2001 Grand National
Encyclopedia
The 2001 Grand National was the 154th official renewal of the world-famous Grand National
horse race
that took place at Aintree
near Liverpool
, England
, on 7 April 2001.
The steeplechase
was won by a distance by 33/1 shot Red Marauder
, ridden by jockey Richard Guest, in a time of over 11 minutes. The winner was owned by Norman Mason and trained at his base in Crook
, County Durham
and ran in the trainer's colours of red with a blue hoop, three blue hoops on the sleeves and a red and blue hooped cap.
The field was limited for safety reasons to a maximum of 40 competitors, of which only two completed the course without mishap and was run in heavy going. The race was notable for an unusually high number of falls, including eight at the Canal Turn
, and it came in for criticism in some quarters, believing that the conditions were too wet and muddy for the race to take place. However, supporters of the race were quick to point out that the slow pace and bottomless ground benefitted the race as there were no injuries sustained to any horse or rider.
and many other fixtures being abandoned before the Grand National
meeting. However, the National got the go-ahead from racing officials. On the day, the race went ahead despite atrocious weather, with high winds and an extremely heavy going.
Jockey Paul Flynn was the subject of a frantic search when Mick Fitzgerald
was forced to stand down as rider of Esprit De Cotte less than two hours before the race. When Flynn did not respond to calls and texts to his mobile phone, two Tannoy announcements were sent out around the course for him to report to the weighing room. When he still did not respond an urgent message was sent out over the BBC via its live coverage of the build-up of the race. Flynn, who had never before ridden in a National, could not be located in time and the ride instead went to Tom Doyle. Flynn never got another chance to ride in the race.
and was made 10/1 joint-favourite on the horse's preference for soft ground. He ran prominently at the head of the field for most of the first circuit and was still leading when he fell into the ditch at The Chair, catapulting rider Richard Johnson
over the fence.
Moral Support was also supported to joint-favouritism on the back of a preference for soft ground and a good showing in the Welsh National four months prior. Partnered by Noel Fehily, he was towards the rear of the field when caught in a pile-up at the Canal Turn on the first circuit and brought to a standstill.
Inis Cara was the third joint-favourite but was backed purely on the basis of being a mudlark. His form lacked that of the other two joint-favourites however as he had failed to make a serious impression in any of his six previous races. His jockey Robert Widger was hoping to emulate his great-uncle who won the race over a century before, but the partnership was severed by a heavy fall at the fourth fence.
Beau was the 12/1 mount of two-time winning jockey Carl Llewellyn and had won the Whitbread Gold Cup
, a respected Aintree trial, by a distance in 1999. His form in 2000 had been less impressive and his heavy weight handicap was also considered a tough ask, but the horse was coping well with it during the race and was leading the only four runners left in the race when an awkward jump at the 19th fence put his reins over his head. Jockey Llewellyn fought to try to save the situation but, without steering, was unsurpisingly unseated at the next fence. The rider desperately chased his mount to the next fence in a bid to remount and possibly claim third place, but was unable to do so.
Mely Moss was sent off at 14/1, having finished second in the race the previous year, despite it being his only run of the season. He was again kept off the racecourse until Aintree and partnered by Norman Williamson
, but they were unable to avoid the melee at the Canal Turn.
Papillon
beat Mely Moss to win the previous year's National
and this, coupled with his trainer risking a foot-and-mouth quarantine to bring him to Aintree, saw him well supported at 14/1. His partner in victory, Ruby Walsh
again took the ride and they avoided the carnage on the first circuit to be among the only seven still continuing when a loose horse took them out at the 19th fence. Walsh remounted and hacked around the remainder of the course with the remounted Blowing Wind before being left behind at the final flight to be the last of four to complete.
The eventual winner, Red Marauder, was freely available as an each-way chance at 33/1 after disappointingly falling at Becher's Brook
on the first circuit the previous year. Another fall at Haydock
before the National had punters feeling that the horse was not a safe enough jumper.
, where he brought down several nearby runners. Nine horses were lost at the Turn overall, including Moral Support, one of the favourites, and future winner Amberleigh House
. No Retreat, who was one of the rank outsiders, was also carried out at the Turn but managed to retake the fence and continued over a fence behind the rest of the remaining runners.
Only 13 horses remained after the Turn, going onto the racecourse proper for the first time. At the 13th, Noble Lord fell, leaving only 12 to tackle the The Chair, the large standside jump. This year it claimed three horses including joint-favourite Edmond, each-way shot Supreme Charm and largely unfancied Moondigua. Listen Timmy made a major mistake, recovered, but was pulled up immediately after the fence. No Retreat, who was completely tailed off at the time was eventually pulled up by jockey Jason Maguire before the start of the second circuit. As the field left for the second circuit, only seven horses remained: Red Marauder, Papillon, Beau, Blowing Wind, Brave Highlander, Unsinkable Boxer, and Smarty.
Approaching the 19th, a couple of loose horses veered across the ditch, similar to what had happened earlier at the Canal Turn, and hampered Papillon, Blowing Wind and Brave Highlander, resulting in their refusals. Unsinkable Boxer also refused at the big ditch. This left three. The leader of the trio and top weight, Beau, unseated jockey Llewellyn at the 20th fence after his reigns broke. Two fences back, Tony McCoy
remounted Blowing Wind and Ruby Walsh
remounted Papillon. McCoy later said, "I looked up at the big screen and saw there were only two horses still racing. I shouted to Ruby [Walsh], 'Come on, let's get back up'". Blowing Wind and Papillon both continued the course to take third and fourth place respectively.
Going into the last few fences Smarty had a lead over Red Marauder. However by the second-last, Guest on Red Marauder had drawn level with Smarty, and ultimately won by a distance. A mud-covered Guest celebrated crossing the finish line in the slowest Grand National winning time for over 100 years. It was the first time since Ben Nevis won in 1980 that just four horses finished the race, and the first time since 1967 that there were only two unhampered finishers when the largely unnoticed Packed Home successfully negotiated the infamous 23rd fence pile up behind Foinavon
to complete unhindered.
, and unusually was the only rider in the field with ten rides under his belt. In addition there was also a higher-than-average number of rookies in the weighing room, though the ability of all 12 riders making their debut could not be questioned or offered as having any effect on the carnage that followed in the race. Noel Fehily carried the best chance of a winning debut but was among those knocked out of the race at the Canal Turn pile-up. Indeed none of the 12 debutants completed the first circuit, Jason Maguire going the farthest when pulling his mount up at the water jump. The remainder of the group included Tom Doyle, drafted in when Mick Fitzgerald was injured, John McNamara, Brian Crowley, Shay Barry, Fran Flood and Leslie Jefford. The remainder of the group was made up of Tom Scudamore
, whose father and grandfather had both previously taken part in the race, the latter winning in 1959, and a trio of riders whose only ride in the race this proved to be for different circumstances; Jim Crowley, who went on to become a group one winner on the flat, Jamie Goldstein who missed the ride on the eventual winner the following year when suffering a broken leg weeks before the race, and Kieran Kelly
who was killed racing in Ireland in 2003.
journalist and lead presenter of Channel 4 Racing
, Alastair Down, wrote: "You can wash the mud off the jockeys' silks, but not the stain off the race", under a front page headline: Gutless, Witless and Utterly Reckless. John Maxse, spokesman of the Jockey Club
, said: "It was fairly shocking, uncomfortable viewing".
However, many in racing leapt to Aintree's defence, as it was loose horses that had caused most problems. Despite more than 30 of the 40 horses either falling or being brought down, all of the horses and jockeys were fine afterwards and no major injuries were sustained.
retained the rights to broadcast the race live on terrestrial television in the United Kingdom
as they had done every year since 1960. BBC One's Saturday afternoon sports show Grandstand
covered the race as a Grand National special, which began at 12:45pm BST and was presented by Sue Barker
and Clare Balding
. This consisted of race build-up, with previews of the main contenders, interviews with connections of the runners, and celebrity spectators, as well as nostalgic segments from the history of the race, while Angus Loughran
provided regular updates on the betting market.
In addition to the race itself the programme also broadcast live coverage of three other races on the Aintree card — the Cordon Bleu Handicap Hurdle, the Martell Maghull Novices Steeplechase and the Martell Aintree Hurdle, none of which were run over the Grand National course. The commentator for the these races was Jim McGrath
, who also called home the winner of the National where he was joined by a commentary team of John Hanmer and Tony O'Hehir (however O'Hehir played no part in the commentary of the race as rain caused a power failure at his commentary position at Becher's Brook). Hanmer, whose role was to commentate on the runners over the first four fences and the last three along the Canal side of the course took over and continued commentary of both circuits from fences one to 12 and 17 to 28. McGrath continued his normal commentary of the race as on the racecourse proper.
48 cameras were used to film the action, including inside two jockeys' caps and some inside fences. The majority of these shots were used in a detailed post-race re-run with Richard Pitman
and Peter Scudamore
. The BBC's coverage was also syndicated across the world for live coverage in China
, the United States
, Canada
and large parts of Europe
and Asia
for an estimated global viewing audience of 650 million people during the eleven minutes of the race itself.
BBC Radio covered the race for the 59th time since its first broadcast in 1927 and was part of its Five Live Sports broadcast hosted by Mark Pougatch
. The radio commentary team was headed by Peter Bromley
who had announced that this would be his last commentary of the National, his first having been in 1960. He was joined by Lee McKenzie
, Cornelius Lysaght
and Dave Smith.
The race was also streamed live on the Internet using BBC pictures to an undisclosed audience.
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 7 April 2001.
The steeplechase
Steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
was won by a distance by 33/1 shot Red Marauder
Red Marauder
Red Marauder is a Thoroughbred race horse that won a dramatic 2001 renewal of the Grand National. Only four horses completed the race successfully - two of those having been remounted - due partly to the desperate conditions at Aintree and mainly thanks to the loose horse Paddy's Return causing...
, ridden by jockey Richard Guest, in a time of over 11 minutes. The winner was owned by Norman Mason and trained at his base in Crook
Crook, County Durham
Crook is a market town in County Durham, England. It is situated about 10 miles south-west of Durham.Crook lies a couple of miles north of the River Wear, on the A690 from Durham...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and ran in the trainer's colours of red with a blue hoop, three blue hoops on the sleeves and a red and blue hooped cap.
The field was limited for safety reasons to a maximum of 40 competitors, of which only two completed the course without mishap and was run in heavy going. The race was notable for an unusually high number of falls, including eight 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....
, and it came in for criticism in some quarters, believing that the conditions were too wet and muddy for the race to take place. However, supporters of the race were quick to point out that the slow pace and bottomless ground benefitted the race as there were no injuries sustained to any horse or rider.
Background
The 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease had led to the Cheltenham FestivalCheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
and many other fixtures being abandoned before the 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...
meeting. However, the National got the go-ahead from racing officials. On the day, the race went ahead despite atrocious weather, with high winds and an extremely heavy going.
Jockey Paul Flynn was the subject of a frantic search when Mick Fitzgerald
Mick Fitzgerald
Mick Fitzgerald is an Irish National Hunt jockey who rode mainly in Great Britain. He has ridden the winners of the Grand National, on Rough Quest in 1996, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on See More Business in 1999. He was the stable jockey for Nicky Henderson and was leading jockey at the...
was forced to stand down as rider of Esprit De Cotte less than two hours before the race. When Flynn did not respond to calls and texts to his mobile phone, two Tannoy announcements were sent out around the course for him to report to the weighing room. When he still did not respond an urgent message was sent out over the BBC via its live coverage of the build-up of the race. Flynn, who had never before ridden in a National, could not be located in time and the ride instead went to Tom Doyle. Flynn never got another chance to ride in the race.
Leading contenders
Edmond was the winner of the 1999 Welsh NationalWelsh National
The Welsh National is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of about 3 miles and 5½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
and was made 10/1 joint-favourite on the horse's preference for soft ground. He ran prominently at the head of the field for most of the first circuit and was still leading when he fell into the ditch at The Chair, catapulting rider Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson (jockey)
Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:...
over the fence.
Moral Support was also supported to joint-favouritism on the back of a preference for soft ground and a good showing in the Welsh National four months prior. Partnered by Noel Fehily, he was towards the rear of the field when caught in a pile-up at the Canal Turn on the first circuit and brought to a standstill.
Inis Cara was the third joint-favourite but was backed purely on the basis of being a mudlark. His form lacked that of the other two joint-favourites however as he had failed to make a serious impression in any of his six previous races. His jockey Robert Widger was hoping to emulate his great-uncle who won the race over a century before, but the partnership was severed by a heavy fall at the fourth fence.
Beau was the 12/1 mount of two-time winning jockey Carl Llewellyn and had won the Whitbread Gold Cup
Bet365 Gold Cup
The Bet365 Gold Cup is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 3 miles and 5½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-four fences to be jumped...
, a respected Aintree trial, by a distance in 1999. His form in 2000 had been less impressive and his heavy weight handicap was also considered a tough ask, but the horse was coping well with it during the race and was leading the only four runners left in the race when an awkward jump at the 19th fence put his reins over his head. Jockey Llewellyn fought to try to save the situation but, without steering, was unsurpisingly unseated at the next fence. The rider desperately chased his mount to the next fence in a bid to remount and possibly claim third place, but was unable to do so.
Mely Moss was sent off at 14/1, having finished second in the race the previous year, despite it being his only run of the season. He was again kept off the racecourse until Aintree and partnered by Norman Williamson
Norman Williamson
Norman Williamson is a professional jockey in the Irish National Hunt.- References :...
, but they were unable to avoid the melee at the Canal Turn.
Papillon
Papillon (horse)
Papillon is an Irish racehorse formerly trained at Greenhills stables, near Naas in County Kildare. His most notable success was winning the 2000 Grand National.Papillon is owned by American Mrs Betty Moran, owner of Brushwood Stable...
beat Mely Moss to win the previous year's National
2000 Grand National
The 2000 Grand National was the 153rd official renewal of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree on 8 April 2000....
and this, coupled with his trainer risking a foot-and-mouth quarantine to bring him to Aintree, saw him well supported at 14/1. His partner in victory, Ruby Walsh
Ruby Walsh
Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:...
again took the ride and they avoided the carnage on the first circuit to be among the only seven still continuing when a loose horse took them out at the 19th fence. Walsh remounted and hacked around the remainder of the course with the remounted Blowing Wind before being left behind at the final flight to be the last of four to complete.
The eventual winner, Red Marauder, was freely available as an each-way chance at 33/1 after disappointingly falling at 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...
on the first circuit the previous year. Another fall 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...
before the National had punters feeling that the horse was not a safe enough jumper.
The race
The heavy conditions contributed greatly to the horses that fell during the race; eight had already fallen by the third fence. One of the horses that fell in the opening stages, Paddy's Return, carried on as a loose horse and caused pandemonium at the Canal TurnCanal 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....
, where he brought down several nearby runners. Nine horses were lost at the Turn overall, including Moral Support, one of the favourites, and future winner Amberleigh House
Amberleigh House
Amberleigh House was the horse that won the 2004 Grand National. He is now retired and living at the National Stud in Newmarket.-Staff:Amberleigh House was trained by legend Ginger McCain, and was usually ridden by jockey Graham Lee, amongst others...
. No Retreat, who was one of the rank outsiders, was also carried out at the Turn but managed to retake the fence and continued over a fence behind the rest of the remaining runners.
Only 13 horses remained after the Turn, going onto the racecourse proper for the first time. At the 13th, Noble Lord fell, leaving only 12 to tackle the The Chair, the large standside jump. This year it claimed three horses including joint-favourite Edmond, each-way shot Supreme Charm and largely unfancied Moondigua. Listen Timmy made a major mistake, recovered, but was pulled up immediately after the fence. No Retreat, who was completely tailed off at the time was eventually pulled up by jockey Jason Maguire before the start of the second circuit. As the field left for the second circuit, only seven horses remained: Red Marauder, Papillon, Beau, Blowing Wind, Brave Highlander, Unsinkable Boxer, and Smarty.
Approaching the 19th, a couple of loose horses veered across the ditch, similar to what had happened earlier at the Canal Turn, and hampered Papillon, Blowing Wind and Brave Highlander, resulting in their refusals. Unsinkable Boxer also refused at the big ditch. This left three. The leader of the trio and top weight, Beau, unseated jockey Llewellyn at the 20th fence after his reigns broke. Two fences back, Tony McCoy
Tony McCoy
Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....
remounted Blowing Wind and Ruby Walsh
Ruby Walsh
Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:...
remounted Papillon. McCoy later said, "I looked up at the big screen and saw there were only two horses still racing. I shouted to Ruby [Walsh], 'Come on, let's get back up'". Blowing Wind and Papillon both continued the course to take third and fourth place respectively.
Going into the last few fences Smarty had a lead over Red Marauder. However by the second-last, Guest on Red Marauder had drawn level with Smarty, and ultimately won by a distance. A mud-covered Guest celebrated crossing the finish line in the slowest Grand National winning time for over 100 years. It was the first time since Ben Nevis won in 1980 that just four horses finished the race, and the first time since 1967 that there were only two unhampered finishers when the largely unnoticed Packed Home successfully negotiated the infamous 23rd fence pile up behind 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...
to complete unhindered.
Finishing order
| Position | Number | Name | Jockey | Age | Weight (st, lb) | Starting price | Distance |
| 1st | 9 | Red Marauder Red Marauder Red Marauder is a Thoroughbred race horse that won a dramatic 2001 renewal of the Grand National. Only four horses completed the race successfully - two of those having been remounted - due partly to the desperate conditions at Aintree and mainly thanks to the loose horse Paddy's Return causing... |
Richard Guest | 11 | 10-11 | 33/1 | A distance |
| 2nd | 26 | Smarty | Timmy Murphy Timmy Murphy Timothy James Murphy , commonly known as Timmy Murphy, is a National Hunt jockey who overcame difficult personal problems to win the 2008 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on the horse Comply or Die. He recorded his 1,000th winner at Taunton on 21 January 2010.- References :... |
8 | 10-0 | 16/1 | A distance |
| 3rd | 13 | Blowing Wind | Tony McCoy Tony McCoy Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey.... |
8 | 10-9 | 16/1 | A distance |
| 4th | 2 | Papillon Papillon (horse) Papillon is an Irish racehorse formerly trained at Greenhills stables, near Naas in County Kildare. His most notable success was winning the 2000 Grand National.Papillon is owned by American Mrs Betty Moran, owner of Brushwood Stable... |
Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:... |
10 | 11-4 | 14/1 | Last to complete |
Non-finishers
| Fence | Number | Name | Jockey | Age | Weight (st, lb) | Starting price | Fate |
| 20th | 1 | Beau | Carl Llewellyn | 8 | 11-10 | 12/1 | Unseated rider |
| 19th (open ditch) | 12 | Unsinkable Boxer | Dean Gallagher | 12 | 10-10 | 66/1 | Refused |
| 36 | Brave Highlander | Philip Hide | 13 | 10-0 | 33/1 | Baulked, refused | |
| 16th (water jump) | 25 | No Retreat | Jason Maguire Jason Maguire Jason Maguire , is a Irish horse racing jockey who won the 2011 Grand National on Ballabriggs.-Early life and career:Maguire is the nephew of another former jockey Adrian Maguire. He started out in Irish pony races and as he started his career rode his first winner, Search For Peace at Cheltenham... |
8 | 10-1 | 100/1 | Pulled up |
| 21 | Listen Timmy | 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... |
12 | 10-3 | 100/1 | Pulled up lame | |
| 15th (The Chair) | 23 | Edmond | Richard Johnson Richard Johnson (jockey) Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:... |
9 | 10-1 | 10/1 JF | Fell |
| 39 | Supreme Charm | Robert Thornton Robert Thornton (jockey) Robert "Choc" Thornton is an English National Hunt jockey currently employed as stable jockey to Alan King.... |
9 | 9-8 | 33/1 | Fell | |
| 28 | Moondigua | Shay Barry | 9 | 9-12 | 100/1 | Fell | |
| 13th | 16 | Noble Lord | Jimmy McCarthy | 8 | 10-5 | 25/1 | Fell |
| 11th | 31 | Esprit De Cotte | Tom Doyle | 9 | 9-11 | 33/1 | Unseated rider |
| 9th (Valentine's) | 38 | Mister One | Leslie Jefford | 10 | 9-8 | 50/1 | Unseated rider |
| 8th (Canal Turn) | 17 | Amberleigh House Amberleigh House Amberleigh House was the horse that won the 2004 Grand National. He is now retired and living at the National Stud in Newmarket.-Staff:Amberleigh House was trained by legend Ginger McCain, and was usually ridden by jockey Graham Lee, amongst others... |
Warren Marston | 9 | 10-5 | 150/1 | Brought down |
| 20 | Dark Stranger | Kieran Kelly Kieran Kelly Kieran Kelly was a top Irish jump jockey who died as a result of a racing accident.Kelly was born in County Kildare and achieved his first Cheltenham Festival success in March 2003 on Hardy Eustace in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.He was critically injured in a fall in on August 8, 2003... |
10 | 10-3 | 25/1 | Baulked, refused | |
| 5 | General Wolfe | Brian Crowley | 12 | 11-0 | 50/1 | Brought down | |
| 29 | Village King | Jim Culloty Jim Culloty Jim Culloty is a racehorse trainer and retired professional National Hunt jockey who won both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season.... |
8 | 9-12 | 25/1 | Brought down | |
| 19 | Mely Moss | Norman Williamson Norman Williamson Norman Williamson is a professional jockey in the Irish National Hunt.- References :... |
10 | 10-5 | 14/1 | Brought down | |
| 24 | You're Agoodun | Rupert Wakeley | 9 | 10-1 | 28/1 | Brought down | |
| 34 | Feels Like Gold | Brian Harding | 13 | 9-10 | 50/1 | Baulked, refused | |
| 14 | Moral Support | Noel Fehily | 9 | 10-9 | 10/1 JF | Baulked, refused | |
| 10 | Djeddah | Thierry Doumen | 13 | 10-11 | 33/1 | Fell | |
| 32 | Lance Armstrong | Andrew Thornton Andrew Thornton Andrew Thornton is a National Hunt jockey. He was born on October 28, 1972 in Cleveland and schooled at Barnard Castle School in County Durham. He rides mainly for Caroline Bailey,Seamus Mullins,Henrietta Knight,Ben Pollock and Richard Rowe.as well as for many other trainers. He is not related to... |
11 | 9-11 | 50/1 | Refused | |
| 7th (Foinavon) | 40 | Merry People | John Queally | 13 | 9-8 | 66/1 | Fell |
| 6th (Becher's Brook) | 18 | Exit Swinger | Chris Maude | 6 | 10-5 | 50/1 | Fell |
| 15 | Northern Starlight | Tom Scudamore Tom Scudamore Tom Scudamore is a third-generation British flat and steeplechase jockey. He is the son of eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore; his grandfather Michael won the Grand National on Oxo in 1959.-Background:... |
10 | 10-7 | 50/1 | Unseated rider | |
| 11 | Strong Tel | David Casey | 11 | 10-11 | 33/1 | Fell | |
| 5th | 6 | The Last Fling | Seamus Durack | 11 | 10-12 | 20/1 | Unseated rider |
| 4th | 3 | Earthmover | Joe Tizzard | 10 | 11-2 | 22/1 | Unseated rider |
| 4th | 22 | Inis Cara | Robert Widger | 9 | 10-3 | 10/1 JF | Fell |
| 3rd | 27 | Hollybank Buck | Fran Flood | 11 | 9-13 | 20/1 | Fell |
| 33 | Kaki Crazy | Rodney Farrant | 6 | 9-11 | 66/1 | Fell | |
| 35 | Paddy's Return | 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 | 9-9 | 16/1 | Unseated rider | |
| 2nd | 8 | Addington Boy | John P. McNamara | 13 | 10-11 | 33/1 | Fell |
| 4 | Tresor De Mai | Rodi Greene | 7 | 11-2 | 66/1 | Fell | |
| 7 | Hanakham | Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in... |
12 | 10-11 | 100/1 | Fell | |
| 1st | 37 | Art Prince | Jim Crowley | 11 | 9-8 | 150/1 | Fell |
| 30 | Spanish Main | Jamie Goldstein | 7 | 9-11 | 25/1 | Fell |
Jockeys
Twice former winner Carl Llewellyn was the most experienced rider in the weighing room, weighing out for a Grand National for the 11th time, including the void race of 19931993 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....
, and unusually was the only rider in the field with ten rides under his belt. In addition there was also a higher-than-average number of rookies in the weighing room, though the ability of all 12 riders making their debut could not be questioned or offered as having any effect on the carnage that followed in the race. Noel Fehily carried the best chance of a winning debut but was among those knocked out of the race at the Canal Turn pile-up. Indeed none of the 12 debutants completed the first circuit, Jason Maguire going the farthest when pulling his mount up at the water jump. The remainder of the group included Tom Doyle, drafted in when Mick Fitzgerald was injured, John McNamara, Brian Crowley, Shay Barry, Fran Flood and Leslie Jefford. The remainder of the group was made up of Tom Scudamore
Tom Scudamore
Tom Scudamore is a third-generation British flat and steeplechase jockey. He is the son of eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore; his grandfather Michael won the Grand National on Oxo in 1959.-Background:...
, whose father and grandfather had both previously taken part in the race, the latter winning in 1959, and a trio of riders whose only ride in the race this proved to be for different circumstances; Jim Crowley, who went on to become a group one winner on the flat, Jamie Goldstein who missed the ride on the eventual winner the following year when suffering a broken leg weeks before the race, and Kieran Kelly
Kieran Kelly
Kieran Kelly was a top Irish jump jockey who died as a result of a racing accident.Kelly was born in County Kildare and achieved his first Cheltenham Festival success in March 2003 on Hardy Eustace in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.He was critically injured in a fall in on August 8, 2003...
who was killed racing in Ireland in 2003.
Controversy
There were numerous suggestions in the press that the race should not have been run due to the conditions. Racing PostRacing Post
The Racing Post is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting newspaper, appearing in print form and online.From 30 May 2011 - 3 July 2011 it had a circulation of 56,507.-History:...
journalist and lead presenter of Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing is the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television station Channel 4.-History:The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from Doncaster, as it took over midweek coverage which had previously been on ITV...
, Alastair Down, wrote: "You can wash the mud off the jockeys' silks, but not the stain off the race", under a front page headline: Gutless, Witless and Utterly Reckless. John Maxse, spokesman of the Jockey Club
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing. Although no longer responsible for the governance and regulation of the sport, it owns 14 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham and Newmarket, amongst other concerns such as the National Stud and...
, said: "It was fairly shocking, uncomfortable viewing".
However, many in racing leapt to Aintree's defence, as it was loose horses that had caused most problems. Despite more than 30 of the 40 horses either falling or being brought down, all of the horses and jockeys were fine afterwards and no major injuries were sustained.
Media coverage
The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
retained the rights to broadcast the race live on terrestrial television in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as they had done every year since 1960. BBC One's Saturday afternoon sports show 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...
covered the race as a Grand National special, which began at 12:45pm BST and was presented by Sue Barker
Sue Barker
Susan Barker, MBE is an English television presenter and former professional tennis player. During her tennis career, she won the women's singles title at the French Open and reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 3...
and Clare Balding
Clare Balding
Clare Balding is a BBC sports presenter, journalist and jockey.-Early life:In 1989 and 1990, Balding was a leading amateur flat jockey and Champion Lady Rider in 1990....
. This consisted of race build-up, with previews of the main contenders, interviews with connections of the runners, and celebrity spectators, as well as nostalgic segments from the history of the race, while Angus Loughran
Angus Loughran
Angus Loughran is a British sports commentator and pundit. He appears regularly on television, newspapers and websites, usually concentrating on horse racing and football, such as the Daily Telegraph and online bookmaker Easyodds, writing tipping sections every day...
provided regular updates on the betting market.
In addition to the race itself the programme also broadcast live coverage of three other races on the Aintree card — the Cordon Bleu Handicap Hurdle, the Martell Maghull Novices Steeplechase and the Martell Aintree Hurdle, none of which were run over the Grand National course. The commentator for the these races was 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:...
, who also called home the winner of the National where he was joined by a commentary team of John Hanmer and Tony O'Hehir (however O'Hehir played no part in the commentary of the race as rain caused a power failure at his commentary position at Becher's Brook). Hanmer, whose role was to commentate on the runners over the first four fences and the last three along the Canal side of the course took over and continued commentary of both circuits from fences one to 12 and 17 to 28. McGrath continued his normal commentary of the race as on the racecourse proper.
48 cameras were used to film the action, including inside two jockeys' caps and some inside fences. The majority of these shots were used in a detailed post-race re-run with 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...
. The BBC's coverage was also syndicated across the world for live coverage in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and large parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
for an estimated global viewing audience of 650 million people during the eleven minutes of the race itself.
BBC Radio covered the race for the 59th time since its first broadcast in 1927 and was part of its Five Live Sports broadcast hosted by Mark Pougatch
Mark Pougatch
Mark Pougatch is a freelance radio and television broadcaster, a journalist and author who works mainly as a sports presenter for the BBC.-Early life:...
. The radio commentary team was headed by Peter Bromley
Peter Bromley
Peter Bromley was BBC Radio's voice of horse racing for 40 years, and one of the most famous and recognised sports broadcasters in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
who had announced that this would be his last commentary of the National, his first having been in 1960. He was joined by Lee McKenzie
Lee McKenzie
Lee McKenzie is a reporter for BBC's Formula One coverage. McKenzie is also a presenter for Sky Sports and Sky Sports News. McKenzie is the daughter of Bob McKenzie, the well known sport and motorsport journalist....
, Cornelius Lysaght
Cornelius Lysaght
Cornelius Lysaght is the horse racing correspondent of the BBC, usually broadcasting on Radio 5 Live. He took up this position in June 2001, succeeding the late Peter Bromley, who had held the position since 1959....
and Dave Smith.
The race was also streamed live on the Internet using BBC pictures to an undisclosed audience.