November 2025

Grand National 1982 Results

Admin November 27, 2025 No Comments

The 1982 Grand National, run on good going on April 3, 1982, featured 39 runners, of which just eight completed the course. One who didn’t was Aldaniti, who was sent off at 12/1 to follow up his fairytale-like victory in 1981, but was one of no fewer than 10 horses who fell, or were brought down, at the very first fence. All told, there were 22 casualties on the first circuit and, when Good Prospect refused at the seventeenth fence, just 16 horses headed out into the country second time around.

In a decimated field, victory went to the 7/1 favourite, Grittar, trained by Frank Gilman and ridden by amateur Dick Saunders, who, at the age of 48, became the oldest jockey to win the Grand National. Take nothing away from the winner, though. As noted by BBC commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan, “Grittar strides into the final furlong and is already being acclaimed as the National Hero of 1982.” The nine-year-old strode over the finishing line 15 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, Hard Outlook, with his ears pricked, and a further distance back to the third horse home, Loving Words. Indeed, his winning time of 9 minutes and 12.6 seconds was, at the time, the second fastest in Grand National history, albeit over 10 seconds slower than the course record, 9 minutes and 1.9 seconds, set by Red Rum back in 1973.

The 1982 Grand National was also notable for the achievement of Geraldine Rees, who, in finishing a distant last of eight on 66/1 chance Cheers, became the first female jockey to complete the course in the Grand National. A capable amateur rider, she said later, “It was absolutely thrilling. It was the most wonderful feeling to finish. I was pretty exhausted, but it was a fantastic day.”

Grand National 1980 Results

Admin November 26, 2025 No Comments

The 1980 Grand National, run on heavy going on March 29, 1980, proved to be an attritional affair, in which just four of the 30 starters finished and came home at wide margin intervals. Indeed,the winning time, 10 minutes and 17.4 seconds, was the slowest since Quare Times won in a time of 10 minutes and 19.2 seconds, under similarly testing conditions, 25 years earlier.

As noted by BBC commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan, the race produced a historic result, too, insofar as winning jockey Charlie Fenwick became just the second American amateur since World War II – after Tommy Smith, aboard Jay Trump, in 1965 – to win the Grand National. Fenwick rode Ben Nevis, whom he had previously trained and ridden to back-to-back victories in the Maryland Hunt Cup in 1977 and 1978, but who had subsequently been transferred to Tim Forster in Letcombe Bassett, near Wantage, Oxforshire.

On his first attempt in the Grand National, in 1979, Ben Nevis was sent off a well-fancied 14/1 chance, but was brought down, along with half a dozen rivals, at The Chair and, although remounted, was pulled up shortly afterwards. In 1980, as a 12-year-old, and still a maiden after 12 starts on British soil, he was sent off at 40/1, but avoided mishaps and eventually came home in splendid isolation, winning comfortably by 20 lengths. Rough And Tumble finished second, 10 lengths ahead of The Pilgarlic in third and a further 15 lengths ahead of Royal Stuart in fourth, and last, place.

Reflecting on the return of Ben Nevis to Letcombe Bassett the following morning, Fenwick said later, “There’s only two streets on the town, but it was crowded. He paraded through there. He loved it. It was all very special.” Ben Nevis was retired to the Maryland farm of his jockey, where he lived until he was 27 years old.

Grand National 1987 Results

Admin November 26, 2025 No Comments

Run on good going on April 4, 1987, the 1987 Grand National featured a maximum 40 runners, including the 1986 winner, West Tip, who was sent off 5/1 favourite. Victory, though, went to the 28/1 chance Maori Venture, owned by Harry ‘Jim’ Joel – who, at the age of 92, became the oldest winning owner in Grand National history – trained by Andrew Turnell, in East Hendred near Wantage, Oxfordshire, and ridden by Steve Knight.

Lean Ar Aghaidh, trained by Stan Mellor and ridden by 20-year-old Guy Landau, led over the final fence, but approaching the Elbow, halfway up the run-in, was challenged, and passed, by Maori Venture on the stand side and The Tsarevich on the far side. Maori Venture finished the stronger of the pair, passing the post five lengths ahead of The Tsarevich, with Lean Ar Aghaidh third, a further four lengths away, and West Tip fourth, a similar distance further back.

All told, 22 runners completed the course, but one that didn’t was second-favourite Dark Ivy, trained by Gordon Richards and ridden by Phil Tuck, who suffered a fatal fall at Becher’s Brook on the first circuit. The 11-year-old grey broke his neck when turning somersault at the infamous fence and the incident made front-page news in the tabloid press, led to public outcry and became a defining moment in the history of the Grand National.

Turnell – who, himself, rode in the Grand National 13 times, finishing third on Charles Dickens behind Red Rum and L’Escargot in 1974 – said afterwards, “It’s quite emotional. I’ve tried to win it for a lot of years as a rider and a trainer.” Knight, who retired from race riding in 1989, said later, “Winning the National was the highlight of my riding career by a long way…”

Grand National 1989 Results

Admin November 26, 2025 No Comments

Run on heavy going, on April 8, 1989, the 1989 Grand National featured a maximum 40 runners, including Dixton House, trained by John Edwards, who had won the Ritz Club National Hunt Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on his previous start and was sent off 7/1 favourite. However, the market-leader parted with jockey Tom Morgan at Becher’s Brook on the first circuit and the result of the race was overshadowed by fatal injuries suffered by two other horses at the same fence.Seeandem and Brown Trix were humanely euthanised after an incident that resulted in widespread criticism of the BBC, for its coverage and insensitive commentary, and further safety changes, including levelling the landing side of the fence and filling in Becher’s Brook itself.

In a strange twist of irony, victory went to the 12-year-old Little Polveir who, until six weeks previously, had been trained by John Edwards, but had been transferred to Toby Balding after being bought by Edward Harvey for his son, David, in the Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown Park in March. Having unseated the aforementioned Tom Morgan at the fourth-last fence in the 1988 Grand National, when in the lead, Little Polveir was widely considered past his best, but nonetheless made his fourth appearance in the world-famous steeplechase a winning one.

Ridden by Jimmy Frost – father of Bryony – and sent off at 28/1, Little Polveir led over the water jump at the end of the first circuit and, ultimately, ran on well on the run-in to beat the 1986 winner, West Tip, also a 12-year-old, by seven lengths. The 1987 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, The Thinker, finished a running-on third, a further half a length away and, all told, 14 of the 40 starters completed the course. Jimmy Frost said later, “It was a day that changed my life, an unexpected one at that.”