1994 Grand National
Encyclopedia
The 1994 Grand National was the 147th official renewal the world-famous Grand National
horse race
that took place at Aintree
near Liverpool
, England
, on 9 April 1994.
It was won in a time of ten minutes, 18.8 seconds, and by a distance of one-and-a-quarter lengths by 16/1 shot Miinnehoma
, ridden by Northern Irish
jockey Richard Dunwoody
, his second Grand National victory. The winner was trained by Martin Pipe
of Wellington
, Somerset
, and carried the red jacket with yellow star and sleeves and cap with red star of comedian Freddie Starr
. The winning owner collected £115,606 of a total prize fund shared through the first five finishers of £194,000. A maxmimum of 40 competitors were permitted but only 36 ran. All of the horses returned safely.
in February. This impressive run and very lenient treatment from the handicapper, who allotted him nine stone and 8 lbs and ensured he would not be giving weight to any of his rivals, led the public to back him down to 5/1 at the off. Adrian Maguire
who had partnered him in the most recent four of those nine outings took the mount as his second ride in the National, having also been part of the previous year's void race
. Maguire was also the leading rider at the meeting with three wins going into the National, although he had been handed a three-day riding ban after the first race of the day for over use of the whip. The ban would not take effect at the Aintree meeting however.
Maguire kept the horse out of trouble in mid-division for most of the race before gradually moving through the fallers and tiring horses to lie fifth at the second jump of Becher's Brook
. The favourite moved up to join the three leaders turning for home and jumped the second-last disputing the lead with Miinnehoma
. When Maguire asked the horse to quicken into the last fence he jumped two lengths clear, but weakened on the 494-yard run-in to finish 21 lengths back in third. After the race it emerged that Moorcroft Boy had broken a blood vessel within strides of the last fence and raced up the run-in choking. He later suffered a broken neck when falling in the Becher Chase
the following November but was nursed back to health to win the 1996 Scottish Grand National
, his final race before retiring.
Double Silk was another hunter chaser who went to Aintree on the back of a run of ten consecutive victories, which included the 1993 Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters chases, the former of which had seen him secure a second consecutive victory over Moorcroft Boy. The remainder of his wins had been in small hunter chases before returning to Cheltenham three weeks before the National to successfully defend his Foxhunters title. Like the favourite, he was lightly treated by the handicapper, carrying ten stone and 4 lbs, and was heavily backed down to a starting price of 6/1 at the off. Amateur rider Ron Treloggan, who had partnered the horse in all of his previous fourteen starts, became one of nine riders making their Grand National debut, including future winning riders, Paul Carberry
and Tony Dobbin
. Double Silk was sent to the front right at the start and stayed there until the 13th fence when, for the only time in a career that spanned 31 races, he fell, having possibly been unsighted by a loose horse. Neither horse nor rider took part in the National again.
Master Oats was backed heavily after beating Moorcroft Boy in the Greenhall's Gold cup at Kempton in February and was sent off at 9/1, giving Norman Williamson
his fourth ride in the race. The pair were moving up into the front rank when they fell at the 13th fence. The horse went on to win his next five races including the Welsh Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Fellow
was aiming to be the first French-trained horse to win the race for 85 years and also the second horse ever to win the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season, and was sent off at 9/1 after his victory in the Blue Ribband three weeks earlier. The French raider was providing Polish rider Adam Kondrat with his only ride in the race and was lying fourth going into the second circuit and moved up into second on the way down to Becher's Brook for the second time. Mistakes at Becher's and the 23rd saw him drop back to a close fourth when he fell at the Canal Turn
. The Cheltenham champion returned to France to win the Prix Millionaire II in May.
Miinnehoma was a popular runner among locals, being owned by Liverpool comedian Freddie Starr, and was sent off at 16/1 after finishing seventh behind The Fellow in the Gold Cup. The winner of the 1992 Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham had lost his regular partner Peter Scudamore
to retirement and had had four different riders since. Only Richard Dunwoody had won and he took the ride at Aintree as his tenth National ride, having won the race previously in 1986. The pair were prominent throughout, moving into third place at the 14th fence and then going up to dispute the lead at the start of the second circuit. Miinnehoma survived a bad mistake at Becher's second time but remained at the head of the race from there until being headed by Moorcroft Boy going to the last fence. He regained the lead when the favourite broke a blood vessel, going on to survive the late challenge of Just So to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths. He failed to complete the course in his defence of the title in 1995
.
Mr. Boston was backed at 16/1 on the back of a quartet of long-distance victories in minor handicaps and provided Peter Niven with his fifth National ride. The pair were always towards the rear until falling at the 13th fence.
Young Hustler was also 16/1 after winning the Sun Alliance Chase and finishing third to The Fellow in the Gold Cup but lost his regular rider Carl Llewellyn to injury. David Bridgwater was drafted in to make his Grand National debut. The pair were tracking the leaders in fourth place when they were brought down by the loose running Henry Mann. Young Hustler continued riderless and actually passed the post first, coming perilously close to stopping the eventual winner at the last fence in the process.
Zeta's Lad was also sent off at 16/1 having won the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock
in January. He had previously completed a circuit of the previous year's void National before pulling up with Robbie Supple in the saddle. Supple again took the ride as his fourth National mount but the pair were never in contention and was tailed off when falling at the final fence with the horse returning lame.
The parade was led by three-time winner Red Rum
. The contestants had won 285 races between them, earning over £3,500,000 in their careers to that date.
Liam Cusack reported that his mount Ebony Jane had been almost stopped by a loose horse during the race.
Rosemary Henderson became only the second woman ever to complete the course and the first to finish in the top six when coming fifth on Fiddlers Pike. Henderson, an amateur rider in her early fifties, had been labelled the 'Galloping Grandmother' by the press in the build-up to the race. After the race she said: "I'm almost ashamed to say it but I'm not very puffed after that. Perhaps I didn't try hard enough. He jumped very big over the first three or four fences but after that he really settled into it. We stayed out wide to avoid trouble but also because I thought the ground was better. There were a few that fell in front of us but he's very clever, although I think we trampled on someone who fell. I didn't see him in time. It's the experience of a lifetime and I'm so glad were weren't tailed off."
In an interview with Des Lynam
on Grandstand
Adrian Maguire, who rode Moorcroft Boy, said: "I can't really be too annoyed because we've finished third but he ran a great race and just got very tired after the last." When asked if he thought at any stage he was going to win he replied, "No, I jumped the last very well and got a length on Richard [Dunwoody] but could always see he was filling the tank up. That's why I kicked down to the last and hoped he'd stay galloping but Richard had too much guns for me. I was quite lucky with a couple of fallers, especially The Fellow. I'd just jumped the fence on the inside of him and lucky enough he rolled outwards."
Dunwoody's victory in the National helped seal one of the closest jockey's titles for year as he finished just three wins ahead of Adrian Maguire at the end of the season as champion jockey.
in the United Kingdom for the 35th consecutive year as part of its regular Saturday afternoon sports programme Grandstand
. The entire five-hour long programme was presented from the course as a Grand National Grandstand special, presented by Des Lynam, and featured interviews with the connections of the runners and features on some of the competitors as well as looking back at the history of the race and interviews with celebrities and racegoers on the course.
Three other races on the Aintree card were broadcast on the programme before Lynam handed over to Richard Pitman
and Peter Scudamore
who presented the build-up to the big race itself, which included live scenes from inside the jockeys' weighing room. Bill Smith also interviewed many of the connections of the runners in the saddling boxes and paddock before the race, while betting shows were read by Graham Rock. Julian Wilson was at the start in case any incidents similar to the false start of the previous year
occurred. Once the runners were on the course and had paraded, the commentary was handed over to Jim McGrath
, John Hanmer and lead commentator Peter O'Sullevan
who was commentating a National for the BBC for the 49th time and had called home the winners of all the televised Nationals.
Lynam conducted the post-race interviews with trainer Martin Pipe and jockey Richard Dunwoody as well as the first instance of an interview over a mobile phone as Lynam talked briefly with owner and comedian Freddie Starr in front of a bemused audience unable to hear Starr's comments. Pipe explained that Starr had been unable to attend Aintree due to television commitments. Lynam also interviewed Rosemary Henderson who, at the age of 52, became the first woman to collect Grand National prize money by coming fifth on Fiddlers Pike.
Pitman, Scudamore and Smith then guided viewers through a slow motion re-run of the race using camera angles not used during the race itself to show viewers who had not backed the winner where their money went. Wilson then confirmed all the finishers and fallers, also revealing that all the riders had returned safely. It later emerged that Zeta's Lad had returned lame while Moorcroft Boy had broken down on the run-in.
The race was also broadcast live on BBC Radio
for the 63rd time, while preview pullouts were published in most major national newspapers, most in colour.
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 Aintree
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 9 April 1994.
It was won in a time of ten minutes, 18.8 seconds, and by a distance of one-and-a-quarter lengths by 16/1 shot Miinnehoma
Miinnehoma
Miinnehoma was an Irish bred and British trained Thoroughbred racehorse most famous for his victory in the 1994 Grand National at Aintree, ridden by Richard Dunwoody, trained by Martin Pipe and owned by Freddie Starr....
, ridden by Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
jockey Richard Dunwoody
Richard Dunwoody
Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE is a retired British jockey in National Hunt racing. He was a three-time Champion Jockey, riding 1699 British winners in his career. His father was a leading Point to Point rider...
, his second Grand National victory. The winner was trained by Martin Pipe
Martin Pipe
Martin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England....
of Wellington
Wellington, Somerset
Wellington is a small industrial town in rural Somerset, England, situated south west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district, near the border with Devon, which runs along the Blackdown Hills to the south of the town...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and carried the red jacket with yellow star and sleeves and cap with red star of comedian Freddie Starr
Freddie Starr
Freddie Starr is an English comedian who became famous in the early 1970s. He is also an impressionist and singer, with a chart album After the Laughter and UK Top 10 single, "It's You", in March 1974 to his credit.-Early career:Under his real name, he appeared as a teenager in the film Violent...
. The winning owner collected £115,606 of a total prize fund shared through the first five finishers of £194,000. A maxmimum of 40 competitors were permitted but only 36 ran. All of the horses returned safely.
Leading contenders
Moorcroft Boy was installed as favourite on race day after an impressive season which had seen him finish first or second in nine consecutive long-distance chases, including a victory in the Warwick National in January and a second place to Master Oats in the Greenhalls Gold Cup at KemptonKempton Park Racecourse
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
in February. This impressive run and very lenient treatment from the handicapper, who allotted him nine stone and 8 lbs and ensured he would not be giving weight to any of his rivals, led the public to back him down to 5/1 at the off. Adrian Maguire
Adrian Maguire
Adrian Maguire, born 29 April 1971 in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland, is a racehorse trainer and former jockey.Maguire began his career in Irish pony racing at the age of nine, in which he rode more than 200 winners. In 1990 he rode his first winner under rules, at Sligo, before his first victory...
who had partnered him in the most recent four of those nine outings took the mount as his second ride in the National, having also been part of the previous year's void race
1993 Grand National
The 1993 Grand National was scheduled on 3 April 1993 to be the 147th official renewal of the Grand National horse race, held annually at Aintree near Liverpool, England....
. Maguire was also the leading rider at the meeting with three wins going into the National, although he had been handed a three-day riding ban after the first race of the day for over use of the whip. The ban would not take effect at the Aintree meeting however.
Maguire kept the horse out of trouble in mid-division for most of the race before gradually moving through the fallers and tiring horses to lie fifth at the second jump of 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...
. The favourite moved up to join the three leaders turning for home and jumped the second-last disputing the lead with Miinnehoma
Miinnehoma
Miinnehoma was an Irish bred and British trained Thoroughbred racehorse most famous for his victory in the 1994 Grand National at Aintree, ridden by Richard Dunwoody, trained by Martin Pipe and owned by Freddie Starr....
. When Maguire asked the horse to quicken into the last fence he jumped two lengths clear, but weakened on the 494-yard run-in to finish 21 lengths back in third. After the race it emerged that Moorcroft Boy had broken a blood vessel within strides of the last fence and raced up the run-in choking. He later suffered a broken neck when falling in the Becher Chase
Becher Chase
The Becher Chase is a Listed National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 2 furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-one fences to be jumped...
the following November but was nursed back to health to win the 1996 Scottish Grand National
Scottish Grand National
The Scottish Grand National is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of approximately 4 miles and 110 yards and 27 fences...
, his final race before retiring.
Double Silk was another hunter chaser who went to Aintree on the back of a run of ten consecutive victories, which included the 1993 Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters chases, the former of which had seen him secure a second consecutive victory over Moorcroft Boy. The remainder of his wins had been in small hunter chases before returning to Cheltenham three weeks before the National to successfully defend his Foxhunters title. Like the favourite, he was lightly treated by the handicapper, carrying ten stone and 4 lbs, and was heavily backed down to a starting price of 6/1 at the off. Amateur rider Ron Treloggan, who had partnered the horse in all of his previous fourteen starts, became one of nine riders making their Grand National debut, including future winning riders, Paul Carberry
Paul Carberry
Paul Carberry is an Irish National Hunt jockey.- Background :He was born on 9 February 1974. He hails from a racing family. He is the son of jockey Tommy Carberry, who was a famous National Hunt jockey in the 1960s and 1970s. His uncle is Arthur Moore, one of Ireland's leading National Hunt trainers...
and Tony Dobbin
Tony Dobbin
Tony Dobbin is a retired Northern Irish National Hunt jockey who rode mainly in Great Britain. He rode the winner of the Grand National on Lord Gyllene in 1997 and won over 1,200 races during his career in the saddle. He was the regular stable jockey for Nicky Richards...
. Double Silk was sent to the front right at the start and stayed there until the 13th fence when, for the only time in a career that spanned 31 races, he fell, having possibly been unsighted by a loose horse. Neither horse nor rider took part in the National again.
Master Oats was backed heavily after beating Moorcroft Boy in the Greenhall's Gold cup at Kempton in February and was sent off at 9/1, giving Norman Williamson
Norman Williamson
Norman Williamson is a professional jockey in the Irish National Hunt.- References :...
his fourth ride in the race. The pair were moving up into the front rank when they fell at the 13th fence. The horse went on to win his next five races including the Welsh Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Fellow
The Fellow
The Fellow was an AQPS top-class National Hunt racehorse in the early 1990s. He won the 1994 Cheltenham Gold Cup and narrowly lost the 1991 and 1992 renewals. He also won the 1991 and 1992 King George VI Chase and the 1991 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. Along with Mandarin he is one of only two...
was aiming to be the first French-trained horse to win the race for 85 years and also the second horse ever to win the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season, and was sent off at 9/1 after his victory in the Blue Ribband three weeks earlier. The French raider was providing Polish rider Adam Kondrat with his only ride in the race and was lying fourth going into the second circuit and moved up into second on the way down to Becher's Brook for the second time. Mistakes at Becher's and the 23rd saw him drop back to a close fourth when he fell at the Canal Turn
Canal Turn
The Canal Turn is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is jumped during the Grand National steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse near Liverpool, England....
. The Cheltenham champion returned to France to win the Prix Millionaire II in May.
Miinnehoma was a popular runner among locals, being owned by Liverpool comedian Freddie Starr, and was sent off at 16/1 after finishing seventh behind The Fellow in the Gold Cup. The winner of the 1992 Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham had lost his regular partner Peter Scudamore
Peter Scudamore
Peter Scudamore , known universally as 'Scu', is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was an eight-time Champion Jockey , riding 1,678 winners in his career...
to retirement and had had four different riders since. Only Richard Dunwoody had won and he took the ride at Aintree as his tenth National ride, having won the race previously in 1986. The pair were prominent throughout, moving into third place at the 14th fence and then going up to dispute the lead at the start of the second circuit. Miinnehoma survived a bad mistake at Becher's second time but remained at the head of the race from there until being headed by Moorcroft Boy going to the last fence. He regained the lead when the favourite broke a blood vessel, going on to survive the late challenge of Just So to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths. He failed to complete the course in his defence of the title in 1995
1995 Grand National
The 1995 Grand National was the 148th official renewal of the famous Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 8 April 1995....
.
Mr. Boston was backed at 16/1 on the back of a quartet of long-distance victories in minor handicaps and provided Peter Niven with his fifth National ride. The pair were always towards the rear until falling at the 13th fence.
Young Hustler was also 16/1 after winning the Sun Alliance Chase and finishing third to The Fellow in the Gold Cup but lost his regular rider Carl Llewellyn to injury. David Bridgwater was drafted in to make his Grand National debut. The pair were tracking the leaders in fourth place when they were brought down by the loose running Henry Mann. Young Hustler continued riderless and actually passed the post first, coming perilously close to stopping the eventual winner at the last fence in the process.
Zeta's Lad was also sent off at 16/1 having won the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock
Haydock Park Racecourse
Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Haydock, Merseyside, England. The track is a mostly flat left-handed oval of around 1 mile 5 furlongs with a very slight rise on the run-in. There are courses for flat racing and National Hunt racing...
in January. He had previously completed a circuit of the previous year's void National before pulling up with Robbie Supple in the saddle. Supple again took the ride as his fourth National mount but the pair were never in contention and was tailed off when falling at the final fence with the horse returning lame.
Finishing order
39 were declared to run but Bishop's Hall, Windy Ways and Rifle Range were all withdrawn on the morning of the race to leave 36 starting. Simon Morant started his first Grand National, after the retirement of Keith Brown who was partly blamed for the 1993 void race.The parade was led by three-time winner 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...
. The contestants had won 285 races between them, earning over £3,500,000 in their careers to that date.
| Position | Name | Jockey | Age | Weight (st, lb) | Starting price | Distance | Colours |
| 1st | Miinnehoma Miinnehoma Miinnehoma was an Irish bred and British trained Thoroughbred racehorse most famous for his victory in the 1994 Grand National at Aintree, ridden by Richard Dunwoody, trained by Martin Pipe and owned by Freddie Starr.... |
Richard Dunwoody Richard Dunwoody Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE is a retired British jockey in National Hunt racing. He was a three-time Champion Jockey, riding 1699 British winners in his career. His father was a leading Point to Point rider... |
11 | 10-08 | 16/1 | Won by 1¼ lengths | Red with yellow star, sleeves and cap with red star |
| 2nd | Just So | Simon Burrough | 11 | 10-03 | 20/1 | 20 lengths | Dark blue, red hoops and armbands |
| 3rd | Moorcroft Boy | Adrian Maguire Adrian Maguire Adrian Maguire, born 29 April 1971 in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland, is a racehorse trainer and former jockey.Maguire began his career in Irish pony racing at the age of nine, in which he rode more than 200 winners. In 1990 he rode his first winner under rules, at Sligo, before his first victory... |
9 | 10-00 | 5/1 F | 25 lengths | Red/yellow quarters, red sleeves and cap with yellow spots |
| 4th | Ebony Jane | Liam Cusack | 9 | 10-01 | 25/1 | 9 lengths | Cerise, pale green sleeves and cap with black stripes |
| 5th | Fiddlers Pike | Mrs. Rosemary Henderson | 13 | 10-00 | 100/1 | A distance | Blue, light pink quarters, spots on cap |
| 6th | Roc De Prince (FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) |
Jonathan Lower | 11 | 10-00 | 100/1 | Last to complete | Pink, purple crossbelts, hooped sleeves, purple cap |
Non-finishers
| Fence | Name | Jockey | Age | Weight (st, lb) | Starting price | Fate | Colours |
| 1st | Elfast | Graham McCourt | 11 | 10-04 | 18/1 | Fell | White with green sleeves, collar and burgundy cap |
| Fourth Of July | John Banahen | 10 | 10-00 | 50/1 | Fell | Sky, black piping, quartered cap | |
| Henry Mann | Charlie Swan | 11 | 10-00 | 50/1 | Fell | Dark blue, green hoop and quartered cap | |
| 3rd | Ushers Island | Tony Dobbin | 8 | 10-00 | 66/1 | Unseated rider | Yellow, burgundy reverse chevrons on body and sleeves, hooped cap |
| 4th | Romany King | Richard Guest | 10 | 10-01 | 22/1 | Fell | Peach with black diamonds, collar and diamond on cap |
| 6th (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... ) |
It's A Cracker | Conor O'Dwyer | 10 | 10-00 | 33/1 | Fell | Blue, white checks, sleeves and cap |
| Laura's Beau | Brendan Sheridan | 10 | 10-00 | 40/1 | Fell | Green/yellow hoops, sleeves, white cap | |
| New Mill House | Trevor Horgan | 11 | 10-00 | 150/1 | Fell | White, green diablo, sleeves with white hoops, white cap | |
| 7th (Foinavon Foinavon Foinavon was a relatively undistinguished Irish racehorse, until he became famous for winning the Grand National in 1967 after the rest of the field fell, refused or were hampered or brought down in a mêlée at the 23rd fence. He was at one time owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster, whose colours... ) |
Gay Ruffian | Rod Farrant | 8 | 10-00 | 150/1 | Fell | White, green diablo, green sleeves, white hoops, green, white hooped cap |
| 9th (Valentine's) | Captain Brandy | Kevin O'Brien | 9 | 10-00 | 50/1 | Unseated rider | White, red sleeves, two tone green hooped cap |
| 11th | Southern Minstrel | Mark Dwyer | 11 | 10-01 | 50/1 | Tailed off, pulled up | Black, red sleeves and quartered cap |
| Young Hustler | David Bridgwater | 7 | 10-12 | 16/1 | Brought down | Dark blue with yellow stripe, yellow sleeves and cap, dark blue armbands and star on cap | |
| 13th | Double Silk | Mr. Ron Treloggen | 10 | 10-04 | 6/1 | Fell | Yellow with red armbands and quartered cap |
| Master Oats | Norman Williamson Norman Williamson Norman Williamson is a professional jockey in the Irish National Hunt.- References :... |
8 | 10-00 | 9/1 | Fell | Black with yellow chevron and chevron sleeves | |
| Mighty Falcon | Paul Holley | 9 | 10-00 | 250/1 | Brought down | Black, yellow diamonds on body and sleeves, yellow, red hooped cap | |
| Mr. Boston | Peter Niven | 9 | 10-02 | 16/1 | Fell | Black and white halves, alternate colour sleeves and quartered cap | |
| Topsham Bay | Jimmy Frost | 11 | 10-11 | 25/1 | Hampered, unseated rider | Ice blue, white crossbelts, red cap | |
| 15th (The Chair) | Black Humour | Graham Bradley | 10 | 10-12 | 33/1 | Fell | Pink, silver diamonds, collar and diamonds on sleeves |
| Quirinus (CZE Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... ) |
Chiko Brecka | 12 | 11-10 | 250/1 | Tailed off, unseated rider | Yellow, green epaulets and striped black sleeves, green, black quartered cap | |
| 17th | Garrison Savannah Garrison Savannah (horse) Garrison Savannah was a famous racehorse, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1991 by a short-head from The Fellow with Desert Orchid back in third place. In the same year, he came second in the Aintree Grand National. He won the previous year's Royal & SunAlliance Chase. He had only one race... |
Jamie Osborne Jamie Osborne Jamie Osborne is a jockey and race horse trainer. Born 28 August 1967 he rode his first winner in March 1986 and in 1999 obtained his trainers licence. Once a favourite of the Queen Mother, he was acquitted of race fixing in 1998.-References:... |
11 | 10-03 | 25/1 | Hampered, refused | Orange, black star, striped sleeves and star on cap |
| He Who Dares Wins | Chris Grant | 10 | 10-00 | 66/1 | Tailed off, pulled up | Blue, white hoops, sleeves, orange cap | |
| Paco's Boy | Martin Foster | 9 | 10-00 | 200/1 | Tailed off, pulled up | Yellow, black triangle, sleeves with blue diamonds, black cap | |
| Run For Free | Mark Perrett | 10 | 11-07 | 25/1 | Hampered, refused | Burgundy with yellow eppaulets, armbands and star on cap | |
| 18th | Riverside Boy | Mark Richards | 11 | 10-00 | 33/1 | Refused | Blue, brown epaulets, sleeves and cap |
| 19th | Channels Gate | Tom Jenks | 10 | 10-00 | 100/1 | Refused | Brown, orange chevons on sleeves, orange cap |
| 24th (Canal Turn) | Mister Ed | Derek Morris | 11 | 10-00 | 50/1 | Tailed off, hampered, unseated rider | Blue, white star and sleeves, red armband, white star on cap |
| The Fellow (FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) |
Adam Kondrat | 9 | 11-04 | 9/1 | Fell | Red with green cap | |
| 27th | Rust Never Sleeps | Paul Carberry Paul Carberry Paul Carberry is an Irish National Hunt jockey.- Background :He was born on 9 February 1974. He hails from a racing family. He is the son of jockey Tommy Carberry, who was a famous National Hunt jockey in the 1960s and 1970s. His uncle is Arthur Moore, one of Ireland's leading National Hunt trainers... |
10 | 10-00 | 66/1 | Unseated rider | Blue, pale orange sleeves, grey and brown striped cap |
| 30th | Into The Red | John White | 10 | 10-00 | 25/1 | Unseated rider | Yellow, white cap with navy star |
| Zeta's Lad | Robbie Supple | 11 | 10-13 | 16/1 | Tailed off, fell | Blue with white star, stars on sleeves and cap | |
Aftermath
Winner Richard Dunwoody later said of the race: "I didn't know it at the time, but the omens were good. It had snowed when West Tip won the National for me eight years earlier and he'd worn the same number. He wasn't very big and it was only the second time I'd ridden him, but he was a gutsy horse, a tough individual, and he gave me one of my greatest days as a jockey. There we no strict instructions. Martin [Pipe] told me to go out there and enjoy myself and I joked that I wouldn't hit the front too soon, as we knew the horse idled. At Becher's the second time, there was a worrying moment when Miinnehoma pecked badly on landing. But apart from that, I couldn't get over how he travelled so well in the race. But at the third-last I could see that Adrian Maguire and Moorcroft Boy were also going well. At the second-last my horse jinked and we lost about half a length, and Moorcroft Boy jumped the last in the lead. Yet he stopped in a matter of about ten strides. He hit the wall and, if anything, we got there a little too soon. I expected a loose horse to give us a lead, but he ducked away and I got the shock of my life when Just So and Simon Burrough arrived there at my girth. I was in full panic mode, but my horse picked up well."Liam Cusack reported that his mount Ebony Jane had been almost stopped by a loose horse during the race.
Rosemary Henderson became only the second woman ever to complete the course and the first to finish in the top six when coming fifth on Fiddlers Pike. Henderson, an amateur rider in her early fifties, had been labelled the 'Galloping Grandmother' by the press in the build-up to the race. After the race she said: "I'm almost ashamed to say it but I'm not very puffed after that. Perhaps I didn't try hard enough. He jumped very big over the first three or four fences but after that he really settled into it. We stayed out wide to avoid trouble but also because I thought the ground was better. There were a few that fell in front of us but he's very clever, although I think we trampled on someone who fell. I didn't see him in time. It's the experience of a lifetime and I'm so glad were weren't tailed off."
In an interview with Des Lynam
Des Lynam
Desmond Michael "Des" Lynam, OBE is an Irish television and radio presenter based in the UK.He has hosted television coverage of high profile events for many years...
on Grandstand
Grandstand (BBC)
Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
Adrian Maguire, who rode Moorcroft Boy, said: "I can't really be too annoyed because we've finished third but he ran a great race and just got very tired after the last." When asked if he thought at any stage he was going to win he replied, "No, I jumped the last very well and got a length on Richard [Dunwoody] but could always see he was filling the tank up. That's why I kicked down to the last and hoped he'd stay galloping but Richard had too much guns for me. I was quite lucky with a couple of fallers, especially The Fellow. I'd just jumped the fence on the inside of him and lucky enough he rolled outwards."
Dunwoody's victory in the National helped seal one of the closest jockey's titles for year as he finished just three wins ahead of Adrian Maguire at the end of the season as champion jockey.
Media
The race was broadcast live on BBC OneBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in the United Kingdom for the 35th consecutive year as part of its regular Saturday afternoon sports programme Grandstand
Grandstand (BBC)
Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
. The entire five-hour long programme was presented from the course as a Grand National Grandstand special, presented by Des Lynam, and featured interviews with the connections of the runners and features on some of the competitors as well as looking back at the history of the race and interviews with celebrities and racegoers on the course.
Three other races on the Aintree card were broadcast on the programme before Lynam handed over to 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....
and Peter Scudamore
Peter Scudamore
Peter Scudamore , known universally as 'Scu', is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was an eight-time Champion Jockey , riding 1,678 winners in his career...
who presented the build-up to the big race itself, which included live scenes from inside the jockeys' weighing room. Bill Smith also interviewed many of the connections of the runners in the saddling boxes and paddock before the race, while betting shows were read by Graham Rock. Julian Wilson was at the start in case any incidents similar to the false start of the previous year
1993 Grand National
The 1993 Grand National was scheduled on 3 April 1993 to be the 147th official renewal of the Grand National horse race, held annually at Aintree near Liverpool, England....
occurred. Once the runners were on the course and had paraded, the commentary was handed over to Jim McGrath
Jim McGrath (Australian commentator)
Jim Aloysius McGrath is the BBC's senior horse racing commentator. He was previously deputy race commentator, and sometimes a paddock commentator.-Career:...
, John Hanmer and lead commentator Peter O'Sullevan
Peter O'Sullevan
Sir Peter O'Sullevan is a retired horse racing commentator for the BBC from 1947 to 1997, and correspondent for the Press Association, Daily Express and Today.-Early life:...
who was commentating a National for the BBC for the 49th time and had called home the winners of all the televised Nationals.
Lynam conducted the post-race interviews with trainer Martin Pipe and jockey Richard Dunwoody as well as the first instance of an interview over a mobile phone as Lynam talked briefly with owner and comedian Freddie Starr in front of a bemused audience unable to hear Starr's comments. Pipe explained that Starr had been unable to attend Aintree due to television commitments. Lynam also interviewed Rosemary Henderson who, at the age of 52, became the first woman to collect Grand National prize money by coming fifth on Fiddlers Pike.
Pitman, Scudamore and Smith then guided viewers through a slow motion re-run of the race using camera angles not used during the race itself to show viewers who had not backed the winner where their money went. Wilson then confirmed all the finishers and fallers, also revealing that all the riders had returned safely. It later emerged that Zeta's Lad had returned lame while Moorcroft Boy had broken down on the run-in.
The race was also broadcast live on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
for the 63rd time, while preview pullouts were published in most major national newspapers, most in colour.