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The first race was held in 1839, but it started in inauspicious circumstances, two hours late after confusion over weighing procedures. The 5-1 favourite Lottery came home first.
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Becher's Brook earned its name when a top jockey, Captain Martin Becher, took shelter in the brook after being unseated. "Water tastes disgusting without the benefits of whisky" he reflected. |
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Tom Olliver is the most experienced jockey in the history of the National - despite spending time behind bars in a debtor's prison. He took part in a record 18 races - winning three.
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Abd-El-Kader was the first horse to win back-to-back Nationals, in 1950 and 1951. The Colonel, (1869 & 1870), Reynoldstown (1935 & 1936) and Red Rum (1973 & 1974) have also retained the crown.
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AINTREE COURSE GUIDE
