The Grand National – a short history
Official racing first began at Aintree in 1829, set up by the owner of Liverpool’s Waterloo Hotel, Mr William Lynn who leased the land from Lord Sefton, laid out a course, built a grandstand and held the first flat fixture on July 7th.
There is much debate over the first official Grand National race held. The consensus is that it was in 1836, won by a horse called The Duke. The same horse won again in 1837, while in 1838 a horse called Sir William triumphed.
For three years during World War I while Aintree racecourse was closed, an alternative race was run at what was then Gatwick Racecourse and is now Gatwick Airport. The first, in 1916 was called the Racecourse Association Steeplechase and in the next two years became the War National Steeplechase. These race results are not always considered true Grand Nationals and they are often omitted from winners’ lists.
1923 saw the first American bred horse, Sergeant Murphy win the Grand National and in 1938, American bred Battleship became the first (and only horse so far) to win the Grand National and the American Grand National (won four years earlier). The jockey was 17 year old Bruce Hobbs, still the race’s youngest ever winning rider.
Red Rum was by far the most successful Grand National horse, winning three times in 1973, 1974 and in 1977. He was pipped at the post and came in second in 1975 and 1976.
The fictional account of a young girl training for the National by Enid Bagnold was made into a film, National Velvet starring the young Elizabeth Taylor. The 1981 Grand National and its winning jockey Bob Champion was also dramatised in the film, Champions.
1993 saw the result of the race declared void after a series of incidents at the start of the race meant the starting tape failed to rise correctly and a false start was declared. 30 of the 39 runners started to race and although Course Officials tried to stop them after one circuit by waving red flags at them at The Chair, several jockeys raced on as they thought they were protestors.
Peter Scudamore stopped only because he saw his trainer frantically waving at him. Seven horses completed the entire 4.5 miles course, forcing a void result. The ‘winning’ horse was Esha Ness, trained by Jenny Pitman and ridden by John White.
The Saturday meeting had to be abandoned in 1997 following two coded bomb threats reportedly from the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Some 60,000 people had to be evacuated as the course was made secure by police. The race was run on the Monday but 20,000 people were stranded over the weekend with cars and coaches locked in the course and pushing Liverpool’s hotels and accommodation to the limits.
Some say it is the race’s history itself that makes this event so very special as we try to learn from the past to pick future National winners. Others think that this, unlike any other horse race is something of a lottery. Thousands of people who never otherwise bet enjoy a flutter on the famous Grand National.
