Grand National Handicap Steeplechase – Statistics 2009
Here are some fun stats from the 180 years that the Grand National has been running. Not all of them are statistically important i.e. they won’t help you to predict future winners, but they are interesting facts and figures which reflect the way this infamous race has been run in the preceeding decades. Choose from the following categories:
Age
Nine-year-olds have proved the most successful age group in recent years, providing nine of the last 30 winners of the John Smith’s Grand National.
Nine-year-old scorers in that period have been Lucius (1978), Grittar (1982), West Tip (1986), Rhyme ‘N’ Reason (1988), Lord Gyllene (1997), Bobbyjo (1999), Papillon (2000), Hedgehunter (2005) and the 2008 hero Comply Or Die. Nine-year-olds have the best overall record in the Grand National, having won at least 43 times – the ages of some early winners were not recorded.
Ben Nevis (1980), Little Polveir (1989), Royal Athlete (1995) and Amberleigh House (2004) at 12 are the oldest horses to triumph since 1978. The oldest winner of all, Peter Simple in 1853, was 15.
There have been seven winning 11-year-olds in the same time period – Aldaniti (1981), Last Suspect (1985), Maori Venture (1987), Mr Frisk (1990), Seagram (1991), Miinnehoma (1994) and 2001 scorer Red Marauder.
Silver Birch was 10 when succeeding in 2007 and is one of seven from that age group to win since 1978, along with Numbersixvalverde (2006), Monty’s Pass (2003), Earth Summit (1998), Rough Quest (1996), Hallo Dandy (1984) and Rubstic (1979).
Bindaree, Party Politics and Corbiere, all of whom were eight when they triumphed in 2002, 1992 and 1983 respectively, were the youngest winners of the Grand National in the same period.
Bogskar in 1940 was the most recent seven-year-old to capture the Grand National. A six-year-old winner has not been seen since Ally Sloper in 1915. Lutteur III was the last five-year-old to capture the Grand National in 1909 and the fifth in all following on from Alcibiade (1865), Regal (1876), Austerlitz (1877) and Empress (1880).
The current minimum age for a horse to run in the John Smith’s Grand National is six.
French-Trained
Two French-trained horses have succeeded, Huntsman in 1862 and Cortolvin in 1867, while three other winners have been bred in France – Alcibiade (1865), Reugny (1874) and Lutteur III (1909).
Clan Royal, the 2004 runner-up and 2006 third, was the latest Frenchbred to go close to victory.
The Fellow, trained by Francois Doumen in France, ran in the 1994 Grand National and was attempting to become only the second horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season. However, he fell at the Canal Turn on the second circuit.
The Fellow’s misfortune continued the bad luck for his owner the Marquesa de Moratalla in the Grand National, since her brother, Alfonso de Portago, failed to complete on Garde Toi (fell) and Icy Calm (pulled up) in 1950 and 1952.
Ciel De Brion, also trained by Doumen and ridden by his son Thierry, fell five out in the 1998 Grand National, while in 2000 Djeddah finished ninth for the father and son partnership.
The same combination lined up again for the next three years. Doumen junior was unseated at the eighth in 2001, parted company from his mount four fences out in 2002 and finished 11th in 2003.
That year also saw the participation of another French challenger, the Jacques Ortet-trained Empereur River, who was pulled up by amateur Patrick Pailhes, a doctor, before Becher’s on the second circuit. The Doumens returned in 2004 with Halewood International-owned Kelami, but he was brought down at the first.
Thierry Doumen subsequently retired from race riding and became a trainer. Innox, owned by J P McManus, represented Francois Doumen in 2005 and finished seventh under Robert Thornton.
The same partnership got no further than the first fence in 2006, while Doumen senior also ran First Gold, a dual winner of the John Smith’s Bowl at Aintree, who unseated his rider at the 23rd fence.
In 2007, Francois Doumen sent out the 10th L’Ami plus Kelami who was pulled up two fences from the finish. The full-brothers returned last year but neither completed, with L’Ami falling at the second fence and Kelami unseating at the 11th obstacle.
Greys
Only two greys have won the Grand National – The Lamb (1868 and 1871) and Nicolaus Silver (1961). But greys have gone close in recent years. Suny Bay, second to Lord Gyllene in 1997, filled the same spot behind Earth Summit in 1998 when the top-weight.
Over the next two seasons, Suny Bay finished 13th, while Kendal Cavalier came seventh and 12th in the same two renewals. Baronet fell at the fourth in 1999 and Senor El Betrutti failed to get past the first in 2000.
Two greys were among the first four home in 2002 – the runner-up What’s Up Boys and the fourth Kingsmark – while Birkdale finished 10 and two other greys, Carryonharry and Gun ‘N’ Roses failed to complete.
There were no greys in 2003 but What’s Up Boys (brought down sixth) and Kingsmark (ninth) ran again in 2004, with the other grey that year, outsider Royal Atalza, being pulled up two out.
The three greys that ran in 2005 did not fare well – Strong Resolve finished 17th, while Double Honour and Marcus Du Berlais unseated their riders. In 2006, Ross Comm fell at the fourth, while the two greys in 2007 also failed to complete – Kandjar D’Allier fell at the eighth fence and The Outlier unseated at the 19th.
King Johns Castle finished an excellent second to Comply Or Die in 2008 while the two other greys last failed to get round as Turko fell at Valentines on the second circuit and D’Argent unseated Robert Thornton two fences later.
Jockeys
Carl Llewellyn and Ruby Walsh hold the best record of current jockeys, having each won the Grand National twice.
The former, now combining the role of trainer with very occasional riding, was successful on Party Politics in 1992 and Earth Summit in 1998, while Walsh partnered Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter five years later to victory in the world’s most famous chase.
The retired Richard Dunwoody, a pundit for BBC Television which covers the John Smith’s Grand National, also had two successes, with Miinnehoma in 1994 and West Tip in 1986, on whom he finished second in 1989 and fourth in 1987 and 1988.
Many highly successful jockeys have tried and failed to win the race, including Peter Scudamore, who came third in 1985 on Corbiere, and seven-time champion jockey John Francome, who rode Rough And Tumble to third in 1979 and second in 1980. The current record-breaking champion Tony McCoy has yet to finish better than third.
In 1982, Geraldine Rees became the first female jockey to complete the Grand National on Cheers.
Rosemary Henderson on her own horse, the 13-year-old Fiddlers Pike, when fifth at 100/1 in 1994, Carrie Ford, who filled the same position on Forest Gunner at 8/1 in 2005, and Nina Carberry, ninth on the same horse in 2006, have emulated her.
George Stevens, the winning-most jockey in Grand National history
with five successes, gained his first victory on Free Trader in 1856. He
followed up on Emblem (1863), Emblematic (1864) and The Colonel
(1869 and 1870).
Three wins have been achieved by six riders -Tom Olliver, Mr Thomas
Pickernell, Mr Tommy Beasley, Arthur Nightingall, Mr Jack Anthony
and Brian Fletcher.
Since 1900 four successful jockeys went on to train winners as well -
Algy Anthony, Tommy Carberry, Fulke Walwyn and Fred Winter.
Together with the Lincoln Handicap run on the Flat at Doncaster
Racecourse, the John Smith’s Grand National forms the ‘Spring
Double’. The only jockey to have won both contests is the late Dave
Dick, who captured the Lincoln on Gloaming in 1941 and the Grand
National on E.S.B. in 1956.
The youngest jockey to win the Grand National was 17-year-old Bruce
Hobbs on Battleship in 1938 and the oldest 48-year-old amateur Dick
Saunders on Grittar in 1982.
Trainers
Ginger McCain, who handed over to his son Donald in 2006, was one of
two trainers to have dominated the roll of honour, having won the great race four times through the record-breaking Red Rum (1973, 1974 & 1977) and Amberleigh House (2004).
The late Fred Rimell was also responsible for four winners – E.S.B. in
1956, Nicolaus Silver in 1961, Gay Trip in 1970 and Rag Trade in 1976.
Nigel Twiston-Davies (Earth Summit and Bindaree) is the only current trainer to have won the Grand National more than once – being successful with Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002).
Jenny Pitman, the only woman to train a John Smith’s Grand National winner, sent out Corbiere (1983) and Royal Athlete (1995) to win. Her
Esha Ness also ‘won’ the void race in 1993.
Toby Balding was also in the winner’s enclosure twice (Highland Wedding (1969) and Little Polveir (1989)) while seven trainers – William Holman (1856, 1858 & 1860), William Moore (1894, 1896 & 1899), Aubrey Hastings (1906, 1915 & 1924) Tom Coulthwaite (1907, 1910 &1931), Vincent O’Brien (1953, 1954 & 1955), Neville Crump (1948, 1952 & 1960) and Tim Forster (1972, 1980 & 1985) – saddled three winners.
Four successful trainers since 1900 had earlier ridden Grand National winners as well – Algy Anthony, Tommy Carberry, Fulke Walwyn and Fred Winter.
A select band of five trainers have managed to win Britain’s two most famous races – the John Smith’s Grand National and the Derby. They are George Blackwell (GN: 1923 Sergeant Murphy; D: 1903 Rock Sand), Richard Dawson (GN: 1898 Droghead; D: 1916 Fifinella, 1929 Trigo, 1930 Blenheim), James Jewitt (GN: 1876 Regal; D: 1884 Harvester, 1892 Sir Hugo), Vincent O’Brien (GN: 1953 Early Mist, 1954 Royal Tan, 1955 Quare Times; D: 1962 Larkspur, 1968 Sir Ivor, 1970 Nijinsky, 1972 Roberto, 1977 The Minstrel, 1982 Golden Fleece) and Willie Stephenson (GN: 1959 Oxo; D: 1951 Arctic Prince).
Mares
Mares lining up in this year’s John Smith’s Grand National have to overcome a long losing sequence for their sex, as well as the 30 fences. Overall 13 mares have won the John Smith’s Grand National, but the most recent was Nickel Coin back in 1951.
The successful mares have been Charity (1841), Miss Mowbray (1852), Anatis (1860), Jealousy (1861), Emblem (1863), Emblematic (1864), Casse Tete (1872), Empress (1880), Zoedone (1883), Frigate (1889), Shannon Lass (1902), Sheila’s Cottage (1948) and Nickel Coin (1951).
Since 1951, the mares Gentle Moya (2nd 1956), Tiberetta (3rd 1957, 2nd 1958 & 4th 1959), Miss Hunter (3rd 1970), Eyecatcher (3rd 1976 and 1977), Auntie Dot (3rd 1991), Laura’s Beau (3rd 1992), Ebony Jane (4th 1994) and Dubacilla (4th 1995) have all finished in the first four. In 1999, the only mare, Fiddling The Facts, started the 6/1 favourite and was going well when she came down at Becher’s second time round.
No mares ran in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006 or 2008, while the one
female representative in 2002, Wicked Crack, got no further than the first fence, L’Aventure came home 15th in 2005 and Liberthine finished fifth in 2007 under amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen. The pair had previously been successful over the National fences in the John Smith’s Topham Chase in 2006.
Weight
Horses hailing from the top end of the handicap have had a fairly poor record in the John Smith’s Grand National in recent years, with 26 out of the last 30 winners carrying less than 11 stone.
The highest-weighted winners in this period were Grittar (11st 5lb) in 1982, Corbiere (11st 4lb) in 1983 and Hedgehunter (11st 1lb) in 2005, while Rhyme ‘N’ Reason (1988) shouldered exactly 11st.
Other winning weights of recent winners are: 10st (Bobbyjo, Lord Gyllene, Rubstic), 10st 2lb (Hallo Dandy), 10st 3lb (Little Polveir), 10st 4lb (Bindaree), 10st 5lb (Last Suspect, Earth Summit), 10st 6lb (Royal Athlete, Seagram, Mr Frisk, Silver Birch), 10st 7lb (Monty’s Pass, Rough Quest, Party Politics), 10st 8lb (Numbersixvalverde, Miinnehoma), 10st 9lb (Lucius, Comply Or Die), 10st 10lb (Amberleigh House), 10st 11lb (Red Marauder, West Tip), 10st 12lb (Papillon, Ben Nevis) and 10st 13lb (Maori Venture, Aldaniti).
The 1999 winner, Bobbyjo, was the joint lowest-weighted horse to succeed in the last 30 runnings alongside Lord Gyllene (1997) and Rubstic (1979), though Hallo Dandy in 1984 would have carried the minimum weight if his jockey had not put up 2lb overweight, with the same applying in 1989 to Little Polveir who shouldered 3lb overweight.
Bobbyjo in 1999 was the eighth horse since the Second World War to carry 10st to victory. The others were Caughoo (1947), Ayala (1963), Anglo (1966), Foinavon (1967), Red Alligator (1968), Rubstic (1979) and Lord Gyllene (1997). Red Rum, in the second of his three successes, shouldered 12st in 1974, while 12st 7lb is the highest weight carried to victory Poethlyn (1919), Jerry M (1912), Manifesto (1899) and Cloister (1893).
The top-weight allocated by senior British Horseracing Authority handicapper Phil Smith, who frames the weights in February especially for the Grand National, is currently 11st 12lb.
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