Run on April 5, 1986, the 1986 Grand National featured a maximum 40 runners, including the first five home in the 1985 renewal, Last Suspect, Mr. Snugfit, Corbiere, Greasepaint and Classified. Of those familiar faces, Mr. Snugfit, trained by MickEasterby, was widely considered an unlucky loser in 1985 and had subsequently been bought by high-profile gambler Terry Ramsden with the Grand National in mind. He was reportedly subject to a bet of £500,000 from his new owner, which accounted, at least in part, for him being sent off 13/2 favourite, despite a quiet preparation.
Mr. Snugfit was closely attended in the betting by another seemingly-unlucky loser from the 1985 renewal, West Tip, trained by Michael Oliver, who must surely have gone close to winning but for falling at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit. Indeed, jockey Richard Dunwoody requested to be excused from his retainer to ride Port Askaig, trained by Tim Forster, to ride West Tip again. That fact did not go unnoticed by the betting public and the nine-year-old was sent off a well-backed 15/2 second-favourite.
On the prevailing good to soft going, 66/1 outsider Young Driver led over the second-last fence, but was tackled, and passed, on the run-in by West Tip. Indeed, it was not until the last hundred yards or so that Dunwoody reached for his whip and, when he did so, West Tip responded and was always holding his toiling rival. West Tip passed the post two lengths to the good, with a yawning 20-length gap back to the third horse home, Classified, while Mr. Snugfit came from miles back to finish fourth, a further length-and-a-half away.
At the time of his death, aged 24, in July 2001, Dunwoody, who was just 22 when he won his first Grand National, said of West Tip,”He was a tremendous performer and a great jumper who had enough class to finish a close fourth in the [Cheltenham] Gold Cup as well. I will always remember him.”