying game ahead of beating them in a World Cup final!).

Tiger Roll: 2018 & 2019

The obvious horse to look at next is Tiger Roll, winner of the Grand National in 2019 and 2018 and bidding for the hat-trick in 2020. No horse has ever won three in a row but this mightily impressive Irish gelding is a clear favourite in the ante post betting.

A son of Authorised, he is well bred and with Gordon Elliott training him for Gigginstown House Stud, and Davy Russell his jockey for the Grand National, he has everything in his favour. Well, almost everything. Tiger Roll was given joint top weight for the 2020 race and owner Michael O’Leary had previously stated that he was very unlikely to enter his horse if the handicapper treated him in such a way.

Tiger Roll is a marvellous horse but the 2020 Grand National is going to be one of the classiest ever, with BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood saying “The race is full of top-class individuals and boasts the winners of races such as the Grand National, Irish National, Welsh National, Rowland Meyrick Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup and much more. It is as good a staying handicap as would be run anywhere. You could argue that it is the highest quality Grand National in modern history.”

In November, prior to the weights being announced, O’Leary said, “I know it makes for a great story, that it would be wonderful if he won three Grand Nationals in a row, but wouldn’t it be terrible if he died lumping a huge weight around Aintree? I care more about looking after the horse and I am not killing him. I’m not soft and accept it happens, but I have a wife and children who are in love with this horse and I am not risking him to lump a humongous weight.”

The current plan is for the 10 year old to head to the Cheltenham Festival to try and win the Cross Country Chase, just as he did in 2018 and 2019. O’Leary initially said that he may well retire if he completes that particular hat-trick but Tiger Roll is just so impressive that the pull of going for the Aintree hat-trick was always likely to prove too strong.

That seems to be the case now, with Michael’s brother Eddie O’Leary recently saying, “We still feel he’s on a very unfair handicap mark but so be it. It’s unfair to deny him a chance to go for history. If he comes through Navan and Cheltenham and all’s well, then we’ll run.” He finished a very solid fifth at Navan following a 316 day break, so on to the Festival he heads!

The way in which Tiger Roll has won many of his races suggests he could well land the hat-trick. He seemed to float round both Cheltenham and Aintree and never at any stage looked in danger of either clipping a fence, getting into trouble or coming into contact with another horse. That’s a remarkable feat given the nature of the Cross Country and the National and, in common with Red Rum, Tiger Roll has never fallen.

No matter what happens in April 2020, Tiger Roll’s place in Grand National history is assured. He won at 10/1 in 2018 and as the stonking 4/1 favourite last year. Currently priced at around the 5/1 mark, despite the 11-10 weight he’ll be saddled with, he may well be backed in to 4/1. Can he thrill punters once again and make history? Time will tell…

Manifesto: 1897 & 1899

Manifesto landed the Grand National in 1897 and 1899 so it is safe to say that nobody alive today has seen him race. There are very few beyond hard core racing fans who would have ever even heard of him but this dual winner is well worth a closer look.

Things didn’t start too well for the attractive bay as he fell in his first race in 1892 but he made steady improvements and as a seven year old entered the 1895 Grand National. He finished a very credible fourth, behind winner Wild Man Of Borneo, but didn’t fair quite as well 12 months on when falling at the very first race.

Undeterred, connections changed trainer and sent him to the 1897 race where he was sent off with 11-3 on his back but as the 6/1 favourite. He delivered the goods, beating Filbert by a huge 20 lengths to land his first Grand National.

A year later injury forced him to miss the chance to defend his crown but in 1899, despite giving at least a whole stone to the entire field, he won once again. That victory was a remarkable achievement and, with 12 and a half stone to lump around Aintree, arguably is up there with anything Red Rum, or any other horse, managed in this unique race. Sent off at 5/1 he won by a commanding five lengths despite some hairy moments along the way.

The new millennium saw Manifesto return to Aintree, once again carrying top weight as he bid to become the first ever horse to win the race thrice. At the age of 12 his burden proved too much but he finished third, with just Barsac and winner Ambush II ahead of him.

He missed the race the next year but came back in 1902 at the age of 14, once again carrying a huge weight. Once again he defied that and his advancing years to finish third, an achievement even more impressive considering the heavy ground and the two and a half stones conceded to winner Shannon Lass.

Do you think this section on Manifesto is ever going to end? Like the horse, it keeps going. He finished third yet again in 1903 and, amazingly, returned in 1904 at the ripe old age of 16. Once again he was forced to carry more than 12 stone, which seems strange, but he got round and finished eighth in his last ever Grand National.

His record of eight Grand Nationals is one that may never be bettered, with two wins, three thirds and a fourth also an incredible achievement. Red Rum and, if he lands the hat-trick, Tiger Roll, are likely to be the horses most remembered, but Manifesto may well be the best of them all.

2020

The 2020 Grand National was cancelled due to Covid 19.

2019

The first 6 home including Not only the first back-To-back winner since Red Rum In 1974 but the highest-placed mare since 18 years further back than that, plus the title holder before Tiger Roll, winners Of the Becher And Bobbyjo And no less than the Gold Cup runner-up; it wasn't the lung-bursting affair it normally is, with nothing haring off and so many still going by the time the field had to squeeze around the dolled-off fence that had been the first, double figures still there with some hope as they turned in before stamina and sheer ability did finally begin to tell, a wide route as well as hold-up rides not paying dividends.

2018

There were plenty Of thrills And spills, whilst Aintree's infamous long run-in conjured up a late twist with the rarity of a photo-finish, as a Gordon Elliott horse just edged out one trained by his great rival Willie Mullins in a finish dominated by Irish yards; the pace was a decent one given the conditions, with both jumping and stamina fully tested, so it's perhaps a surprise that 5 of the first 6 home were tackling this unique course for the first time; as usual, nothing got into from the back.

2017

As ever, the Grand National threw up a few hard-luck stories - notably that Of second favourite Definitely Red - but this still appeals As solid form, With victory going To the least exposed horse In the line-up And the frame completed by 3 well-handicapped runners; the pace wasn't an end-to-end one, with the field bunching around halfway after a brief dip in tempo, and it reflects very well on One For Arthur that he could come from so far back - still not in first 20 jumping the second Canal Turn - when one considers that every other runner who raced in the final third of the field never landed a blow; meanwhile, the modified fences again caused relatively few problems, with the average number of finishers in 4 renewals since their introduction now standing at 18, though it's worth noting that the first 3 home all had previous experience over the National course.

2016

An emblematic Grand National, confirmation If any were needed Of the effectiveness Of the much-discussed recent modifications To start position, size Of fences And overall distance, stamina And jumping still tested Like In no other race In the calendar yet With an uplifting subplot Of all 39 participants living To fight another day; the later off time resulted In the track taking more rain than it would have done In a more customary afternoon slot, more pulling up than falling/unseating As conditions took a toll, With 5 Of the first 6 home Irish-trained, As 3 Of the first 4 had been the last time the race was run On ground this testing In 2006; the early pace steadied On the final circuit, And around half the finishers still had a chance entering the straight, the first 3, all from contrasting backgrounds but no less relishing the examination, going clear between the last 2.

2015

A good-quality renewal Of the Grand National, With a healthy share Of highly-rated horses And well-handicapped runners who'd done well since the weights were announced, so it was fitting that the winner posted the highest Timeform rating since the era of triple winner Red Rum in the 1970s - indeed, Many Clouds looks better placed than most during the past 41 years to emulate that Aintree legend as a back-to-back winner, particularly as he was 5 lb well-in here and is likely to receive similar leniency from the BHA handicapper next year due to his dubious policy of compressing the top of the National weights nowadays; it was a well-run affair, with the field quite well strung out before halfway, and the majority of jumping casualties occurred on the first circuit, though the most significant fall came 5 out, where The Druids Nephew departed when seemingly going best at the head of affairs.

2014

Arguably Not the strongest renewal Of the Grand National, With most towards the head Of the weights failing To complete, whilst there was a higher percentage Of non-stayers than usual; that said, Each Of the first 3 came into the race at the top Of their game following successful campaigns, whilst the pace was a sound one And resulted In a slightly quicker time than In 2013 under similar conditions; As For the often-derided New modified fences, there were enough spills here - plus In Friday's Topham - to suggest they still represent a significantly different test to a conventional track, though it could be argued that the winner and third survived blunders on the first circuit that neither would have got away with in the past; no amount of modifications can seem to prevent a shambolic false start, though, which resulted in a rumpus afterwards involving 39 of the jockeys - minus Battle Group's pilot Brendan Powell - refusing to hear the stewards' verdict on the matter.

2013

A surprise winner will no doubt be used As evidence that the Grand National deserves its tag As a 'lottery' by once-a-year punters but, In truth, this result makes plenty Of sense, With Each Of the first 5 home amongst the best-handicapped runners In the field - albeit, both Auroras Encore And Oscar Time had been out Of form On recent starts; the modified fences claimed fewer fallers than usual but still provided a stern test Of jumping which plenty failed To adapt To, whilst stamina was fully tested too thanks To a sound pace On watered ground - indeed, the time was some 5 seconds slower than the 2012 renewal (On good ground) despite a half-furlong shorter trip this time around; despite the sound gallop, it didn't pay to try and come from too far back, as is so often the case around here when the going isn't bottomless.

2012

As thrilling And significant a Grand National As one would expect, providing a terrific spectacle In pure racing terms, Neptune Collonges getting up On the line To prevail by a nose In the tightest ever finish To a National, And his bare performance To defy a mark Of 157 was the best by a winner Of the race In Timeform history (likes Of Suny Bay And Crisp ran To higher figures In defeat); there was plenty Of competition For the lead, Swing Bill, Giles Cross, Planet Of Sound And Shakalakaboomboom all In front at different points On the first circuit, making For a well-run affair And a gruelling test (13 Of the field had departed by the first Canal Turn, the eighth), And For the third year running the time was fast; it's rare for this race to pass without controversy, however, and 2012's National will unfortunately be remembered for some of the wrong reasons as well, most notably 2 fatalities that included last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised; he'd unshipped his rider and run loose going to post, raising questions as to whether he should even have lined up (the vet did pass him fit), whilst the bypassing of the fence before Becher's on the second circuit again rather exposed the injury-element to the wider public it was actually directly due an injured jockey in this instance; modifications made to the fourth fence which had caused problems last year appeared to have worked, with no casualties there, though due to subsequent events the success of the recent alterations to Becher's will doubtless be questioned; the start of the race also came under scrutiny, the field called back after the first attempt and taking some organising again, the race eventually starting almost 10 minutes after the scheduled off time; the starting routine isn't the same as it was for the void National in 1993, but a fuller review of the procedure surely is in order now, with a measure as simple as ensuring the field line up at a fixed point further behind the tape likely to reduce significantly the risk of false starts.

2011

A memorable renewal Of the Grand National, For both the right And wrong reasons; from a racing viewpoint, the form Is well up To the standard Of recent renewals, With last year's winner Don't Push It running to a similar level in finishing third this time around, whilst the combination of a sound pace and drying ground resulted in the third fastest time in this race's long history, behind course-record holder Mr Frisk (1990) and Rough Quest (1996); there was an unwanted piece of history too as fences (the twentieth and second Becher's) were omitted on the second circuit for the first ever time due to fatal falls suffered by Ornais and Dooney's Gate early on, those run-off areas having only been added in 2009 following concerns raised by problems moving the seriously-injured Mick Fitzgerald 12 months earlier in fairness to Aintree, those run-offs worked well in both instances here, though their usage did rather highlight the 2 fatalities to the wider public, which prompted some unwanted coverage in the Sunday papers; from a safety angle, the fourth fence probably does need looking at as no less than 12 horses (including Ornais) departed there in just 3 races at this year's meeting.

2010

A memorable renewal Of the Grand National, With record-breaking champion jockey A. P. McCoy Finally ending his drought In this great race, an achievement that rather mirrored Sir Gordon Richards' much-celebrated win on Pinza in the 1953 Derby towards the end of his riding career; the race itself was a terrific spectacle, too, with pacesetters Conna Castle and Black Apalachi ensuring it was run at a much stronger gallop than for the last 2 renewals (fastest time since 1996); as is often the case with well-run races over these fences, it paid to race handily and previous course experience proved an asset, too, as jumping ability was tested to the full Don't Push It may have been tackling these fences for the first time, but 9 of the 13 other finishers had all completed the course at least once previously.

2009

A shock result, With Mon Mome equalling the biggest SP To win this great race And becoming the first 100/1 winner since Foinavon's success in that freak 1967 renewal Mon Mome didn't need the aid of a mid-race pile-up for his victory and, despite his unflattering odds, actually had a very good chance at the weights on the pick of his form earlier in the season; that said, whilst his performance can be easily explained away, the proximity of several other outsiders notably Cerium and Arteea is much harder to fathom and there must be a chance that this will prove muddling form due to a fairly stop-start gallop, with the runners eventually setting off from a standing start after 2 aborted attempts when the runners had been cantering to the tape (both false starts should probably be blamed on the jockeys rather than the starter); indeed, the pace rather resembled that of a cross-country chase in the second half of the race, particularly after pacesetters Black Apalachi and Silver Birch had departed at second Becher's there were no less than 16 runners still tightly grouped in contention on the home turn, which is an extremely rare sight in the National.

2008

A good renewal Of the Grand National, With Comply Or Die putting up one Of the better winning performances Of this decade In terms Of form, whilst Irish trainers maintained their excellent recent record In the race by saddling the Next 3 home; good ground And a slightly less hectic pace than Is often the Case (things certainly seemed To steady around halfway) contributed To an above-average number Of finishers And it also arguably reduced the effect Of previous course experience, With most Of the well-handicapped runners coming To the fore; that said, jockeys who regularly Do well over these fences largely did so again, notably Messrs Murphy, Carberry And Geraghty.

2007

The move In 2002 by the BHB To compress the weights For the Grand National has had a really positive effect On both the quality And competitiveness Of it, this year's race attracting 4 horses that have reached the frame in a Gold Cup, whilst all 40 runners were in the handicap proper for the third successive year; despite the leniency afforded to the top weights, the first 5 all carried 10-8 or less; the recent Irish stranglehold continued, with Silver Birch their sixth winner in 9 years, and he was also the fourth in 10 runnings to have already won a major National, in his case the Welsh version; the emphasis wasn't so much on stamina as is sometimes the case with the ground good, and 8 still held a chance crossing the Melling Road for the final time.

2006

Measures To attract better-quality runners For the Grand National have certainly altered the complexion Of the field In recent years, With all 40 runners here comfortably In the handicap proper indeed there were no less than 8 Grade 1 winners In the line-up, whilst the 2 most recent National heroes Amberleigh House And Hedgehunter were joined by winners Of the Welsh, Scottish And Irish versions, plus the last 2 winners Of the Betfred Gold Cup; Not all Of those are the force they were, but it was still a memorable race, With a searching early gallop (which resulted In 5 first-fence casualties) placing the emphasis far more back On stamina, And jumping, than In several recent contests over these fences (including 2005 National); the result was yet another triumph For the Irish, who had 3 Of the first 4 home, Numbersixvalverde notching up a fifth Grand National win In 8 years For his country a trend which Is all the more significant When one considers there were no Irish-trained winners between 1975 And 1999.

2005

A maximum field Of 40 For the most valuable race Of the NH season, With 3 previous winners In the line-up As well As the second And third from 2004 (In all 16 had previous experience Of the fences); although Grey Abbey, First Gold And Sir Rembrandt were late absentees, there were still 2 Of the first 4 In the Gold Cup In the line-up And all 40 are Or were capable Of at least useful form, so In theory this was a good-quality Grand National, yet beforehand plenty Of the runners were either In questionable form, far from certain To stay Or doubtful jumpers, And whether it was quite the vintage race it might seem Is open To doubt indeed, the problem might be the level Of prize money coupled With the BHB handicapper's desire to treat leniently the better horses is encouraging connections of frankly unsuitable horses to aim them here in the hope of getting round and sneaking a prominent finishing position or better if things fall their way; unusually all 40 runners were off their allotted mark, not one carrying less than 10-5; in contrast to the 2004 renewal, which was run at an overly strong pace, the tempo was much steadier, which resulted in three-quarters of the field still standing after a circuit and more than half completing, barely 4 lengths covering no fewer than 11 in contention crossing the Melling Road, after 3 out; it would be unwise to go overboard about the form (the likelihood is only one or 2 behind the third have run to within 10 lb of their best) and though Hedgehunter won easily, it's worth remembering with next year in mind that so did Lord Gyllene and Monty's Pass; Hedgehunter continued Ireland's recent good record in the race, being the fourth Irish-trained winner in the last 7 years.

2004

Not by any means a vintage Grand National, with very few runners Of Gold Cup Class despite the massive prize money And lenient handicapping (Harbour Pilot And First Gold were possible runners who failed To take the Option); it wasn't overly competitive either, with several leading contenders dropping out shortly before the race (notably Timbera and Rince Ri) and 5 getting a run from out of the handicap after a full line-up in the weights had seemed likely; there weren't many who looked notably well handicapped or progressive and those that did, by and large, failed to get round; a pile-up largely caused by a loose horse claimed nearly a quarter of the field at first Becher's which further reduced the competitive nature of the race; the so-called Aintree factor has generally been a negative one in recent years, with handicap marks suffering for good efforts in previous years, but of the 11 that completed here no fewer than 8 had either figured prominently in this race previously or completed in other races over the fences; the pace was a strong one and the survivors were well strung out by halfway, with the second, third and Hedgehunter clear by second Becher's; only the winner was able to close the gap, whilst of those that failed to get round, probably only Le Coudray's performance can be viewed that favourably with regard to next year's race.

2003

A race billed As the most competitive And high-quality National Of all time (the latter a ridiculous claim) turned out To be a strangely-muted affair, With only 4 In With any chance from after the second Canal Turn; though a sleight Of hand by the BHB handicapper (artificially lowering the marks Of the top weights) meant all but 4 were In the handicap And the ever-increasing value Of the race allows the connections Of only the very best Not To consider running (it's hard to imagine Best Mate even being entered however much prize money is on offer) those that had contested the Gold Cup or had missed the race to run here all failed to fire, some badly so, and even though the course was unusually toothless on the first circuit, with 31 going out into the country a second time and only 6 falling or unseating, the sustained watering meant that in a truly-run race not many were travelling even at that stage; while there has to be sympathy with the course due to the unusually dry spring, there's little doubt the watering had an adverse effect in some cases, particularly in well-run races which became too much of a slog a long way from home (the Sefton and the bumper were other notable examples); as those remaining tired, there were more departures on the second circuit, but of those that went only Ad Hoc and Killusty were travelling well enough to think they might have got into the shake-up and both were still some way off the pace when they went.

2002

A really competitive And good-quality Grand National On paper, With the top weights Not far Short Of Gold Cup standard And the fortieth horse only 2 lb out Of the handicap; this was In part facilitated by the rather dubious move On the part Of the BHB handicapper To compress the weights, effectively favouring the better horses In order To encourage them To run; Florida Pearl was still an entry until the 48-hour stage While notable absentees included the sidelined Welsh National winner Supreme Glory, the recent Cheltenham winner Frenchman's Creek (aiming at what was the Whitbread) and the out-of-sorts 2000 winner Papillon as well as a few who were prominent in the ante-post market but failed to make the cut, Gunner Welburn, Moor Lane and Amberleigh House among them; while a case could be made for all 3 it's hard to see what system would be fairer than the present one of allowing the 40 highest-rated entries run though more stringent vetting at the entry stage would be desirable; relatively fast conditions looked likely to give the doubtful stayers more chance than they usually have but the race didn't turn out quite as competitive as might have been expected with the number of casualties a fair bit higher than anticipated under the conditions; not for the first time in recent years, the first proved the hardest fence to negotiate, a quarter of the field (including Smarty) effectively out of the contest there; the other crucial fence was 4 out where 4 departed, including Davids Lad and Ad Hoc who were both still going well at the time; the leaders probably went a bit faster than ideal on the first circuit but overall the pace was sound.

2001

Just When National Hunt racing needed an epic Grand National To restore an appearance Of normality To the season, instead Of Ben Hur it got Carry On Cleo, though without the laughs; For this was, arguably, Not only a farce a third Of the field had their race ended by interference from loose horses but a potential Public relations disaster narrowly avoided; that no horses Or riders were seriously injured was a matter Of good fortune, though it shouldn't be forgotten that there is always this risk in the National; despite the understandable pressure not to postpone, there have to be doubts as to whether the race should have taken place on ground that was even more testing than when Earth Summit won in 1998 and Miinnehoma in 1994, and it was probably for the good that only 2 were effectively in the race in the last 1¼m as they were able to go much steadier than they might otherwise have done there were no tired horses, flat out to keep up, struggling with the fences by that stage; 4 finishers was the fewest since 1980, though the race this most resembled was the 1928 renewal when only Tipperary Tim completed without mishap after a similar pile-up at the Canal Turn as occured here; even beforehand this looked very far from a vintage National with in-form chasers with the required stamina or jumping skills very thin on the ground; as a form guide this is of very little use, the most interesting performances coming from Beau and Blowing Wind; the riders heeded instructions to go steadily and there wasn't the usual charge to the first.

2000

An unusual Grand National With the top weight running off a mark Of 155 which meant that no fewer than 33 Of the 40 runners were racing off their correct handicap marks; this gave the race a more open look than Is often the Case And made For a terrific spectacle With plenty Of the field getting into contention at various stages; despite quite a large number Of fallers there were no major injuries reported And the only real hard-luck story among those To complete was that Of Bobbyjo who was badly hampered at second Becher's; of the fallers Buck Rogers was the most likely to have played a part in the finish judged on how he was going when he fell at the Canal Turn; 5 went at the first, all pulling hard and most racing prominently, and the pace possibly as a consequence was a sound rather than a strong one.

1999

In terms Of quality this On paper was a good Grand National, with the 1998 winner Earth Summit And runner-up Suny Bay joined by the winners that year Of the Irish, Welsh And Scottish Nationals And the Whitbread As well As previous winners Of the Hennessy And Irish National; the 1999 Gold Cup form was represented by the fourth And fifth Double Thriller And Addington Boy; there were notable absentees who would have been prominent In the betting had they Not been injured (principally Cyfor Malta And Teeton Mill) Or Not entered (Young Kenny) but even though the weights were headed by one Of the highest-rated chasers In training there were still 14 horses In the handicap; 7 Of them failed To Get round (half the non-finishers) And another 5 clearly failed To give their running but the other pair who finished third And fourth must have run somewhere near their best And the form looks pretty straightforward To interpret; the high number Of finishers showed once again that On good going at least the race isn't too demanding a test of jumping; of the 11 falls or unseats (including one remount) 7 came at Becher's, 5 second time round, and another was hampered; the pace was sound though as in previous races over the course this week it wasn't the overstrong pace that it sometimes is early on.

1998

The most gruelling race For the Grand National In living memory, the time more than 32 seconds above the slowest previous one For the race since the war, Quare Times' in '55; on the two other occasions in the last twenty years when heavy ground has prevailed (it was soft in Little Polveir's year in our view rather than the official heavy) there have been very few finishers, four out of thirty in Ben Nevis' year and six out of thirty-six in Miinnehoma's, and only six got round this time, one of those remounted to do so; there were three fatalities, all before Becher's first time, so it's hard to blame the conditions for that regrettably high figure; in terms of quality the race was also perceived as somewhat lacking though there were this season's Hennessy and Welsh National winners as well as the runners-up in the King George and Irish Hennessy and the '96 National winner Rough Quest; as usual the better runners came to the fore, the only two in the handicap (of which there were just seven) to get round finishing a distance clear of anything else; all those to complete deserve praise and creditable mentions should also go to Greenhil Tare Away and Ciel de Brion, who were prominent for so long and still in contention when departing in the closing stages, and Brave Highlander, who was going as well as any when unseating at the second Canal Turn.

1997

A Grand National which will be Long remembered For the disruption caused by a bomb warning which led To the race being run two days late; it looked a race Short On quality compared To some recent runnings, the top conditions race form represented only by Go Ballistic, the Gold Cup fourth, And by the seemingly waning force Of Master Oats, who was conceding 15 lb Or more all around And whose presence meant that all but eight Of the remaining thirty-six runners (only three Of which had contested the race last year) were out Of the handicap; the race seldom disappoints, however, And an Aintree horse Of rare talent emerged In the shape Of Lord Gyllene, who dominated the race In a way which can seldom have been matched; As usual, those unable To hold a good position from the off struggled To make an impression And those In Or close To the handicap dominated (only a couple more than 1 lb out Of the weights, Northern Hide And Valiant Warrior, were a factor from halfway, although Camelot Knight stayed On from well back For third); the standard Of jumping was mixed, though some poor jumpers got round, only one going over the first six fences And only three On the final circuit though sadly there were two fatalities, Straight Talk And Smith's Band; the pace was as ever a good one.

Horse Won Grand National And Gold Cup

1996

Which Horse Won Grand National Today

A smaller field than usual And a shortage Of good-quality runners (only nine raced off their proper mark) made this seem one Of the weakest Grand Nationals Of recent seasons; however, unlike last year, the better horses In general gave their running And With the fences seemingly claiming fewer victims than ever (the main problems On the course these days Is going too fast at the first) it was probably a stronger race than it first looked; As ever the pace seemed sound, And, With the ground good, the thorough stayers got outpaced somewhere between the Canal Turn And the Melling Road.