1 CONTENTS RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL ANNIVERSARIES IN 2020 3 POTENTIAL LANDMARKS IN THE 2020 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL 5 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL IN NUMBERS 6 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL FACTS & FIGURES 8 - AGE OF THE WINNERS - BETTING - GREYS - MARES - PRIZE MONEY - RESERVES - STARTERS AND FINISHERS - TIME - WEIGHTS - WINNING DISTANCES - JOCKEY FACTS - FEMALE RIDERS - AMATEUR RIDERS - TRAINERS - OWNERS RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL TRAINER RECORDS 19 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL JOCKEY RECORDS 25 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL ROLL OF HONOUR 28 2 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL ANNIVERSARIES IN 2020 A P McCoy, the most successful Jump jockey of all time, finally wins the 2010 world’s greatest chase on his 15th attempt aboard Don’t Push It. It is 10 YEARS AGO also a first Grand National success for leading owner J P McManus and trainer Jonjo O’Neill. Jockey Ruby Wash wins his first Grand National aboard Papillon, trained 2000 by his father Ted. A major gamble on the day of the race sees Papillon 20 YEARS AGO come down from 33/1 in the morning to a starting price at 10/1. Mr Frisk records the fastest time ever in the Grand National, coming 1990 home in 8m 47.80s under Marcus Armytage. Now racing correspondent 30 YEARS AGO of the Daily Telegraph, Armytage is the latest amateur rider to win the great race. American amateur Charlie Fenwick partners 40/1 chance Ben Nevis to 1980 victory. It is the second of three Grand National victories for trainer Tim Forster. Forster, always a notorious pessimist, simply told Fenwick “to 40 YEARS AGO keep on remounting”. The formidable Mirabel Topham, the public face of Aintree Racecourse for many years, passes away aged 88. Gay Trip hands trainer Fred Rimell the third of his joint-record four Grand National successes. Rimell’s stable jockey Terry Biddlecombe 1970 misses the ride through injury and Gay Trip is partnered by 40-year- 50 YEARS AGO old Pat Taaffe, who rides his second Grand National winner after Quare Times in 1955. The Grand National is broadcast live on television for the first time by 1960 the BBC. The 36.5 per cent of households with a TV set at the time witness 13/2 chance Merryman II come home in front under Gerry Scott 60 YEARS AGO for trainer Neville Crump, who is saddling his second Grand National winner following Sheila’s Cottage in 1948. Winning jockey Gerry Scott partnered Merryman II with a heavily strapped up collarbone, having broken it in two places just 12 days earlier. Freebooter was, until the advent of Red Rum, regarded as the best of the post-war winners, scoring by a very easy 15 lengths under 11st 11lb. 1950 Freebooter has an outstanding record over the Grand National course, 70 YEARS AGO winning five times from eight starts. He also landed the Champion Chase, Becher Chase and the Grand Sefton Chase (twice). He was owned by Lurline Brotherton, who would own Red Rum for part of his career. 3 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL ANNIVERSARIES IN 2020 Aintree had been occupied by the military since the outbreak of World 1940 War II. The government granted special dispensation for the 1940 Grand 80 YEARS AGO National to be run, with the course defended by a squadron of Spitfires flying overhead. The race is won by Bogskar under jockey Mervyn Jones. Jones was granted special leave to ride at Aintree but tragically in 1942 disappeared when flying a Spitfire on a reconnaissance mission over Norway. He was just 22 years old. The Grand National would not return to Aintree until 1946. Shaun Gollin wins in one of the race’s closest finishes, beating Melleray’s 1930 Belle by a neck. Shaun Gollin, who once changed hands for a mere 20 90 YEARS AGO guineas, was the result of an unplanned mating. His dam reputedly escaped from her paddock and was covered by an unbroken three- year-old colt, thought to be called Shaun Aboo. Terrible conditions mean little can be seen from the stands as the giant 1920 Troytown makes all the running to hand jockey Jack Anthony his third 100 YEARS AGO Grand National win. 1910 Jenkinstown gave trainer Tom Coulthwaite the second of his three Grand National wins. The runner-up was Jerry M, who was conceding 110 YEARS AGO 30lb to Jenkinstown and would go on to win the 1912 Grand National. Ambush II becomes the first, and so far only, Royal Grand National 1900 winner as he carries the colours of the Prince of Wales to victory. 120 YEARS AGO Less than a year later, the Prince finally accedes to the throne as King Edward VII. Manifesto, the outstanding winner in 1897 and 1899, is a gallant third under the welter burden of 12st 13lb. The Colonel wins for the second year and hands jockey George Stevens 1870 the last of his record five Grand National wins. The Colonel attempted 150 YEARS AGO the hat-trick in 1871, but could only finish fourth to The Lamb. The first win for Abd-El-Kader. The tiny horse would go on to win again 1850 in 1851 and become the first dual Grand National winner. Affectionately 170 YEARS AGO known as “Little Ab” he attempted the hat-trick in 1852, finishing fifth. 4 POTENTIAL LANDMARKS IN THE 2020 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL Tiger Roll is aiming to become the second triple winner alongside Red Rum and the first horse to win three consecutive Grand Nationals. Trainer Gordon Elliott is seeking his fourth Grand National win. Elliott, who also triumphed with Silver Birch in 2007, would join Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain as the most successful trainer in Grand National history. Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, along with Ged Mason and Peter Done have entered Give Me A Copper, winner of Wincanton’s Badger Beers Silver Trophy Handicap Chase in November. Owners Trevor Hemmings (Hedgehunter (2005), Ballabriggs (2011) and Many Clouds (2015)) and Gigginstown House Stud (Rule The World (2016) and Tiger Roll (2018 & 2019)) are both attempting to become the first owner to win the Grand National four times. The three other owners to have won the race three times are James Machell, Sir Charles Assheton-Smith (previously Charles Duff) and Noel Le Mare. Rachael Blackmore, Bryony Frost or Lizzie Kelly would become the first female jockey to win the Grand National, if successful in 2020. Leighton Aspell and Davy Russell are bidding for a third victory and would become only the seventh rider in the race’s history to achieve this feat. Russell would become the first jockey to win three successive Grand Nationals. George Stevens holds the overall record with five successes. The 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur, now an 11-year-old, is set to return to Aintree after coming sixth in 2019. Only four horses have regained the Grand National – Red Rum (1973, 1974, 1977), Manifesto (1897 & 1899), The Lamb (1868 & 1871) and Peter Simple (1849 & 1853). The first back-to-back winner of the Becher Chase,Walk in the Mill, who fared best of the British-trained Grand National contenders when fourth in the 2019, has again been entered and is owned by Jockey Club Steward, Baroness Dido Harding. Champion jockey Richard Johnson holds the record for the most rides (21) in the Grand National. The previous record holder Sir AP McCoy rode in 20 Grand Nationals. Nigel Twiston-Davies, successful with Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002), is bidding to become eighth trainer to win the race three times. Trainers with entries seeking a second win are Willie Mullins, Paul Nicholls, Jonjo O’Neill, David Pipe, Lucinda Russell, Sue Smith, Ted Walsh and Venetia Williams. Activial, Bristol De Mai, Flying Angel, Scoir Mear, Tout Est Permis and Vintage Clouds are all aiming to become the fourth grey horse to win the Grand Nationa following The Lamb (1868 and 1871), Nicolaus Silver (1961) and Neptune Collonges (2012). Atlanta Ablaze, Cabaret Queen, Shattered Love and last year’s runner-up Magic Of Light could become the 14th mare to win the race. 5 RANDOX HEALTH GRAND NATIONAL IN NUMBERS 3 – Tonnes of potatoes will be consumed over the three-day Randox Health Grand National Festival 4 – The record number of wins for a trainer in the Grand National. This was achieved by the late Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain train – Red Rum (1973, 1974 and 1977) and Amberleigh House (2004) – and the late Fred Rimell with ESB (1956), Nicolaus Silver (1961), Gay Trip (1970) and Rag Trade (1976) 4 – The number of times greys have won the Grand National, The Lamb (1868 and 1871), Nicolaus Silver (1961) and Neptune Collonges (2012) 4m 2f 74y – The distance of the Randox Health Grand National 5 – Of the last 22 Grand National winners have been clear or joint favourites 5 – The number of times George Stevens rode the winner of the Grand National – Freetrader (1856), Emblem (1863), Emblematic (1864) and The Colonel (1869 and 1870), the most of any jockey 7 – The minimum age of a horse can be to run in the Grand National 8 mins 47.8 secs – The fastest winning time for the Grand National, set by Mr Frisk (1990) 9st 6lb – The lightest winning weight in Grand National history, carried by Freetrader in 1856. The minimum weight for the Randox Health Grand National is now 10st. 10/1 – The price Tiger Roll was returned at in 2018 for his first Grand National victory. He was 4/1 favourite when successful again in 2019. 11/4 – The shortest-priced winner of the Grand National ever, Poethlyn (1919) 11st 10lb – The maximum weight that can now be carried in the Grand National.