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Ballydoyle

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Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland . It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud , and both are owned by John Magnier , son in law to the racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien . The current trainer at Ballydoyle is Aidan O'Brien , who succeeded Vincent O'Brien (no relation) in 1995. The current stable retained jockey is Ryan Moore . 52°27′40″N 7°49′38″W  /  52.46111°N 7.82722°W  / 52.46111; -7.82722

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67-420: After the 1951 Cheltenham Festival , Vincent O'Brien purchased and moved into Ballydoyle, then a 285-acre (1.15 km) farm ringed by mountains near the village of Rosegreen, County Tipperary . Vincent O'Brien trained such household names as Nijinsky , Ballymoss , Sir Ivor , Roberto , Alleged , The Minstrel , El Gran Senor and Sadler's Wells at Ballydoyle. There is a bronze statue of Nijinsky at

134-414: A consultant for Randox. The 2020 race was not run owing to the coronavirus pandemic ; in its place, a virtual race was produced using CGI technology and based on algorithms of the 40 horses most likely to have competed. The virtual race was won by Potters Corner, winner of the 2019 Welsh Grand National . (Another computer-generated virtual race was made also, whose runners were many horses who had won

201-476: A distance of 4 miles 514 yards (6.907 km), the longest of any National Hunt race in Britain. As part of a review of safety following the 2012 running of the event, from 2013 to 2015 the start was moved 90 yards (82 m) forward away from the crowds and grandstands, reducing the race distance by 110 yards (100 m) from the historical 4 miles 856 yards (7.220 km). The course has one of

268-470: A flexible plastic material which is more forgiving than the traditional wooden core fences. They are still topped with at least 14 inches (36 cm) of spruce for the horses to knock off. Some of the jumps carry names from the history of the race. All 16 are jumped on the first lap, but on the final lap, the runners bear to the right onto the run-in for home, avoiding The Chair and the Water Jump. The following

335-510: A length of winning the 1963 National . The last Seagram-sponsored Grand National was in 1991. Coincidentally, the race was won by a horse named Seagram. Martell , then a Seagram subsidiary, took over sponsorship of the Aintree meeting for an initial seven years from 1992, in a £4 million deal. The result of the 1993 Grand National was declared void after a series of incidents commentator Peter O'Sullevan later called "the greatest disaster in

402-705: A lockdown. The festival attracted 251,684 visitors that year, including a final-day crowd of 68,859, fewer than 2,000 down on the previous year's record. There were fears in early April that the festival had helped spread the disease widely across the country. One visitor who developed COVID-19 later complained about having been "packed like sardines". Hundreds of festival visitors also said that they had developed symptoms. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust , which covers Cheltenham, recorded 125 deaths, roughly double that in two nearby trusts at Bristol (58 each), and those covering Swindon (67) and Bath (46). For several years there have been concerns about

469-409: A more highly publicised race in 1839 which attracted a larger field of top quality horses and riders, greater press coverage, and increased attendance on race day. Over time the first three runnings of the event were quickly forgotten to secure the 1839 race its place in history as the first official Grand National. The 1839 race was won by rider Jem Mason on the aptly named, Lottery . The Duke

536-498: A poor start, the pair went on to win 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths ahead of the much-fancied Spartan Missile, ridden by amateur jockey and 54-year-old grandfather John Thorne. Champion and Aldaniti were instantly propelled to celebrity status, and within two years, their story had been re-created in the film Champions , starring John Hurt . From 1984 to 1991, Seagram sponsored the Grand National. The Canadian distiller provided

603-485: A right pile-up... And now, with all this mayhem, Foinavon has gone off on his own! He's about 50, 100 yards in front of everything else! Commentator Michael O'Hehir describes the chaotic scene at the 23rd fence in 1967 In the 1967 Grand National , most of the field were hampered or dismounted in a mêlée at the 23rd fence, allowing a rank-outsider, Foinavon , to become a surprise winner at odds of 100/1. A loose horse named Popham Down, who had unseated his rider at

670-455: A solid foundation on which the race's revival could be built, firstly enabling the course to be bought from Davies and to be run and managed by the Jockey Club . It is said that Ivan Straker, Seagram's UK chairman, became interested in the potential opportunity after reading a passionate newspaper article written by journalist Lord Oaksey, who, in his riding days, had come within three-quarters of

737-407: Is a summary of all 16 fences on the course: Height: 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m) Often met at great speed, which can lead to several falls, the highest being 12 runners in 1951. The drop on the landing side was reduced after the 2011 Grand National . It was bypassed in both 2019 and 2023 on the final lap, after equine casualties. The fence was moved 60 yards nearer to the start from

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804-658: Is currently a championship race. The Gold Cup , established in 1924, was originally a supporting race for the County Hurdle . This was the main event of the first day but that quickly changed, and in the following seasons it became a championship race. For many years it was still used by the trainers as a preparation race for the Grand National . The Champion Hurdle first ran in 1927 and the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1959; they were both championship races from

871-487: Is particularly popular with Irish visitors. The meeting features several Grade I races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup , Champion Hurdle , Queen Mother Champion Chase and Stayers' Hurdle . Large amounts of money are gambled; hundreds of millions of pounds are bet over the course of the week. Cheltenham is noted for its atmosphere, including the "Cheltenham roar", which refers to the enormous amount of noise that

938-540: Is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million in 2017. An event that is prominent in British culture , the race is popular amongst many people who do not normally watch or bet on horse racing at other times of the year. The course over which the race is run features much larger fences than those found on conventional National Hunt tracks. Many of these fences, particularly Becher's Brook , The Chair and

1005-432: The 1956 Grand National witnessed one of the chase's most bizarre incidents. Devon Loch , owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , had cleared the final fence in the leading position, five lengths clear of E.S.B. Forty yards from what seemed like certain victory, Devon Loch suddenly, and inexplicably, half-jumped into the air and collapsed in a belly-flop on the turf. Despite efforts by jockey Dick Francis , Devon Loch

1072-667: The Canal Turn , have become famous in their own right and, combined with the distance of the event, create what has been called "the ultimate test of horse and rider". The Grand National has been broadcast live on free-to-air terrestrial television in the United Kingdom since 1960 . From then until 2012 it was broadcast by the BBC . Channel 4 broadcast the event between 2013 and 2016 : UK broadcasting rights were transferred to ITV from 2017 . An estimated 500 to 600 million people watch

1139-505: The John Smith's People's Race which gave ten members of the public the chance to ride in a flat race at Aintree on Grand National day. In total, thirty members of the public took part in the event before it was discontinued in 2010. In 2009 , Mon Mome became the longest-priced winner of the National for 42 years when he defied outside odds of 100/1 to win by 12 lengths. The victory was also

1206-545: The Provisional Irish Republican Army . The course was secured by police who then evacuated jockeys, race personnel, and local residents along with 60,000 spectators. Cars and coaches were locked in the course grounds, leaving some 20,000 people without their vehicles over the weekend. With limited accommodation available in the city, local residents opened their doors and took in many of those stranded. This prompted tabloid headlines such as " We'll fight them on

1273-473: The 1950s the Grand National was dominated by Vincent O'Brien , who trained different winners of the race for three consecutive years between 1953 and 1955. Early Mist secured O'Brien's first victory in 1953 ; Royal Tan won in 1954 , and Quare Times completed the Irish trainer's hat-trick in 1955 . Oh, that's racing! The Queen Mother on Devon Loch 's collapse moments from certain victory The running of

1340-551: The Becher's ", in reference to Winston Churchill's war-time speech . The race was run 48 hours later on the Monday, with the meeting organisers offering 20,000 tickets with free admission. Red Rum's trainer Ginger McCain returned to the Grand National in 2004 , 31 years after Red Rum's epic run-in defeat of Crisp to secure his first of three wins. McCain's Amberleigh House came home first, ridden by Graham Lee , overtaking Clan Royal on

1407-473: The Cheltenham Festival has changed dramatically over the years of its existence. In particular, it has grown from a two-day meeting to a four-day meeting. In 2024, there will be 28 races as follows: The top jockey for the festival is the jockey who wins the most races over the four days. The winners since 1980, with wins in brackets, are: The leading trainer for the festival is the trainer who trains

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1474-456: The Festival was cancelled due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain. The meeting had initially been postponed to April, but when a case of the disease was confirmed locally, putting the racecourse within an exclusion zone, all racing had to be called off. In 2008, the second day of the festival was cancelled due to heavy storms. The races scheduled for that day were instead run on

1541-463: The Grand National in over 140 countries. The race has also been broadcast on radio since 1927 ; BBC Radio held exclusive rights until 2013. Talksport acquired radio commentary rights in 2014: Both the BBC and Talksport currently broadcast the race in full. The Grand National had suffered three major disruptions in post-war history. The 1993 Grand National was not held due to a series of false starts,

1608-431: The Grand National in past years, each shown with its performance as at its racing prime. Its winner was Red Rum by less than a length, having just passed Manifesto .) In December 2020 Randox Health announced they had extended their sponsorship for a further 5 years which will make them sponsors to 2026. In 2021, Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the race, on the horse Minella Times . In 2023,

1675-502: The Grand National. They're willing him home now! The 12-year-old Red Rum, being preceded only by loose horses, being chased by Churchtown Boy... They're coming to the elbow, just a furlong now between Red Rum and his third Grand National triumph! It's hats off and a tremendous reception, you've never heard one like it at Liverpool... and Red Rum wins the National! Commentator Peter O'Sullevan describes Red Rum's record third Grand National win in 1977 During this period, Red Rum

1742-433: The Grand National. In 1973, eight years after Mrs. Mirabel Topham announced she was seeking a buyer, the racecourse was finally sold to property developer Bill Davies. Davies tripled the admission prices, and consequently, the attendance at the 1975 race , won by L'Escargot , was the smallest in living memory. It was after this that bookmaker Ladbrokes made an offer, signing an agreement with Davies allowing them to manage

1809-470: The National which had been set in 1935 by Reynoldstown. His record was to stand for the next seventeen years. Two years before the 1981 Grand National , jockey Bob Champion had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and given only months to live by doctors. But by 1981 he had recovered and was passed fit to ride in the Grand National. He rode Aldaniti , a horse deprived in its youth and which had only recently recovered from chronic leg problems. Despite

1876-486: The course earlier), while Peter Scudamore only stopped because he saw his trainer, Martin Pipe , waving frantically at him. Seven horses completed the course, meaning the result was void. The first past the post was Esha Ness (in the second-fastest time ever), ridden by John White, trained by Jenny Pitman and owned by Patrick Bancroft. The 1997 Grand National was postponed after two coded bomb threats were received from

1943-585: The crowd generates as the starter raises the tape for the first race of the festival. Cheltenham Festival was not held between 1941 and 1945 because of World War II and in 2001 due to the foot-and-mouth disease crisis. The Cheltenham Festival originated in 1860 when the National Hunt Chase was first held at Market Harborough. It was initially titled the Grand National Hunt Meeting and took place at several locations since its institution, at

2010-596: The enclosures and the paddock extended to 35 saddling boxes, proved enough to make the National Hunt Committee decide that the 1911 meeting was to return at Prestbury Park, Cheltenham where it remained to the present day. The earliest traceable reference to a "Festival" is in the Warwick Advertiser of 1907. The Stayers' Hurdle , which first ran in 1912, is the oldest race from the Cheltenham festival that

2077-527: The festival. At the 2018 festival there were six horse deaths, leading to a BHA review into equine safety. The review was published in December 2018 and listed 17 recommendations for future Cheltenham fixtures and jump racing in general, including reduced field size numbers at Cheltenham and a pre-race veterinary check for all runners at the festival. At the 2019 festival there were three horse deaths, leading to another BHA review. The number and type of races at

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2144-410: The final straight. Hedgehunter , who would go on to win in 2005 , fell at the last while leading. McCain had equalled George Dockeray and Fred Rimell 's record feat of training four Grand National winners. In 2005 John Smith's took over from Martell as main sponsors of the Grand National and many of the other races at the three-day Aintree meeting for the first time. In 2006 John Smith's launched

2211-594: The first female jockey to ride a winner at the Festival. She won the Foxhunter Chase on Eliogarty. On 17 March 1987, 21-year-old Gee Armytage won the Kim Muir Challenge Cup , back then held on Tuesdays and backed it with another victory the next day in the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup on a horse aptly named Gee-A, becoming the first female jockey to win a race against professionals at the Festival.. In 2001

2278-485: The first for trainer Venetia Williams , the first female trainer to triumph since Jenny Pitman in 1995 . The race was also the first National ride for Liam Treadwell . In 2010 the National became the first horse race to be televised in high-definition in the UK. In August 2013 Crabbie's was announced as the new sponsor of the Grand National. The three-year deal between the alcoholic ginger beer producer and Aintree saw

2345-654: The first four years, and took over the land lease in 1848. One century later, the Topham family bought the course outright. Later in the century, the race was the setting of a thriller by the popular novelist Henry Hawley Smart . For three years during the First World War , while Aintree Racecourse was taken over by the War Office , an alternative race was run at Gatwick Racecourse , a now disused course on land now occupied by Gatwick Airport . The first of these races, in 1916,

2412-501: The first jump, suddenly veered across the leading group at the 23rd, causing them to either stop, refuse or unseat their riders. Racing journalist Lord Oaksey described the resulting pile-up by saying that Popham Down had "cut down the leaders like a row of thistles". Some horses even started running in the wrong direction, back the way they had come. Foinavon, whose owner had such little faith in him that he had travelled to Worcester that day instead, had been lagging some 100 yards behind

2479-465: The history of the Grand National." While under starter's orders, one jockey was tangled in the starting tape which had failed to rise correctly. A false start was declared, but due to a lack of communication between course officials, 30 of the 39 jockeys did not realise this and began the race. Course officials tried to stop the runners by waving red flags, but many jockeys continued to race, believing that they were protesters (a group of whom had invaded

2546-466: The idea that the first running was in 1836 and was won by The Duke . This same horse won again in 1837 , while Sir William was the winner in 1838 . These races have long been disregarded because of the belief that they took place at Maghull and not Aintree. However, some historians have unearthed evidence in recent years that suggests those three races were run over the same course at Aintree and were regarded as having been Grand Nationals up until

2613-431: The lead until he too then fell. Although Billy Barton's jockey Tommy Cullinan managed to remount and complete the race, it was Tipperary Tim who came in first at outside odds of 100/1. With only two riders completing the course, this remains a record for the lowest number of finishers. Although the Grand National was run as normal in 1940 and most other major horse races around the world were able to be held throughout

2680-448: The leading pack, giving his jockey, John Buckingham , time to steer his mount wide of the havoc and make a clean jump of the fence on the outside. Although 17 jockeys remounted and some made up considerable ground, particularly Josh Gifford on 15/2 favourite Honey End, none had time to catch Foinavon before he crossed the finishing line. The 7th/23rd fence was officially named the 'Foinavon fence' in 1984. The 1970s were mixed years for

2747-452: The longest run-ins from the final fence of any steeplechase, at 494 yards (452 m). The Grand National was designed as a cross-country steeplechase when it was first officially run in 1839. The runners started at a lane on the edge of the racecourse and raced away from the course out over open countryside towards the Leeds and Liverpool Canal . The gates, hedges, and ditches that they met along

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2814-538: The mid-1860s. Contemporary newspaper reports place all the 1836–38 races at Aintree although the 1839 race is the first described as "national". However, calls for the Nationals of 1836–1838 to be restored to the record books have been unsuccessful. In 1838 and 1839 three significant events occurred to transform the race from a small local affair to a national event. Firstly, the Great St. Albans Chase, which had clashed with

2881-520: The most winners in the races over the four days. The winners since 1997, with wins in brackets, are: Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree , Merseyside, England. First run in 1839 , it is a handicap steeplechase over an official distance of about 4 miles and 2½ furlongs (4 miles 514 yards (6.907 km)), with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps. It

2948-519: The number of horse injuries and fatalities. In 2006, 11 horses died. In response the racecourse decreased the number of runners in certain races and re-sited one of the more difficult fences. On the opening day of the 2012 festival, three horses were euthanised after suffering bone fractures or breaks, including two during the Cross-Country Chase, becoming the second and third equine fatalities in that race since 2000. Another two horses died during

3015-559: The others fall down!" These words turned out to be true, as 41 of the 42 starters fell during the race. That year's National was run during misty weather conditions with the going very heavy. As the field approached the Canal Turn on the first circuit, Easter Hero fell, causing a pile-up from which only seven horses emerged with seated jockeys. By the penultimate fence, this number had reduced to three, with Great Span looking most likely to win ahead of Billy Barton and Tipperary Tim. Great Span's saddle then slipped, leaving Billy Barton in

3082-400: The postponement of the 1997 Grand National to a Monday because of an IRA bomb threat and the 2023 Grand National being delayed due to Animal Rising protesters. The most recent running of the race, in 2024 , was won by I Am Maximus. Since 2017, the race and accompanying festival have been sponsored by Randox . The next meeting will take place from 3–5 April 2025. The Grand National

3149-415: The race run for a record purse of £1 million in 2014 . In March 2016 it was announced that Randox Health would take over from Crabbie's as official partners of the Grand National festival from 2017 , for at least five years. The sponsorship award was controversial as Aintree's chairwoman, Rose Paterson , was married to Owen Paterson , a Member of Parliament (MP) who also earns a £50,000 annual fee as

3216-559: The race was disrupted by the Animal Rising protests, the first such disruptions since the cancellation of the 1993 Grand National due to a series of false starts and the 1997 Grand National due to the IRA bomb threat. The Grand National is run over the National Course at Aintree and consists of two laps of 16 fences, the first 14 of which are jumped twice. Horses completing the race cover

3283-457: The run-in, but the incident remains inexplicable. The incident became part of the folklore of the event, and by extension British sporting culture. In modern language, the phrase "to do a Devon Loch" is often used to describe a last-minute failure to achieve an expected victory. Rutherfords has been hampered, and so has Castle Falls; Rondetto has fallen, Princeful has fallen, Norther has fallen, Kirtle Lad has fallen, The Fossa has fallen, there's

3350-717: The season, the Festival Hunters' Chase, which is run on the Friday over the same course as the Gold Cup. Unlike Royal Ascot and many other top flat racing events in Great Britain and Ireland, the Cheltenham Festival does not have a history of attracting many international contenders, though French-trained horses have done well. Baracouda was perhaps the best known, after landing the Stayers' Hurdle twice. In 1983 Caroline Beasley became

3417-399: The stables. Aidan O'Brien has measured up to those high standards by training many known horses, such as Rock of Gibraltar , Galileo , High Chaparral and George Washington . The recently opened Giants Causeway stable (named after the champion racehorse who was resident at Ballydoyle) is well equipped. Given that the bloodstock is very valuable, security is very tight at Ballydoyle and

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3484-469: The stands. The majority of the race, therefore, took place not on the actual Aintree Racecourse but instead in the adjoining countryside. That countryside was incorporated into the modern course but commentators still often refer to it as "the country". There are 16 fences on the National Course topped with spruce from the Lake District . The cores of 12 fences were rebuilt in 2012 and they are now made of

3551-461: The steeplechase at Aintree, was not renewed after 1838, leaving a major hole in the chasing calendar. Secondly, the railway, opened from Manchester to Liverpool in 1830, was linked to a line from London and Birmingham in 1839 enabling rail transport to the Liverpool area from large parts of the country for the first time. Finally, a committee was formed to better organise the event. These factors led to

3618-469: The third and final days. In 2019 a record opening day crowd of 67,934 people attended. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic , and in line with government advice, the festival went ahead from 10 to 13 March 2020. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic on 11 March. On 16 March, three days after the festival, the British government advised against large gatherings and on 23 March ordered

3685-494: The time they were introduced, unlike the Stayers' Hurdle and Gold Cup. Until 2005 the festival had traditionally been held over the course of three days, but this changed with the introduction of a fourth day, meaning there would be one championship race on each day, climaxing with the Gold Cup on the Friday. To ensure each day would still have six races, five new races were introduced. Four further races have since been added, bringing

3752-459: The total to 28 races overall, with grade one events including the Champion Bumper , Triumph Hurdle , Ryanair Chase , Supreme Novices' Hurdle , Ballymore Novices' Hurdle , Arkle Challenge Trophy , Brown Advisory Novices' Chase , Champion Hurdle, Stayers' Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and the feature race, the Gold Cup. The festival also includes one of the two biggest Hunter Chases of

3819-474: The turn of the 20th century it was mostly held at Warwick Racecourse . In 1904 and 1905 it was staged at Cheltenham over a new course established at Prestbury Park in 1902, having previously taken place at Cheltenham in 1861. From 1906 to 1910 it was again held at Warwick but further additions and major improvements made at Cheltenham by Messrs. Pratt and Company, including a new stand (the fourth one), miles of drain to prevent unsuitable racing ground, tar paving in

3886-484: The war , the commandeering of Aintree Racecourse for defence use in 1941 meant no Grand National could be held from 1941 to 1945. It recommenced in 1946, when it was run on a Friday, and from 1947 was moved to a Saturday, at the urging of the Home Secretary James Chuter Ede , who thought this would make it more accessible to working people. It has normally been run on a Saturday ever since. During

3953-413: The way were flagged to provide them with the obstacles to be jumped along the way with posts and rails erected at the two points where the runners jumped a brook. The runners returned towards the racecourse by running along the edge of the canal before re-entering the course at the opposite end. The runners then ran the length of the racecourse before embarking on a second circuit before finishing in front of

4020-678: The yard is not open for visitors. Cheltenham Festival 51°55′13″N 2°3′28″W  /  51.92028°N 2.05778°W  / 51.92028; -2.05778 The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National . The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham , Gloucestershire . It usually coincides with Saint Patrick's Day and

4087-420: Was breaking all records to become the most successful racehorse in Grand National history. Originally bought as a yearling in 1966 for 400 guineas (£420), he passed through various training yards before being bought for 6,000 guineas (£6,300) by Ginger McCain on behalf of Noel le Mare. Two days after the purchase while trotting the horse on Southport beach, McCain noticed that Red Rum appeared lame. The horse

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4154-574: Was called the Racecourse Association Steeplechase, and in 1917 and 1918 the race was called the War National Steeplechase. The races at Gatwick are not always recognised as "Grand Nationals" and their results are often omitted from winners' lists. On the day of the 1928 Grand National , before the race had begun, Tipperary Tim 's jockey William Dutton heard a friend call out to him: "Billy boy, you'll only win if all

4221-462: Was founded by William Lynn, a syndicate head and proprietor of the Waterloo Hotel , on land he leased in Aintree from William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton . Lynn set out a course, built a grandstand, and Lord Sefton laid the foundation stone on 7 February 1829. There is much debate regarding the first official Grand National; most leading published historians, including John Pinfold, now prefer

4288-417: Was in second place at the last fence, 15 lengths behind champion horse Crisp , who was carrying 23 lbs more. Red Rum made up the ground on the run-in and, two strides from the finishing post, he pipped the tiring Crisp to win by three-quarters of a length in what is arguably the most memorable Grand National of all time. Red Rum finished in 9 minutes 1.9 seconds, taking 18.3 seconds off the previous record for

4355-405: Was ridden by Martin Becher . The fence Becher's Brook is named after him and is where he fell in the race. By the 1840s, Lynn's ill-health blunted his enthusiasm for Aintree. Edward Topham, a respected handicapper and prominent member of Lynn's syndicate, began to exert greater influence over the National. He turned the chase into a handicap in 1843 after it had been a weight-for-age race for

4422-448: Was suffering from pedal osteitis , an inflammatory bone disorder. McCain had witnessed many lame carthorses reconditioned by being galloped in sea-water. He successfully used this treatment on his newly acquired racehorse. Red Rum became, and remains as of 2018, the only horse to have won the Grand National three times, in 1973 , 1974 , and 1977 . He also finished second in the two intervening years, 1975 and 1976 . In 1973, he

4489-466: Was unable to complete the race, leaving E.S.B. to cross the finishing line first. Responding to the commiserations of E.S.B.’s owner, the Queen Mother famously commented: "Oh, that's racing!" Had Devon Loch completed the race he might have set a new record for the fastest finishing time, which E.S.B. missed by only four-fifths of a second. Many explanations have been offered for Devon Loch's behaviour on

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