Run on good to firm going on March 31, 1973, the 1973 Grand National featured 38 runners, of which 17 completed the course. However, the race essentially revolved around two horses, who produced arguably the most famous finish in the history of the Grand National since its first ‘official’ running in 1839. Those horses were, of course, the eight-year-old Red Rum, trained by Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain in Southport, Lancashire and ridden by Brian Fletcher, and the ex-Australian 10-year-old Crisp, trained by Fred Winter in Lambourn, Berkshire.
Crisp had already won the Two Mile Champion Chase (now the Queen Mother Champion Chase) at the Cheltenham Festival in 1971 and finished fifth, behind Glencarraig Lady, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1972. Consequently, alongside previous dual Cheltenham Gold winner L’Escargot, he was allotted joint top weight, of 12st 0lb, while Red Rum, on 10st 5lb, was receiving 23lb from both of them. Red Rum and Crisp were sent off 9/1 joint-favourites, with 11/1 L’Escargot and 14/1 bar that trio.
Once underway, Crisp led his rivals a merry dance for most of the way and, when his nearest pursuer, Grey Sombrero fell at The Chair, towards the end of the first circuit, he already looked to hold an unassailable lead. At the final fence, Crisp was still 15 lengths ahead, with Red Rum his only conceivable danger, but approaching the Elbow, halfway up the run-in, he started to wander under pressure as Red Rum made up ground hand-over-fist. Heartbreakingly, in the final strides, Red Rum swept by to win by three-quarters of a length and, in so doing, set a new course record that would stand until beaten by Mr. Frisk, on firm going, in 1990. L’Escargot finished third, fully 25 lengths behind the first two, with Spanish Steps fourth.