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Front Page | In Depth | Grand National
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Aintree course guide | |
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The tic-tac man |  |
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Runners & Riders | |
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Racecards explained | |
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Grand National facts | |
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21) Aintree was first set up as a flat racing course. After a victory there, the all time great flat jockey, Fred Archer, was presented with a silver pistol. Two years after his wife died giving birth in 1894, Fred tragically used the pistol to take his own life. He was 29. Fred's father, William, rode Little Charley to victory in the 1858 National and his nephew, Frederick, trained and co-owned 1925 winner Double Chance.
22) In 1900, Ambush II triumphed for the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII. Second the same year was Manifesto who had won in 1897 and 1899 and went on to run a record eight times in the race. Only once did he fail to finish and on only one other occasion, when he was 16, did Manifesto fail to make the frame. His incredible National record reads: 1895 - 4th, 1896 - did not finish due to a collision with another horse at the first fence, 1897- winner, 1898 didn't run due to injury, 1899 - winner, 1900 - 3rd (carrying 12 stones 13 lbs.) 1901 3rd, 1902 - 3rd, 1903 - 3rd, 1904 8th aged 16! 23) In 1904, New Zealand businessman, Spencer Gollan, sent his horse Moiffa off by sea to compete in the National on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, Moiffa's ship was shipwrecked and the horse was considered lost at sea before being found stranded on a small outcrop off the southern coast of Ireland. The horse was rescued, brought back to fitness and went on to win the 1904 National by eight lengths from Kirkland! 24) During the 1907 National, the relative novice, Eremon, was strongly fancied and went off at 8-1. His jockey Alfred Newey broke a stirrup leather at the first fence, but managed to hang on and was leading at the Canal Turn on the first circuit when the riderless horse, Rathvale, drew alongside Eremon and tried to bite and savage him! The hindrance continued for a whole circuit as Newey, riding on one stirrup, tried to scare Rathvale away with his whip. At Valentine's on the second circuit, Eremon finally drew clear of the loose horse and went on to win by six lengths! 25) A faller in the 1910 National, few pundits gave nine-year-old gelding Glenside a chance the following year, particularly as he was "broken-winded" and had only one eye! But torrential rain caused many horses to fall and on the second circuit only a few were left standing with Glenside well back. But when Caubeen and Rathnally collided into each other at the fence after Becher's, Glenside was left clear. He was expertly nursed home to win by 20 lengths by young jockey Jack Anthony from Rathnally, Shady Girl and Fool-Hardy, all of whom had been remounted. Anthony went on to become champion Jockey and won the 1915 National on Ally Sloper (owned by Lady Nelson, the first woman to own a National winner) the 1920 National on Troytown, was second on Old Tay Bridge in 1925 and 1926, and third the following year on Bright's Boy. 26) The 1927 National was the first to be broadcast on radio by the BBC. The winner was Sprig, bred by Captain Richard Pennington in 1917 while on leave from the trenches in the hope of one day riding him in the National. Tragically, Captain Pennington was killed shortly before the war ended. 27) In 1928, Easter Hero fell at the Canal Turn causing a pile-up which left just seven horses standing. Two fences from home, only three were left and Great Span looked like winning, but his saddle slipped! That left just two approaching the last, American champion Billy Barton and the unfancied Tipperary Tim. The former fell, leaving the 100-1 shot, Tipperary Tim, to win and complete the race alone. Billy Barton remounted and finished the race thus setting the record as the smallest number of horses ever to complete the race. 28) The most runners ever to take part in a National occurred in 1929 when 66 runners faced the starters! Gregalach won the race at 100-1. 29) In 1934, five-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, and arguably the greatest steeplechaser of all time, Golden Miller, won. But the legendary horse wasn't his true self at Aintree and never again completed the course. 30) In 1938, 17-year-old Bruce Hobbs became the youngest jockey ever to win the National. He was aboard Battleship, a tiny horse American owned and bred and sent over the Atlantic to be trained specially for the race by Hobbs's father, Reg. back to top |
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