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2003 Grand National Result

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

Grand National 2003 results

Run on good going, the 2003 Grand National feature a maximum 40 runners, including the 2002 winner, Bindaree, and Blowing Wind, who had finished a distant third in the two previous renewals. Favourite, though, was Shotgun Willy, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh, who had won what is now the Grand National Trial at Haydock on his previous outing. Shotgun Willy failed to run much of a race, losing his place early on the second circuit and eventually being pulled up, when behind, before Becher’s Brook second time around.

Victory went to 16/1 chance Monty’s Pass, trained by James Joseph Mangan, in Co. Cork, and ridden by Barry Geraghty. The 10-year-old had finished second in the Topham Chase the previous April and put his experience over the Grand National fences to good use, leading over the second-last fence and staying on well to go clear on the run-in. He passed the post 12 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, Supreme Glory, who was, in turn, two lengths ahead of the third horse home, Amberleigh House. All told, 14 of the 40 starters completed the course.

Bindaree stayed on to finish a distant sixth, beaten 40 lengths by the winner, while Blowing Wind – passed over by Tony McCoy in favour of better-fancied stable companion Iris Bleu, who pulled up lame – trailed in eighth, a further 24 lengths behind. Winning owner Mike Futter reportedly won around £900,000, including his share of the prize money. He said, “The biggest bet was one of £10,000 at 50-1. I reckon I have cleared £800,000.”

2004 Grand National Results

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

Grand National 2004 results

In the absence of Tyneandthyneagain, a late withdrawal due to unsuitable ground, 39 horses went to post for the 2004 Grand National, which proved to be a red-letter occasion for the inimitable Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain. McCain, of course, famously saddled the legendary Red Rum to win the Grand National three times, in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and on April 3, 2004, saddled his fourth winner, Amberleigh House, to equal the record previously held jointly by George Dockeray and Fred Rimmell.

Ridden by Graham Lee, as he had been when third in 2003, Amberleigh House was sent off at 16/1 to go two places better in 2004, behind 10/1 co-favourites Clan Royal, Juracon II and Josh Naylor. That prospect looked unlikely when the 12-year-old was left with plenty to do at the third-last fence. However, with the well-fancied Hedgehunter falling at the final fence, Amberleigh House stayed on well to tackle the wandering leader, Clan Royal, inside the last hundred yards and win by three lengths. Lord Atterbury, one of seven entries trained by Martin Pipe. All told 11 of the 39 starters completed the course, but Juracon II fell at the fourth fence and Josh Naylor was pulled up early on the second circuit after never travelling.

Reflecting on victory for Amberleigh House, Donald McCain Jnr., son of the late winning trainer, said, “The year before…he [Amberleigh House] was absolutely drunk and we had to take him away out of the winners’ enclosure. He didn’t know where he was for about 20 minutes, so it is to his credit he came back and he just loved the place.”

2005 Grand National Result

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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…”