On April 3, 1976, Red Rum returned to Aintree where, on good going, he made his second attempt to win the Grand National for an unprecedented third time. He was, however, without his regular jockey Brian Fletcher, who ridden him in 1973, 1974 and 1975, but was replaced by Tommy Stack after a disagreement with trainer Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain. Neither did he face his old rival L’Escargot, who had beaten him 15 lengths in 1975, but had subsequently been retired by his owner Raymond Guest.
According to the bookmakers, the pick of the opposition was the 1975 Scottish Grand National winner, Barona, trained by Roddy Armytage and Paul Kelleway, who was sent off 7/1 favourite. Despite a non-descript season over regulation park fences, Red Rum, by then an 11-year-old, was still sent off 10/1 favourite, with 12/1 bar the front two.
As he had the previous year, Red Rum made a bold bid for Aintree immortality, but for the second year running was frustrated, this time by the Welsh Grand National winner, Rag Trade, trained by Fred Rimmel at Kinnersley, Worcestershire and ridden by John Burke. Red Rum led narrowly over the final fence, just ahead of Eyecatcher (ridden by his former jockey Brian Fletcher), but was tackled on the run-in by Rag Trade, who went on to win by two lengths. Eyecatcher faded to finish third, a further eight lengths behind, while Barona finished a staying on fourth, a further three lengths away. All told, 16 of the 37 starters completed the course.
Rag Trade was, in fact, a fourth Grand National winner for Rimmell, after E.S.B.(1956), Nicolaus Silver (1961), Gay Trip (1970), thereby equalling the record set by George Dockeray in the mid-nineteenth century. Coincidentally, the record would be equalled again by Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain, the trainer of Red Rum, in 2004, courtesy of Amberleigh House.