Grand National History

History

Although Lottery in 1839 was long recognised as the first winner, the inaugural Great Liverpool Steeplechase actually took place three years earlier, when The Duke emerged triumphant. William Lynn had set the wheels in motion for a racecourse at Aintree in the late 1820's, and sought to create a showpiece race that would settle on the name of The Grand National Handicap Steeplechase in 1847. This year's running will be the 167th renewal of a race that has survived world wars, pile-ups, false starts and bomb threats.

Famous races

1836 - The Duke
The first running took place on a Monday in February, and second favourite The Duke beat nine rivals under Captain Martin Becher. Three years later the Captain would be thrown from his mount Conrad, and took refuge in the brook that today bears his name. The Duke came back twelve months later and won again.

1839 - Lottery
The first 'official' winner landed the race by a cosy three lengths. Such was his superiority the stewards loaded him with weight in future renewals; soon all horses would run under a handicap.

1843 - Vanguard
Jockey Tom Olliver was so fond of the mount that gave him his second triumph, he requested a taxidermist use the hide to create a sofa, into which he could collapse after a hard days drinking.

1853 - Peter Simple
Ten years later and Tom was back for a third victory. Peter Simple had also won before, and four years later he emerged victorious at the remarkable age of fifteen, a record that will certainly never be broken.

1871 - The Lamb
One of only two grey winners (the other being Nicolaus Silver in 1961), The Lamb had won the race in 1868, before contracting a wasting disease that greatly reduced his already-small frame. Incredibly, he won the 1871 renewal on his first start back.

1908 - Rubio
The owner of Californian-bred Rubio decided the best cure for his horses' bad legs would be pulling a bus between a Towcester Inn and the station for three years. Sure enough, this toughened him up, and the four and a half miles round Aintree would have seemed like a sprint when he hacked up at 66/1.

1934 - Golden Miller
The five-time Gold Cup winner was never as fond of Aintree as Cheltenham, but still managed to break the course record en route to victory in 1934, completing a big race double that may greats have tried, and failed, to emulate.

1938 - Battleship
The smallest ever winner (15 1/2 hands), ridden by the youngest ever jockey (17yo Bruce Hobbs), Battleship had been sent from America by his owners, and as the last entire to win, duly returned across the Atlantic for a less strenuous life servicing mares.

1956 - ESB
The most dramatic finish in race history took place as the Queen Mother's horse Devon Loch inexplicably sprawled onto the turf 50 yards from the finishing post with the race at his mercy. Jockey Dick Francis's subsequent fiction could never surpass the drama of events that day.

1967 - Foinavon
Perhaps the most famous of all renewals, a pile-up at the 23rd fence stopped virtually every horse in their tracks. Cue 100/1 rank outsider Foinavon, who dodged the mayhem and lasted home before his remounted rivals could catch up.

1973 - Red Rum
The 1973 National was all about Australian import Crisp, who had won the two mile Queen Mother Champion Chase and set about defying a 12-7 weight burden. Jumping like a stag, he was 20 lengths ahead at half way, but his stamina faltered and was mugged yards before the line by Red Rum, who was carrying 24lbs less.

1977 - Red Rum
'Rummie' won again in 1974 off top weight, and with a pair of second places in the following years it looked as though his chance to win an unprecedented third had gone. However, in his fifth National, at the age of twelve, he won by 25 lengths, striding forever into the consciousness of a nation.

1981 - Aldaniti
A horse who spent his entire career plagued by injuries teamed up with a jockey battling testicular cancer, and the triumph of Aldaniti and Bob Champion was enough to make Hollywood come calling, with the film 'Champions'.