Its the Grand National meet in April 3rd to 5th.
A few things about the Grand National;
The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt horse race in the United Kingdom. It is the biggest betting race in the United Kingdom, and is popular amongst many people who do not normally watch or bet on horse racing at other times of the year. It is also one of the most controversial, due to the high profile given to injuries and fatalities suffered by the participating horses. Despite providing the highest levels of veterinary care of any race on Earth it has consequently been targeted by animal rights groups who have campaigned to have it banned. One rider has also died as a result of injuries sustained in the race.
History
There is much debate among historians regarding the first official race held and most who have trawled the newspaper libraries of the United Kingdom now prefer the idea that the first running was in 1836 and was won by The Duke. This same horse triumphed again in 1837, while Sir William was the winner in 1838. These races have long been disregarded because of the belief that the 1837 & 1838 runnings took place at Maghull and not Aintree. In the last twenty years, several race historians have unearthed indisputable evidence that these three races were all run over the same course at Aintree and were regarded as having been Grand Nationals up until the mid 1860s. To date though, their calls for the Nationals of 1836-38 to be restored to the record books have been ignored. The first Grand National at Aintree was in 1839 and was won by the aptly named horse, Lottery.
For three years during World War I, while Aintree racecourse was closed, an alternative race was run at Gatwick Racecourse, on the site of the present Gatwick Airport. The first of these races, in 1916, was called the Racecourse Association Steeplechase, and in the following two years the race was known as the War National Steeplechase. The races at Gatwick are not always recognised as "Grand Nationals," however, and their results are often omitted from winners' lists.
During the 1950's the Grand National was dominated by Vincent O'Brien who trained the winner of the race for three consecutive years between 1953 and 1955. Early Mist won the race in 1953 with Royal Tan winning in 1954 and the hat-trick of victories for the Irish trainer was completed by Quare Times in 1955 Aintree Grand National.
The 1967 running was won by rank outsider Foinavon, ridden by Johnny Buckingham, after a melee at the 23rd fence when two loose horses pulled up in front of the field, caused the many others to stop or refuse. Foinavon was running so far behind that Buckingham managed to avoid the incident and scrape round ahead of 17 remounted horses, coming home at odds of 100/1.
By far the most successful horse in Grand National history was Red Rum, the only horse to win three times, in 1973, 1974, and in 1977. He also came in second in the two intervening years, 1975 and 1976.
In 1993, the result of the race was declared void after a series of incidents at the start meant the starting tape failed to rise correctly, causing several horses and jockeys to be caught up in it. A false start was declared, but lack of communication between course officials meant that 30 out of the 39 jockeys did not realise this and started to race. Course officials tried to stop the horses by waving red flags next to The Chair at the end of the first circuit. However, many jockeys thought that these people were protesters and so continued to race. Peter Scudamore stopped only because he saw his usual trainer Martin Pipe waving frantically at him. Seven horses ran the course in its entirety, forcing a void result. The first past the post of the horses that ran was Esha Ness, ridden by John White and trained by Jenny Pitman.
In 1997, the Saturday meeting was abandoned after two coded bomb threats were received, reportedly from the Provisional Irish Republican Army. 60,000 spectators, jockeys, race personnel and local residents were evacuated, and the course was secured by police. The race was eventually run on the Monday, with the meeting organisers offering free admission. Some 20,000 people were left stranded over the weekend, with cars and coaches locked in the course. With limited accommodation in the city and surrounding areas, local residents opened their doors and took in many of those stranded.
May and I used to live by the Grand National, in 1977, we opened are doors and let a few people stay, they where very lucky, because most times we get away for the National.
Records from Grand Nationals run at Aintree since 1839.
Most successful horse - Red Rum, 3 wins (1973, 1974, 1977), 2 second places (1975, 1976)
Most successful jockey - George Stevens, 5 wins (1856, 1863, 1864, 1869, 1870)
Most successful trainer - Fred Rimell (1956, 1961, 1970, 1976), Ginger McCain (1973, 1974, 1977, 2004), 4 wins each *
Fastest winning time - 8m 47.8s, Mr Frisk (1990)
Oldest winning horse - Peter Simple, aged 15 (1853)
Youngest winning horse - Alcibiade (1865), Regal (1876), Austerlitz (1877), Empress (1880), Lutteur III (1909), all aged 5
Oldest winning jockey - Dick Saunders, aged 48 (1982)
Youngest winning jockey - Bruce Hobbs, aged 17 (1938)
Longest odds winner - Tipperary Tim (1928), Gregalach (1929), Caughoo (1947), Foinavon (1967), all 100/1
Largest field - 66 runners (1929)
Smallest field - 10 runners (1883)
Most horses to finish - 23 (1984)
Fewest horses to finish - 2 (1928)
Notes
1836 - The Duke won the inaugural Great Liverpool Steeplechase at Aintree which would be later renamed the Grand National.
1900 - The winning horse Ambush II was owned by the Prince of Wales - the future King Edward VII.
1905 - Kirkland, based in Pembrokeshire, is the only winner to be trained in Wales.
1923 - Sergeant Murphy became the first American-bred horse to win the Grand National.
1926 - Willie Watkinson recorded the first riding success for Australia. Sadly the Tasmanian born rider was killed at Bogside in Scotland less than three weeks later.
1927 - The first BBC radio commentary of the race, by Meyrick Good and George Allison.
1934 - The only horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season - Golden Miller.
1938 - The American-bred Battleship, son of the famous Man o' War, became the first (and so far only) horse to have won both the Grand National and the American Grand National (won four years earlier).
1956 - Devon Loch, owned by the Queen Mother and ridden by Dick Francis, was in the lead and certain to win when he inexplicably leapt and unseated the jockey on the run-in, 50 yards (45 metres) from the finish, giving victory to E.S.B.
1960 - The race was televised for the first time. Since then it has always been shown by the BBC.
1961 - The most recent grey horse to win the race - Nicolaus Silver. The only previous grey to win was The Lamb (1868 and 1871).
1962 - Wyndburgh finished runner-up for the third time, but was never to win the race.
1967 - A pile up at the 23rd fence held up many horses in the race, allowing 100-1 outsider, Foinavon, to win.
1968 - The favourite for the race Different Class was owned by actor Gregory Peck.
1975 - The second Cheltenham Gold Cup winner to win the Grand National - L'Escargot.
1977 - The first female jockey rode in the race. Charlotte Brew rode 200-1 shot Barony Fort, who refused at the fourth fence from home.
1979 - Rubstic, based in Roxburghshire, was the first winner to be trained in Scotland.
1981 - Bob Champion, who had been diagnosed with cancer and told he only had months to live in 1979, was the winning jockey on Aldaniti, who had almost been retired because of leg trouble. A film was made of their story entitled Champions.
1982 - The first female jockey to complete the race - Geraldine Rees, finished 8th (last) on 66-1 outsider Cheers.
1983 - The first woman to train the winner - Jenny Pitman, with Corbiere.
1990 - Jockey Chris Grant came second in the race for the third time (previous years were 1986 and 1988).
1991 - The race was won by a horse called Seagram - coincidentally the race was sponsored at the time by the company Seagram. The company had previous chances to buy the horse.
1992 - Party Politics won the race just five days before the 1992 UK General Election. Carl Llewellyn got his winning ride only because the horse's regular jockey Andrew Adams was injured. In 1998 he got another winning ride, this time because of an injury to that horse's regular jockey Tom Jenks.
1994 - The winning horse Miinnehoma was owned by the comedian Freddie Starr.
1997 - The delayed race (rescheduled 48 hours later after a suspected IRA bomb threat) was the last of 50 Nationals (including the void race of 1993) to be commentated on by Peter O'Sullevan.
2001 - Richard Guest's winning ride on Red Marauder subsequently won the Lester Award for "Jump Ride of the Year".
2005 - The race was moved back by 25 minutes owing to the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.
The current 6/1 favourite with Aintree’s official betting partner, the Tote, is Cloudy Lane, the winner of his last three starts for trainer Donald McCain - whose father Ginger won the John Smith’s Grand National four times, most famously with Red Rum (1973, 1974 and 1977).
Is anybody going to the National;
Will you be watching it on TV;
Does anybody have any tips.
« Last Edit: Apr 04, 2008 12:07:18 am by redkenny »
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