1990 Grand National – Saturday 7th April 1990
Finishing Order
| Pos | Horse | Jockey | Age | Weight | SP | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mr Frisk | Mr Marcus Armytage | 11 | 10-06 | 16/1 | Won by ¾ length |
| 2nd | Durham Edition | Chris Grant | 12 | 10-09 | 9/1 | 20 lengths |
| 3rd | Rinus | Neale Doughty | 9 | 10-04 | 13/1 | 12 lengths |
| 4th | Brown Windsor | John White | 8 | 10-10 | 7/1 F | ½ length |
| 5th | Lastofthebrownies | Charlie Swan | 10 | 10-00 | 20/1 | 25 lengths |
| 6th | Bigsun | Richard Dunwoody | 9 | 10-02 | 15/2 | 1½ lengths |
| 7th | Call Collect | Mr Ray Martin | 9 | 10-05 | 14/1 | 12 lengths |
| 8th | Bartres | Michael Bowlby | 11 | 10-00 | 66/1 | — |
| 9th | Sir Jest | Brian Storey | 12 | 10-00 | 66/1 | — |
| 10th | West Tip | Peter Hobbs | 13 | 10-11 | 20/1 | — |
| 11th | Team Challenge | Ben De Haan | 8 | 10-00 | 50/1 | — |
| 12th | Charter Hardware | Norman Williamson | 8 | 10-00 | 66/1 | — |
| 13th | Gallic Prince | Mr Jose Simo | 11 | 10-04 | 100/1 | — |
| 14th | Ghofar | Brendan Powell | 7 | 10-00 | 14/1 | — |
| 15th | Course Hunter | Graham Bradley | 12 | 10-00 | 66/1 | — |
| 16th | Bonanza Boy | Peter Scudamore | 9 | 11-09 | 16/1 | — |
| 17th | Solares | Mr P McMahon | 10 | 10-00 | 150/1 | — |
| 18th | Gee-A | Declan Murphy | 11 | 10-02 | 66/1 | — |
| 19th | Mick’s Star | Seamus O’Neill | 10 | 10-01 | 66/1 | — |
| 20th | Bob Tisdall | Kevin Mooney | 11 | 10-05 | 66/1 | — |
Non-Finishers
| Horse | Age | Weight | SP | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gala’s Image | 10 | 10-00 | 66/1 | Fell 1st |
| Conclusive | 11 | 10-04 | 28/1 | Fell 3rd |
| Thinking Cap | 9 | 10-00 | 100/1 | Fell 3rd |
| Torside | 11 | 10-03 | 66/1 | Pulled up 6th (Becher’s) |
| Lanavoe | 11 | 10-00 | 100/1 | Fell 6th (Becher’s) |
| Young Driver | 13 | 10-04 | 150/1 | Pulled up 7th (Foinavon’s) |
| The Elk | 8 | 10-00 | 50/1 | Fell 8th (Canal Turn) |
| Lesley Ann | 10 | 10-00 | 100/1 | Brought down 8th (Canal Turn) |
| Clasico | 9 | 10-00 | 66/1 | Refused 11th |
| On The Other Hand | 8 | 10-00 | 25/1 | Fell 12th |
| Red Baron | 8 | 10-00 | 40/1 | Unseated rider 13th |
| Tyneandthyneagain | 11 | 10-00 | 100/1 | Fell 14th |
| Aristocracy | 9 | 10-00 | 50/1 | Pulled up 15th |
| Sidsie | 10 | 10-00 | 66/1 | Fell 17th |
| Tipping Tim | 10 | 10-00 | 33/1 | Fell 19th |
| The Thinker | 12 | 11-06 | 12/1 | Fell 20th |
| Kildimo | 11 | 11-00 | 14/1 | Fell 21st |
| Sacred Path | 8 | 10-00 | 100/1 | Pulled up 22nd |
| Atavism | 11 | 10-00 | 50/1 | Fell 23rd |
| Run And Skip | 14 | 10-00 | 66/1 | Fell 24th |
| Norton’s Coin | 9 | 11-07 | 15/2 | Fell 25th |
| Ballyhane | 11 | 10-00 | 25/1 | Fell 27th |
| Andy Pandy | 14 | 10-00 | 150/1 | Pulled up 28th |
| Rubika | 9 | 10-00 | 33/1 | Fell 29th |
| Garrison Savannah | 8 | 11-01 | 12/1 | Fell 30th |
| Team Spirit | 10 | 10-00 | 66/1 | Pulled up 30th |
Since 2012, the Grand National Course at Aintree has been routinely watered to maintain the going on the soft side of good, but the 1990 renewal was run on going officially described as “firm”, resulting in a record winning time that could, conceivably, stand for all time. Mr. Frisk, one of the few steeplechasers to relish rattling fast conditions, came home in a a time of 8 minutes and 47.80 seconds, fully 14.10 seconds faster than the previous record, set by the legendary Red Rum, on “good to firm” going, in the famous renewal of 1973.
Trained by Kim Bailey and ridden by amateur Marcus Armytage, Mr. Frisk was sent off a 16/1 chance, having finished a creditable, albeit one-paced, fourth in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival on his previous outing. At Aintree, he was always prominent and took the lead when Uncle Merlin, ridden by Hywel Davies, stumbled and unseated rider at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit. A frustrated Davies said afterwards, “There is no doubt Uncle Merlin would have won but for the fall at Becher’s.”
In any event, Mr. Frisk thereafter made the best of his way home and, although challenged by the luckless Durham Edition (who had also finished second to Rhyme ‘N’ Reason in the 1988 renewal) from the final fence, held on well on the famously long run-in to win by threequarters of a length. On the advice of his trainer father, Roddy, Armytage did not reach for his whip in the closing stages, but nonetheless conjured every last kilojoule out of the 11-year-old. Durham Edition, a 12-year-old, could not quicken towards the finish, but passed post 20 lengths ahead of the third horse home, Rinus, who was, in turn, 12 lengths in advance of the favourite, Brown Windsor, in fourth place.