So The Joint Fav Wins National.........

Horses
Got my husband to put £1 each way - yes last of the big spenders in our house, on Back something as I KNEW, Timmy Murphy on the David Pipe trained Comply Or Die would win the "John Smith's" (let us not forget the branding) Grand National at Aintree.

My alternative choice of Vodka Bleu was pulled up half way thorugh and my third choice of Snowy Morning, came third so at least I can hold my head up slightly high........But no money backed on the last two. If only my Back- something? What was it? AH I forget but the odds were 100-1 and worth the gamble. The horse had never ran more than 3 miles but liked jumping....alas it hated jumping today and fell at fence two.

My son's backed horse was the only one to finish today and it came a creditable 5th however this brings to the forefront whether I really like The Grand National? Thankfully today no horses were injured but 27 of them have been killed since 1997; no records were kept before that point, maybe because ink wasn't invented or paper was hard to find? Excuse my sarcasm, I find it so odd that no records have been kept before 1997? I can understand records not being kept in 1839 when the National was first officially run but not 1990's....The only excuse is that no one wants us to know and not just about the National it is about other races too.

Most jockeys, trainers and owners are responsible and look after their horses and welfare has improved, nevertheless, there are those who will still try to take advantage and then the horses will be the ones who pay the cost. My daughter wants to work with horses, it is her passion and welfare is definitely high on her hit list. She loves horse racing but I can't decide whether I love it or hate it......or both.


Facts On the Liverpudlian Race
1837 - The first Grand National meeting: The first two races were run in Maghull, and the very first Grand National was won by The Duke

1839 - The first Grand National at Aintree which was won by the 5-1 favourite Lottery. This was also the year in which Captain Martin ‘Becher’ fell from his horse, Conrad into the brook when in the lead, thus beginning of the legend that is Becher's Brook

1850-1851 Abd-El-Kader won and was the first horse to do so in under 10 minutes, Abd-El-Kader became the first ever dual Grand National winner

1868 - The Lamb won for the first time at 9-1, the first grey horse to win the National and was to win again in 1871 with odds of 11-2

1916-1918 - The race was moved to Gatwick with the outbreak of the World War

1919 - Ernie Piggott, Lester Piggott's Grandfather, won the race on Poethlyn, at 11-4

1925 - The starting gate was introduced this year and Double Chance ridden by Major J Wilson won with odds at 100-9

1927 - The BBC began its radio coverage showing 37 starters and a win by the 8-1 favourite Sprig

1928 - A new record of 42 starters but only two finishers as Tipperary Tim, won at 100-1! Most of the field crashed at the Canal Turn when Easter Hero, fell and caused a huge pile up.

1929 - 66 horses started out this year. The race was won by 100-1 shot, Gregalach, who won £13,000 pounds for his owners

1934-1935 - Golden Miller, won the 1934 National at 8-1, won in 9 minutes and 20 seconds; in 1935 with 5 Gold Cups and a National win under his belt, started at 2-1 favourite but unseated his rider at the 10th fence as Reynoldstown went on to win the race

1941-1945 – The Americans used the Aintree Racecourse an Army Base for the Second World War

1950 - Queen Elizabeth’s, first national horse, Monaveen, finishes sixth while Freebooter won at 10-1

1973-1974 - Red Rum won his first National in a record time of 9 minutes and 2 seconds and followed this with a second win in 1974 at 11-1

1975 - L'Escargot at 13-2, beats Red Rum interrupting his three great wins

1976 – Another horse beats Red Rum into first place, this time it is 14-1 Rag Trade

1977 - History was made! Red Rum at 9-1 won his third Grand National beating Churchtown Boy by 25 lengths. Also in this year Miss Charlotte Brew became the first woman ever to ride in the race but her mount, Barony Fort, refused with 4 fences still to jump

1981 – Legend Aldaniti ridden by Bob Champion, won this year. Aldaniti had been plagued with injuries throughout his career and Bob Champion had fought to recover from cancer

1983 - The first lady of Aintree, trainer Jenny Pitman, won the race with Corbiere ridden by Ben De Haan

1993 - This National that never was.
First attempt and animal activists meddled at the start. When the race was eventually started Richard Dunwoody got the tape stuck round his neck and a false start was given. Unfortunately the flagman did not see the flag so he never signalled for a false start. Consequently some horses stopped at the start and some horses stopped halfway while 7 carried on to complete the course with Esha Ness and John White winning for trainer Jenny Pitman only to be told that the race was void

1997 - A bomb scare disrupted the race and it was re-scheduled for Monday afternoon where it was won by Lord Gyllene ridden by Tony Dobbin.