One of the most prestigious races in the world and certainly the ‘big one’ in Britain, the Grand National is a must watch every year. This famous steeplechase sees horses race against each other and have to hurdle 30, yes 30, fences. This once a year spectacle sees the whole family cheering on winners, putting bets on and attracting everyone to the living room. For many it is the only interaction with horse racing they will have each year and see sports betting go through the roof, especially since the boom of online platforms such as Timeform. Big money and big pressure, the jockeys and horses have to show incredible skill, power and endurance in order to crown themselves champions.
This race is steeped in history, commencing officially in 1839 and only being missed during wartime and the Covid pandemic, the National has been displaying the very best of British horse racing at Aintree since. There are a number of famous Grand National wins over the years and to pick a few top ones to include is hard but we have managed to narrow down this list to the Grand Nationals Greatest Wins.
Mr Frisk:
The 1990 Grand National will be famously remembered for Mr Frisk performance in the race. Following a dry winter in ‘89 the National in 1990 was firmly poised for a triumphant victory for Mr Frisk. Favouring firm ground and looking powerful beforehand this horse and amatuer jockey was still an outsider for the race at a high 16/1. But following an electric start this horse sped its way to the fastest ever Grand National finish in an incredible 8 minutes 48 seconds. The record is still to be beaten to this day!
Manifesto:
If you were about between 1895 and 1905 you could be safe in the knowledge that Manifesto was running in the Grand National. A fan favourite of the time, this horse holds the record for the amount of times entered in the Grand National sitting at a whopping 8 times. Manifesto was no slouch or just there to make up the numbers as he famously won 2 Nationals and came 3rd three times. This majestic animal was a welcome hero of this famous race and restored the sport in some good light following shocking corruption scandals.
Foinavon:
Now anyone with horse betting experience would know that anything over 50/1 odds in the Grand National is a bit of a long shot. However, in the 1967 National a relatively unknown Foinavon stepped up and won the biggest horse racing event in the world at a whopping 100/1 odds. No-one expected this horse to go on to win it but a shocking pile up of fallen horses at the 23rd fence saw all the other competitors in the race fall or injure themselves and saw this horse race through to a huge upset.
Red Rum and his new rival:
The fairytale story of the greatest Grand National moments is the 3 time winner Red Rum cementing his place in history as one of, if not thee, best horse in racing history. His first win in 1973 saw this remarkable animal come back from 30 lengths to pull out a win. He would then see himself be put in the sports history books with his second and third win respectively in 1974 and 1977. Famously noted as a bit unbeatable Red Rum is one of the best race horses to have lived but he has recently been challenged by the modern day great Tiger Roll. After winning in 2018 and 2019 this special horse was looking to cement his name in the history books alongside Red Rum and defy sports betting odds but has unfortunately been hampered by the Coronavirus pandemic. Guess we’ll just have to wait till next year to see if he can do it!