On April 4, 1970, a relatively small field of 28 runners lined up for the Grand National. Among them were three previous winners over the Grand National fences, in the form of The Fossa, who had won the Grand Sefton Chase in 1965, Red Alligator, who had won the Grand National itself in 1968 and Dozo, who had won the Topham Chase in 1969. The latter, trained by Toby Balding and ridden by Eddie Harty, was the best-fancied of the trio, being sent off at 100/8 joint second-favourite, and fared best, too, finishing fourth. Red Alligator fell at the eleventh fence, while The Fossa refused at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit.
Just seven horses completed the course, but victory went to Gay Trip, trained by Fred Rimnel and ridden by Pat Taaffe. Gay Trip had won the Mackeson Gold Cup at Newbury the previous November and subsequently run with credit in both the King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Consequently, he was saddled with top weight of 11st 5lb in the National, but nonetheless moved smoothly into the lead turning for home and gradually drew further and further clear, with Taaffe afforded the luxury of looking around several times in the closing stages.
Sent off at 15/1, Gay Trip evetually passed the post 20 lengths to the good over his nearest pursuer, the equally well-fancied Vulture, who just held second, by half a length, from 33/1 chance Miss Hunter, with Dozo fourth, a further six lengths away. Thus, the eight-year-old became the third of four Grand National winners for Rimmell – and the best of the quartet, according to his trainer – and a second for Taaffe, who had previous ridden Quare Times 15 years earlier. Taaffe, 40, was the oldest professional jockey riding in the National that year and was, in fact, deputising for the injured Terry Biddlecombe.