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2005 Grand National Result

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

Grand National 2005 Result

The 2005 Grand National took place on April 9, 2025, the same day as the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles and the start was consequently scheduled for 4.10pm, rather than 3.45pm, to avoid clashing with the civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. Once underway, the race was won, in taking style, by the 7/1 favourite Hedgehunter, owned by Trevor Hemmings, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh, who stayed on strongly on the run-in to draw 14 lengths clear of his nearest rival, Royal Auclair. The nine-year-old thus became a first Grand National winner for his owner and trainer and a second for his jockey, who had previously won on Papillon, trained by his father, Ted, in 2000.

The bare result aside, the 2005 Grand National was notable for the presence of Forest Gunner, trained by Richard Ford, who had won both the Fox Hunters’ Chase and the Grand Sefton Chase over the Grand National fences in 2004. He had also won the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park on his previous start and, with Carrie Ford, the wife of the trainer, coming out of retirement – not for the first time – to ride him, he was sent off at just 8/1 second-favourite to make her the first female jockey to win the Grand National. He didn’t, but ran a perfectly respectable race, keeping on at the same pace from the second-last to finish fifth, beaten 27¼ lengths. At the time, that was still the joint-highest placing achieved by a female jockey in the Aintree spectacle.

2006 Grand National Result

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

Grand National 2006 Result

The 2006 Grand National, run on good going on April 8, 2006, was notable for the high number of non-finishers, 31, the most since 2001, when 32 of the 40 runners came to grief and another four were pulled up in the wettest National ever. The 2005 winner, Hedgehunter, was understandably well-fancied, despite being 12lb higher in the weights, after finishing a never-nearer second, beaten just 2½ lengths, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on his previous start. So, too, was Clan Royal, who finished second in 2004 and was six lengths clear when carried out by a loose horse at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit in 2005.

In fact, Hedgehunter and Clan Royale were sent off 5/1 joint-favourites but, while both ran creditably, but neither could keep tabs on Numbersixvalverde in the closing stages. Trained by Martin Brassil in County Kildare and ridden by Niall Madden, Numbersixvalverde had won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in 2005 and, although winless since and 12lb higher in the weights at Aintree, he was still in the first half a dozen in the betting at 11/1. His market position proved well justified, too, as he tracked the leaders, going well, for much of the second circuit, outjumped Hedgehunter at the final fence and stayed on strongly to win by six lengths.

Numbersixvalverde thus provided Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden with a Grand National winner at his first attempt. Madden, who retired on New Year’s Eve 2020, with nearly 400 winners to his name, said at the time, “Winning the Grand National aboard Numbersixvalverde was obviously the major highlight…”

2007 Grand National Results

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

Grand National 2007 Results

The 2007 Grand National run, on good going, on April 14, 2007, marked 160 years of the world-famous steeplechase and looked a competitive affair on paper. The then-maximum of 40 runners went to post and the market was headed by three 8/1 co-favourites, Scottish Grand National winner Joes Edge, Irish Grand National winner Point Barrow and Monkerhostion, who had finished fourth, behind Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The two most recent winners of the race, Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde, were sent off at 9/1 and 14/1 respectively.

However, none of the aformentioned quintet was involved in the finish, with victory going to Silver Birch, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Robbie Power, who sprang a minor surprise at odds of 33/1. He only won narrowly, just three-quarters of a length ahead of the hapless English Summer National winner Mckelvey, who finished lame, with Slim Pickings a further length-and-a-quarter further behind in third.

A win for Silver Birch was remarkable because, although he had justified favouritism in the Welsh Grand National in 2004, when trained by Paul Nicholls, he had failed to win since, yet his handicap mark remained 6lb higher than at Chepstow. It was all the more remarkable for the fact that Elliott, 29, had yet to saddle a winner in his homeland, but nonetheless became the youngest winning trainer in the history of the Grand National and a household name on the opposite saide of the Irish Sea. Of course, Elliott has since won the National twice more, courtesy of Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019.

2008 Grand National Results

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

Grand National 2008 Result

The result of the 2008 Grand National, run on good going on April 5, 2008, was overshadowed by the death of Mckelvey, who had finished a close second in 2007, but unseated his rider early on the second circuit and was humanely euthanised after fracturing his back in a freak accident while running loose. The betting market for the race was dominated by the eventual winner, Comply Or Die, trained by David Pipe and Cloudy Lane, trained by Donald McCain Jnr., who had beaten him 2 ½ lengths, in receipt of 2lb, in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock Park the previous December.

With a 4lb turnaround in the weights at Aintree, Comply Or Die was backed into joint-favouritism, at 7/1, just before the ‘off’. The market support proved justified, as the nine-year-old led, going well, at the second-last fence and forged clear on the run-in to beat King John’s Castle by four lengths. In so doing, he provided a first National winner for jockey Timmy Murphy after 10 previous attempts.

Another Irish-trained horse, Snowy Morning, finished a close third, some way ahead of yet another, Slim Pickings. Cloudy Lane, on the other, weakened gradually after a mistake at the third-last fence and eventually finished sixth, beaten 32½ lengths. The 2005 winner, Hedgehunter, contested the Grand National for the fourth year running and was, once again, well fancied, despite top weight of 11st 12lb. However, in what turned out to be his last race, the 12-year-old weakened from the second-last fence to finish thirteenth of the 15 finishers, 75¼ lengths behind the winner.