The 1973 Grand National was the 127th renewal of the world-famous Grand National

Grand National

The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...

 horse race

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 that took place at the Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....

 near Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, on 31 March 1973.

The race is best remembered for being the first of Red Rum

Red Rum

Red Rum was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years...

's three Grand National wins, doing so in record time, and for his remarkable defeat of Crisp

Crisp (horse)

Crisp was a champion steeplechase horse. He was a bay Thoroughbred gelding that was foaled in 1963 in Australia. In his native country, he won many important jumping races, particularly two-milers, including the Hiskens Steeplechase in 1969 and 1970. So well did he jump, he was nicknamed "The Black...

 on the run-in, having trailed by 15 lengths at the final fence.
Before the off, Red Rum was 9/1 joint-favourite with Crisp to win the race. However, by the time the runners had reached The Chair the Australian chaser Crisp, who was carrying the top weight of 12 stone, had already built up a significant lead and appeared unstoppable. For much of the initial stages, Crisp's closest challenger was Bill Shoemark on Grey Sombrero, but that horse fell (fatally) at The Chair, gifting Crisp an even greater lead which had grown to 20 lengths by the end of the first circuit.

Crisp's jockey Richard Pitman

Richard Pitman

Richard Pitman, is a retired jump jockey who rode 470 winners in his career including Lanzarote in the 1974 Champion Hurdle). He also won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse twice, the Whitbread Gold Cup once and the Hennessy Gold Cup once....

 later recalled that at the Becher's Brook

Becher's Brook

Becher's Brook is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the sixth and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year...

 fence on the second circuit, fallen jockey David Nicholson

David Nicholson (horse racing)

David Nicholson was a British National Hunt jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons....

 shouted at him: "Richard, you're 33 lengths clear, kick on and you'll win!" At the same time, he heard the Tannoy commentator Michael O'Hehir

Michael O'Hehir

Michael James Hehir was an Irish hurling, football and horse racing commentator and journalist. Between 1938 and 1985 his enthusiasm and a memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many...

 declare: "And Red Rum is coming out of the pack, Brian Fletcher

Brian Fletcher

Brian Fletcher is an English Jockey notable for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 and 1974 and for second place in 1975. He first won the Grand National at the age of 19, in 1968 riding Red Alligator. He retired in 1976 with head injury...

 is kicking him hard!"

At the 30th and final fence, Crisp was still 15 lengths ahead of Red Rum, jockeyed by Fletcher and given 10 stone, 5lb by the handicapper. However, Crisp was beginning to tire badly on the 494-yard run-in, carrying 23lb more than his nearest rival. Red Rum made up considerable ground, and two strides from the finishing post he pipped Crisp by a mere three-quarters of a length, in a then-record time of nine minutes, 1.9 seconds (a record which would stand for the next 16 years).

The third horse, L'Escargot

L'Escargot (horse)

L'Escargot was a racehorse notable as being the horse who halted the winning run of Red Rum at the Aintree Grand National in 1975. L’Escargot was owned by Raymond R. Guest, and ridden by champion Irish jockey Tommy Carberry. He was trained by Dan Moore, and beat Red Rum by 15 lengths.He won as a...

, who would win the National two years later, was 25 lengths adrift at the finish.

1973 is often considered among the greatest Grand Nationals of all-time, and the dramatic final-stretch battle between the two greats Crisp and Red Rum has also been described as one of the greatest sporting moments.

Finishing order

Position	Horse	Jockey Jockey A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...	Age	Weight (st-lb)	SP	Distance
1st	Red Rum Red Rum Red Rum was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years...	Brian Fletcher Brian Fletcher Brian Fletcher is an English Jockey notable for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 and 1974 and for second place in 1975. He first won the Grand National at the age of 19, in 1968 riding Red Alligator. He retired in 1976 with head injury...	8	10-05	9/1 JF	¾ length
2nd	Crisp Crisp (horse) Crisp was a champion steeplechase horse. He was a bay Thoroughbred gelding that was foaled in 1963 in Australia. In his native country, he won many important jumping races, particularly two-milers, including the Hiskens Steeplechase in 1969 and 1970. So well did he jump, he was nicknamed "The Black...	Richard Pitman Richard Pitman Richard Pitman, is a retired jump jockey who rode 470 winners in his career including Lanzarote in the 1974 Champion Hurdle). He also won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse twice, the Whitbread Gold Cup once and the Hennessy Gold Cup once....