With the forthcoming Grand National starting to loom large in peopleâs minds, here are some personal memories and views from the past fifty years- and âcategoriesâ to highlight them. Please comment and add your own favourites. Best/Easiest Winners. Red Rum. His weight carrying performances in â74 and â77 underlined his class round Aintree. Itâs nothing short of unbelievable that an ex-selling plater on the flat could show form over the big Aintree fences stones ahead of anything he managed elsewhere. Gay Trip. All the National winners that Fred Rimell had but stable jockey Terry Biddlecombe rode none of them. Injury robbed him of the ride on Gay Trip in 1970, but Pat Taaffe showed how the race should be ridden. Experts said that a 2.5 miler could never win the race, but Taaffe âpunted him roundâ on the first circuit- and then hacked up at the finish. Closest Finishes. Jay Jump and Freddie in 1965. Many people felt Freddie was a âlay downâ after some tremendous performances, including a staying on second to Arkle in The Hennessy. However, American Maryland Hunt Cup winner, Jay Trump, had been specially sent over for the race and, in a desperate finish all the way from the last, he would not be denied. I always felt that Freddie may have won if heâd got the inside line on the rails around the elbow. Both horses would have won most Grand Nationals, in my opinion. Ayala and Carrickbeg in 1963. Poor John Lawrence (Lord Oaksey). He led everywhere but the last stride! Lucky Teasy-Weasy Raymond- he would win it again later with Rag Trade. Unluckiest Losers. Crisp in 1973. I always felt that Pitman gave Crisp a bad ride. Spectacular though it looked, why try and gallop the opposition into the ground when youâre carrying top weight over a gruelling 4.5 miles? If heâd been ridden like Gay Trip in 1970, he would have hacked up. Sandy Sprite in 1971. Although another 2.5 miler, Specify, defied the experts, Sandy Sprite was desperately unlucky not to emulate Nickel Coin as a winning mare. She was going great guns in front when she broke down at the elbow. I then thought I was on a winner with Black Secret, but John Cook produced a speedy finish to head him close home. Alverton in 1979. I backed Scottish trained Rubstic that year and I knew that the only chance he had was if Gold Cup winner, Alverton, fell at Becherâs on the second circuit (which he did). Jonjo OâNeillâs mount was clear and absolutely cantering. Destiny decreed that Jonjo would never win the race, and Rubstic stayed on well to beat Zongalero. Honey End in 1967. You had to feel that, apart from the âFoinavon fiasco,â Honey End would have comfortably won the race. He made up a tremendous amount of ground before tiring late on. Best Ride In The Race. Apart from Pat Taaffeâs ride on Gay Trip, Mick Fitzgerald rode a great race on Rough Quest in 1996. I admit Iâm biased because I backed the winner. After finishing second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup behind Imperial Call, he looked âthrown inâ with only 10st 7lbs at Aintree- despite the short gap between races. Fitzy made up his ground steadily and took it up at the elbow, justifying favouritism. Funniest Moment. 1967. During the pile-up in Foinavonâs year, Stan Mellor fell and remounted to start and chase the winner. After jumping two more fences, he realised he had remounted the wrong horse and pulled it up! In hindsight, it would have been even funnier if he had carried on- and maybe won!
1975 - The family were at home and decided to put 5p on the table. Only rule was if your horse came in the first 4 you got the money Big brother selected Money Market Mum selected Spanish Steps Little brother selected Red Rum I selected L'Escargot Have to say I was slightly put out when eveyone got their 5p back. Always wished we had paid a visit to the bookies with our selections!
[video=youtube;9FBUjadDoSY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FBUjadDoSY[/video] Pure guts and bravery. And I was on
I always used to watch the race as a kid but can't remember many of them these days ................. Aldaniti was one I remember quite vividly. I only really started betting in the race in the early 90s and remember backing Just So at big odds e/w in 1994 after a couple of days of torrential rain, and him getting done on the run-in by the Pipe horse Miinnehoma under an inspired Richard Dunwoody. It was the same year that the wonderful Fiddlers Pike and his trainer / rider Rosemary Henderson finished 5th. Great story. I also remember Party Politics well because I organised an office sweep and drew Party Politics myself, landing me about 40 quid. I didn't back the bloody thing though After my move to Germany in 94 I lost touch with racing for a while (no coverage on t'internet in them days) and I think the next time I watched the race was 2005 when I backed the winner for the first time, Hedgehunter. A fairly comprehensive victory as I recall. A couple of years later I had my best ever touch on the National when I landed a tasty bet on Comply Or Die. I remember watching him win the Eider Chase and thought at the time he must have a great chance in the national. After carrying 11-12 in the Eider he ran off the same mark in the National off 10-9 and I was very confident on him. He was given a peach of a ride by Timmy Murphy and was definitely a horse where the euphamism "stays all day" was appropriate. But winning the national finished his career - the handicapper put him up 15lbs to 154 and, although he chased home Mon Mome 12 months later, he finished 88 lengths behind Don't Push It off 151 and was retired after pulling up behind Ballabriggs off 144 last year.
Grew up in the Red Rum era but took an interest from the mid 80s and somehow my pin managed to find Corbiere, Hallo Dandy and Last Suspect (sorry about the after timing I know it is frowned upon on here!!). Unfortunately my magic pin lost it's mojo after that and it was many long years before Bindaree came up trumps - stag do in Tenner rif raf, a packed pub, a decidely dodgy bookie sat at one of the tables whom I suspect would have legged it if one of the favourites had obliged. Can't remember what year but Bounce Back carried my money on one occasion, not very far as he fell very early on. When the re-run was shown I noted that he fell twice more before calling it a day. That must be some kind of record.
So many memories. I remember being too young to bet and choosing Corbiere in 1983, my Brother went and put the bets on and came back sick as a parrot with my winnings having lost himself. 1994 stands out for me - rain made the ground desperate and perfect for Just So for who 4m 4f wasn't far enough, he needed a serious test of stamina and was cruising 2 out but the classy Minnehoma (who had won an RSA Chase two years earlier) kept pulling out more - think I backed Just So at 66s and he ended up around 20s. The non race of a year earlier was probably a low point - how several horses manage to complete the course without being told of the false start is beyond me, a real low point for racing. I remember backing Durham Edition a few days before the race with the ground soft, then a mini heatwave turned the ground firm and Mr Frisk beat him ! I also remember 3 of the first four in Rhyme N Reason's win, picking up more money than I'd ever won before then getting horribly drunk buying friends beers all night and ending up down on the day The Monday night National was unique, so many people showed up and made it a real event.
Great thread Tam...couple of decent shouts on your patent today btw. I remember Alverton,just about.Think I was only about 8 when he won the CGC against my all time favourite chaser Tied Cottage who crumpled at the last when in with every chance.Believe my racing annual showed snow flakes on that day. I know you know this Tam,but does anyone else know that Alverton fell that year at one point and was remounted to win. On what racecouse? Also,what was the only year since that it snowed during the CGC? For the real anoraks,can anyone remember the name of the novice that ran a cracker that year and finished fourth under Hywel Davis. Btw..I love The Pilgarlic..the National was never the same without him!
Thanks, Dex. Tied Cottage.....my oh my! I was in hospital on the day he won the race, and my wife couldn't visit me because she was working. I worried all morning how I could get a bet on him- I fancied him for my life. I never did manage to back him and felt sick when he ran away with it, only to be disqualified later for traces of an illegal "nothing substance." My bad luck turned even worse when I went to the toilet...I'd told the nurse that the silly old bugger in the next bed was NOT incontinent- every time he piddled on the floor, he never wet his pyjamas. Just after the Gold Cup, I opened the toilet door and slid on all his faeces (he'd done it all over the floor). What an absolute mess, and the old guy never stopped laughing all day! "I know you know this Tam,but does anyone else know that Alverton fell that year at one point and was remounted to win." Dex, it rings a bell, but I can't remember the incident. Where was it? Regarding snow during the Gold Cup, I think it fell when Dessie beat Yahoo in '89- although it had certainly rained because I remember Yahoo kicking up the mud. He looked all over the winner and the only one who was handling the conditions. If he'd kept away from Dessie, he would probably have won. "can anyone remember the name of the novice that ran a cracker that year and finished fourth under Hywel Davis." Dex, which year do you mean? Anyhow, I'll have a guess...either Pegwell Bay or Drumadowney (possibly the latter).
Tam...S**t obviously does happen! Cracking answer re Drumadowney...spot on...Didn't think anyone would get that one. Alverton fell and was remounted to win at Stockton...now closed.
