August 2025

2009 Grand National Result

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

2009 Grand National Results

In the history of Grand National, which officially dates back to 1839, five winners have been returned at odds of 100/1. The most recent of them was Mon Mome who, on April 4, 2009, belied treble-figure odds when driven clear on the run-in to beat the 2008 winner, Comply Or Die, by 12 lengths. Trained by Venetia Williams and ridden by Liam Treadwell, Mon Mome had been sent off favourite for the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow the previous December so, despite indifferent form in that race, and two subsequent starts over fences, whether he deserved to be sent off at 100/1 at Aintree is a matter of conjecture. He certainly wasn’t complete no-hoper in the mould of Foinavon, the previous 100/1 of the National.

Seventeen of the 40 runners completed the course, including former Irish Grand National winner Butler’s Cabin, who was sent off 7/1 favourite to make amends for falling at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit, when well fancied, in 2008. He put in a clear round, but a blunder at the fence after Valentine’s Brook on the second circuit effectively put paid to his chance and he could only stay on at one pace to finish seventh, beaten 24¼ lengths by the winner. Tragically, one horse who failed to complete the course was Hear The Echo, as 33/1 chance trained by Michael ‘Mouse’ Morris and ridden by Davy Russell; the eight-year-old successfully negotiated all 30 fences, but collapsed and died a hundred yards from the finish line.

2010 Grand National Results

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

2010 Grand National Results

The 2010 Grand National will live long in the memories of the connections of the winner, Don’t Push It, and anyone who joined in the nationwide gamble that shortened his odds from 22/1 on the morning of April 10, 2010 to 10/1 joint-favourite at the ‘off’. Those connections were, of course, owner John Patrick ‘J.P.’ McManus, trainer Jonjo O’Neill and acclaimed jockey Anthony Peter ‘A.P.’ McCoy, all of whom were winning the world-famous steeplechase for the first time.

McCoy, the most successful jump jockey in history, had made 14 previous attempts to win the National, but had never finished better than third. However, Don’t Push It – who reportedly “appeared to lose interest” when pulled-up in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival on his previous start – was on his best behaviour, making headway to track the leaders early on the second circuit, leading two out and forging clear on the run-in to win by five lengths. Black Apalachi, who could find no extra in the closing stages, finished second, while State Of Play kept on to finish a modest third, a further 20 lengths behind.

Reflecting on ‘his day’, the ever-modest McCoy said later, “If you get enough goes at something and you keep going, once you’re in there you’ve always got a chance.” Leading bookmakers were less appreciative of his efforts, though, with William Hill describing it as a “black-armband day” and Ladbrokes as a “a multi-million-pound bloodbath”. McCoy and Don’t Push It had another crack at the National in 2011, finishing a modest third behind Ballabriggs.

2011 Grand National Result

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

2011 Grand National Results

The name of Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain became synonymous with the Grand National when, in the seventies, he saddled the legendary Red Rum to an unprecedented hat-trick in the Aintree showpiece. However, on April 9, 2011, it was the turn of his son, Donald Jnr., who had taken over the training licence five years earlier, to step into the limit.

McCain Jnr. saddled Ballabriggs, a 10-year-old gelding owned by Trevor Hemmings, who was sent off at 14/1 after winning the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in 2010 and a couple of preparatory races, over hurdles, in early 2011. Ridden by Jason Maguire, Ballabriggs led early and again at the penultimate fence on the first circuit, The Chair, and thereafter was headed just once, briefly, when blundering at Valentine’s Brook on the second circuit.

Ballagbriggs regained the lead at the next fence and stayed on well on the run-in to beat Oscar Time by 2¼ lengths, with the 2010 winner, Don’t Push It, third, 12 lengths further behind. At the time, the winning time, 9:1.2, was the second-fastest in Grand National history, behind only the 8:47.8 set by Mr. Frisk, on firm going, and faster than the previous record, 9:1.9, set by the aforementioned Red Rum, on good to firm going, in 1973.

On going officially described as good, good to soft in places, nearly half the field completed the course, but the race was marred by two equine fatalities. Ornais suffered a fatal fall at the fourth fences and Dooneys Gate did likewise two fences later, at Becher’s Brook on the first circuit, leading to negative publicity in the aftermath of the race and prompting a safety review by Aintree Racecourse and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

2012 Grand National Result

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

2012 Grand National Results

In the wake of the 2011 Grand National, in which two horses were fatally injured, Aintree Racecourse and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) implemented further changes – to the fences, topography and race conditions – to improve the safety and welfare of participants. However, the changes failed to have the desired effect. Two more horses, Synchronised, who was well fancied to become the first horse since the legendary Golden Miller to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same season, and According To Pete both suffered leg fractures and were subsequently humanely euthanised. Jockeys Noel Fehily and Brian Hughes also broke bones in falls.

Nevertheless, the 2012 Grand National was memorable for several much brighter reasons. The eventual winner, Neptune Collonges, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Daryl Jacob, fought a ding-dong battle with the runner-up, Sunnyhillboy, trained by Jonjo O’Neill and ridden by Richie McLernon, in the closing stages, eventually winning by a nose in the closest finish ever seen in the National. In defence of the Grand National, Nicholls said afterwards, “If people are going to continue to participate in sport, there is going to be both a human and animal risk.”

Five lengths further behind came the joint-favourite, Seabass, trained by Ted Walsh and ridden by his daughter, Katie, who was making her debut in the Grand National. Thus, at the first time of asking, Katie Walsh achieved what was, at the time, the highest placing by a female jockey in the history of the Grand National.