Most memorable Grand National moments over the years - The Coventry Observer

Most memorable Grand National moments over the years

Coventry Editorial 15th Jul, 2022   0

The Grand National is an enormously popular racing event in the United Kingdom.

It is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with its fans all over the world. First run in 1839, it is now held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool.

The Grand National is even famous among those who don’t normally watch horse racing.

However, you will find that the most enthusiastic fans of this event are those who bet on it. These followers start their preparations long before the race and always remain on the lookout for the best Grand National offers.




This race has a long and rich history and over the years, there have been many memorable moments which we have listed below.

1- Red Rum’s third victory


Any horse racing fan would likely have heard the name Red Rum. Many consider him as the greatest ever horse in the history of the race.

Red Rum was not the favourite in the 1973 edition of the Grand National. However, he managed to beat the competition in spectacular fashion. The amazing horse followed that up with another Grand National victory.

He came second in the following two years and looked unlikely he would add another title. However, his trainer Ginger McCain ran him in the prestigious competition in 1977. Red Rum showed his magic again and blew the competition again. He won his third, making him the only horse in history to achieve such a feat.

2- McCoy broke the jinx

Ap McCoy is a hugely famous name in the horse racing world. He became enormously successful as a jockey, winning one prestigious race after another.

However, the Grand National always eluded him despite several attempts. That changed in 2010 when he finally pulled off the amazing feat with Don’t Push It, who was owned by J.P. McManus while Jonjo O’Neill was his trainer. It was one of the most incredible moments in the history of the Grand National.

3- Bob Champion’s inspiring story

The story of Bob Champion and Aldaniti is hugely inspiring. Both faced adversities but showed courage and ultimately emerged victorious.

Bob Champion recovered from cancer while Aldaniti made a recovery after suffering a serious injury. It was a hugely emotional moment when Champion won the Grand National in 1981 with Aldaniti. This amazing story was later made into a movie called Champions.

4- Foinavon’s luck

The 1967 edition of the race saw one of the craziest moments of all time. A horse named Foinavon won the Grand National because he happened to be the slowest of all. In normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have won the prestigious race at all.

However, his chances dramatically increased after chaos ensued at the 23rd fence due to a riderless horse. That horse suddenly veered right and that caused a huge pile-up.

Foinavon was far away from other horses at that time and so he easily avoided getting caught in the chaos. By the time the other jockeys remounted and began the race, Foinavon had managed to create a good lead.

The others tried to reduce the gap but the Cryril Watkins owned horse easily managed to win the Grand National. Foinavon became so famous after this that a fence at Aintree bears his name now.

5- Jenny Pitman created history If you are a fan of soccer, then you would probably remember the names of all the famous football players.

And if you are a fan of female horse racing, then it is very likely that you would have at least heard about Jenny Pitman, for she made a great name for herself in the horse racing world.

She created history in 1983 when she earned the distinction of being the first woman to train the Grand National winner.

Corbiere was the horse who won the prestigious competition in 1983 at 13/1.

He followed that up by finishing third in the next two years. To prove it wasn’t a mere fluke, Pitman trained another winner in 1995.

Royal Athlete galloped home to victory in the 1995 edition of the race.

The next time this would happen wouldn’t be until the year 2009 when Venetia Williams won with Mon Mome.

This is a submitted post.

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