The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap steeplechase over an official distance of about 4 miles and 2½ furlongs, with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps.
The event has had some amazing races since 1839, so we’ve tried to narrow that down to just 5 here at DragonBet.
1956 – Devon Loch
He was home. He was dry. Well, almost. The most famous lost race in horse racing occurred when Devon Loch – five lengths clear and nearing the winning post – suddenly jumped an imaginary fence and fell to earth, for no apparent reason whatsoever.
The horse was owned by the Queen Mother and ridden by Dick Francis, who went on to write crime novels.
But nothing he authored ever matched the strangeness of that afternoon he fell with the race at his mercy. Was the horse spooked by the crowd, a shadow, a muscle spasm?
No-one knows for sure, but everyone knows that any big lead suddenly lost in whatever sport is now described as “doing a Devon Loch”.
1973 – Red Rum
The Australian chaser, Crisp, was so far ahead, the other jockeys needed binoculars to see what fence he was jumping.
He was 30 lengths clear at one point, and 15 ahead when he took the final fence. A young Red Rum, ridden by Brian Fletcher, had him in his sights, though, and ate up the ground as Crisp tired.
Two strides from the winning post, Red Rum got his nose in front to provide the ultimate hare-and-the-tortoise story on racing’s biggest day – and the Grand National’s greatest legend began.
1981 – Aldaniti and Bob Champion
Both horse and jockey had been written off, but they combined to produce arguably the greatest Grand National story of all – good enough to be made into the movie, Champions with John Hurt.
Aldaniti had suffered a serious leg injury and didn’t race for over a year. Most pundits thought he was finished as a top chaser.
The same went for jockey, Bob Champion, who had been struck down with cancer two years before.
But Aldaniti and Champion hit the front after the 11th fence and backed by a passionate Aintree crowd, no-one could stop them.
1993 – Void Race
Nope, Void Race was not a 100-1 outsider, it was the official declaration in the only year the race was abandoned.
There were two false starts, the second of which ended in a shambles as the starter’s recall flag didn’t unfurl.
It meant 30 riders went off down the course and over the first fence, while nine others waited at the start line.
Have you ever tried to halt 30 galloping horses in full flow? Thought not. It’s tricky.
They carried on until the final fence of the first circuit, before most jockeys realised the race had been halted. Seven didn’t, though, and raced a whole second circuit.
Legendary commentator Peter O’Sullevan – who rarely called it wrongly – described the race as “the greatest disaster in the history of the Grand National.”
2021 – Minella Times and Rachel Blackmore
It was the Covid era and the course was deserted, but that didn’t stop Rachel Blackmore from making history as she became the first female jockey to win the Grand National.
Minella Times was fourth favourite, but took the lead on the second-last fence and was roared home to the finish.
Before her win, the best finish by a female jockey was the third place earned by Katie Walsh on Seabass.
After her win, Blackmore memorably told ITV, “I don’t feel male or female. I don’t even feel human, I feel unbelievable.”
