Grand National Results

2011 Grand National Result

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2011 Grand National Results

The name of Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain became synonymous with the Grand National when, in the seventies, he saddled the legendary Red Rum to an unprecedented hat-trick in the Aintree showpiece. However, on April 9, 2011, it was the turn of his son, Donald Jnr., who had taken over the training licence five years earlier, to step into the limit.

McCain Jnr. saddled Ballabriggs, a 10-year-old gelding owned by Trevor Hemmings, who was sent off at 14/1 after winning the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in 2010 and a couple of preparatory races, over hurdles, in early 2011. Ridden by Jason Maguire, Ballabriggs led early and again at the penultimate fence on the first circuit, The Chair, and thereafter was headed just once, briefly, when blundering at Valentine’s Brook on the second circuit.

Ballagbriggs regained the lead at the next fence and stayed on well on the run-in to beat Oscar Time by 2¼ lengths, with the 2010 winner, Don’t Push It, third, 12 lengths further behind. At the time, the winning time, 9:1.2, was the second-fastest in Grand National history, behind only the 8:47.8 set by Mr. Frisk, on firm going, and faster than the previous record, 9:1.9, set by the aforementioned Red Rum, on good to firm going, in 1973.

On going officially described as good, good to soft in places, nearly half the field completed the course, but the race was marred by two equine fatalities. Ornais suffered a fatal fall at the fourth fences and Dooneys Gate did likewise two fences later, at Becher’s Brook on the first circuit, leading to negative publicity in the aftermath of the race and prompting a safety review by Aintree Racecourse and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

2012 Grand National Result

Admin August 28, 2025 No Comments

2012 Grand National Results

In the wake of the 2011 Grand National, in which two horses were fatally injured, Aintree Racecourse and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) implemented further changes – to the fences, topography and race conditions – to improve the safety and welfare of participants. However, the changes failed to have the desired effect. Two more horses, Synchronised, who was well fancied to become the first horse since the legendary Golden Miller to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same season, and According To Pete both suffered leg fractures and were subsequently humanely euthanised. Jockeys Noel Fehily and Brian Hughes also broke bones in falls.

Nevertheless, the 2012 Grand National was memorable for several much brighter reasons. The eventual winner, Neptune Collonges, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Daryl Jacob, fought a ding-dong battle with the runner-up, Sunnyhillboy, trained by Jonjo O’Neill and ridden by Richie McLernon, in the closing stages, eventually winning by a nose in the closest finish ever seen in the National. In defence of the Grand National, Nicholls said afterwards, “If people are going to continue to participate in sport, there is going to be both a human and animal risk.”

Five lengths further behind came the joint-favourite, Seabass, trained by Ted Walsh and ridden by his daughter, Katie, who was making her debut in the Grand National. Thus, at the first time of asking, Katie Walsh achieved what was, at the time, the highest placing by a female jockey in the history of the Grand National.

2013 Grand National Result

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Grand National 2013 Results

The 2013 Grand National run, on good to soft going, on April 6, 2013, had the distinction of being the first to be televised by Channel 4, having been broadcast on BBC between 1960 and 2012. After fatal injuries to two horses in 2011 and two more in 2012, further safety changes were implemented, including rebuilding the majority of the fences to make them more forgiving and moving the start closer to the first fence. Thankfully, there were just two out-and-out fallers, six more horses unseated rider, but there were no serious casualties and 17 completed the course

After achieving the best-ever finishing position by a female jockey in 2012, Katie Walsh was, once again, aboard Seabass, trained by her father, Ted, and the 10-year-old was sent off 11/2 favourite. No further history was to be made, though, as Seabass weakened into a tired thirteenth, beaten fully 85¾ lengths by the winner. The surprise winner was the 66/1 outsider Auroras Encore, trained by Sue Smith, who had failed to trouble the judge since just touched off in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr the previous April. However, the 11-year-old reportedly appreciate the better ground and greater distance at Aintree, having finished tailed off on his previous start, over just short of three miles on soft going, at Kelso in early March.

Ridden by Ryan Mania, Auroras Encore hit the fourth-last fence, but stayed on the lead at the last and was driven clear on the run-in to win by nine lengths. Cappa Bleu finished second, a neck ahead of Teaforthree who, in turn finished nine lengths clear of the fourth horse home, Oscar Yime.

2014 Grand National Result

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Grand National 2014 Results 

The 2014 Grand National had the distinction of being sponsored by Crabbie’s, the brand owned by Halewood International Ltd., and for the first time its history featured total prize money of £1 million. The winning prize money, £561,000, went the way of Pineau De Re, trained by Dr. Richard Newland and ridden by Leighton Aspell, who was not unconsidered at 25/1, having hacked up in a veterans’ handicap chase at Exeter and been beaten a nose and a neck in the Pertemps Network Final at the Cheltenham Festival on his last two starts.

Aspell had retired from the saddle in 2007, but returned to race-riding two years later and received just reward for his perserverance, as the 11-year-old led approaching the second-last fence and drew clear on the run-in to beat Baltahazar King, ridden by Richard Johnson, and the 10/1 joint favourite, Double Seven, ridden by Tony McCoy, by five lengths and one-and-a-quarter lengths. The other joint-favourite, Teaforthree, blundered and unseated Nick Schofield at The Chair, by which point the well-fancied Long Run, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2011, was already out of the race, having fallen, when in the lead, at Valentine’s Brook on the first circuit. All told 18 of the 40 runners completed the course and all of them returned without serious injury.

Pineau de Re also ran in the Grand National again in 2015 but, off an 8lb higher mark and ridden by Daryl Jacob, could finish only twelfth, beaten 57¾ lengths by the winner. That winner was, of course, Many Clouds, trained by Oliver Sherwood and ridden by none other than Leighton Aspell.