Grand National Winners 1870 – 1879

admin September 28, 2025

A time of major political, social and industrial change. The Education Act 1870 saw the first steps towards compulsory elementary education for all children. The introduction of secret ballot boxes in 1872 would reduce voter intimidation and corruption in elections. The Licensing Act 1872 tightened regulations on the sale and consumption of alcohol. Gladstone was in power for the Liberal Government until 1874.

Disraeli would hold out until the end of the decade for the Conservative Party (1874 -1880). For the most part the emphasis was social reform. The Factory Act 1874 limited working hours for women and children. Local authorities were forced to improve sanitisation and clear slums. The Education Act 1876 made school attendance compulsory up to the age of 10. It is worth remembering that before 1870, children started work as young and 5-6 years old, especially from poor families. Their jobs included: factory work, mining, agriculture, street sellers and chimney sweeps. Life expectancy for a man was just 40 years.

The British Empire proved strong leading industry, although competition from the US and Germany emerged. Britain secured Cyprus to increase its influence in the Mediterranean, while the Zulu War (1879) and the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878 – 1880) raged. Railways expanded further, trade unions strengthened and urbanization continued. Rising literacy rates saw increased popularity in newspapers and mass political engagement. Charles Dickens’ work and Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd (1874) were must reads. Within the world of science and technology, Darwin’s Theory of Evolution sparked debate with the publication of The Descent of Man (1871).

The FA Cup founded in 1871 and The Grand National were major sporting events.

A decade of Grand National winners saw a mixed bag of results.

1870: The Colonel started where he had left off in 1869, winning the 32^nd renewal for a second time by a neck from The Doctor. R.Roberts would train National winners in consecutive years but never again. However, Jockey George Stevens won this steeplechase 5 times (1856 – 1870). He is famous for having the most wins in the Grand National. He died in 1871 when fracturing his skull in a fall after his horse stumbled while riding home to his cottage on Cleeve Hill. He was just 38 years old.

Let’s take look at this decade of Grand National Winners:

1870 – The Colonel 7/2f

1871 – The Lamb 11/2

1872 – Casse Tete 20/1

1873 – Disturbance 20/1

1874 – Reugny 5/1f

1875 – Pathfinder 100/6

1876 – Regal 25/1

1877 – Austerlitz 15/1

1878 – Shifnal 7/1

1879 – The Liberator 5/1

1873: Disturbance beat a 28-strong field to win the 35^th renewal by six lengths for trainer-rider Mr. J. M. Richardson in the ownership of James Octavius Machell who was a highly successful gambler. He was also a good judge of a horse and trained eleven English Classic winners. He owned two other Grand National winners: Reugny (1874) and Regal (1876).

The victory of Disturbance was somewhat novel with the news that a finishing time wasn’t taken as the watch stopped!

Machell, the son of a reverend, joined the army in 1857 and was involved in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny. Returning home, he was quartered at the Curragh, Ireland. During the next six years, he participated in horse racing. By 1862, he was one of the leading owners in Ireland. He was promoted to Captain. However, army life conflicted with horse racing so he resigned his commission and trained at stables in Kennett near Newmarket, Suffolk. In 1864, he landed a major gambling coup when Bacchus, a horse he trained in Ireland, which gave him funds to purchase Bedford Cottage Stables in Newmarket.

Never one to miss out on a good wager, Machell defeated a local running champion in a 100 yard sprint.

He was known for manipulating betting markets much to the dismay of John Richardson the jockey and trainer of both National winners Disturbance (1873) and Reugny (1874). He said he had been so ‘disgusted with the sordid nature’ of Machell’s behaviour that he withdrew from public riding after the latter Grand National.

Machell was said to be obsessed with horses and racing to the point he would spend a great part of his time making imaginary handicaps.

Other points to note include Chris Green who trained the 1871 winner The Lamb. He was also a talented jockey who rode two Aintree Grand National victories on Abd-El-Kadar (1850) and Half Caste (1859).

The Liberator concluded this period winning in 1879 at odds of 5/1. The ten-year-old Irish gelding won by ten lengths, ridden by rider-owner Mr Garret Moore, trained by J. Moore.

Grand National Winners 1880 – 1889

admin September 15, 2025

William Gladstone won the 1880 General Election, leading to over a decade of Conservative rule. This may have been helped by the 1884 Representation of the people Act which doubled the electorate by giving the vote to many rural working men. Britain expanded colonial rule in Egypt. In 1885, the public was shocked to hear General Charles Gordon was killed in the Sudan Crisis during the Mahdist uprising. The rise in new unionism saw the Matchgirls’ Strike (1888) highlighting labour conditions and workers’ rights. Elementary schools were more common and literacy rates rose. Oscar Wilde was popular within arts and literature. While Jack The Ripper lurked somewhere in the poverty-stricken streets of Whitechapel, London. The Married Women’s Poverty Act allowed married women to own property in their own right. Electricity and telephone uptake grew in the 1880s although it was only for business and wealthy individuals. At this time, betting was still done in person, on the street or on course.

The Aintree Grand National remained extremely popular.

Let’s take a look at the winners from this decade:

1880 – Empress 8/1

1881 – Woodbrook 11/2 jf

1882 – Seaman 10/1

1883 – Zoedone 100/7

1884 – Voluptuary 10/1

1885 – Roquefort 10/3 f

1886 – Old Joe 25/1

1887 – Gamecock 20/1

1888 – Playfair 40/1

1889 – Frigate 8/1

A couple of jockeys proved positive with 5 wins between them. Mr Tommy Beasley had the first two winners of the decade riding for Henry Linde. In relatively small fields, Empress and Woodbrook took the 42^nd and 43^rd Aintree Grand Nationals by less than four lengths each. The trainer and jockey, both from Ireland.

Beasley would taste victory once more with the victory of Frigate in 1889 for trainer-owner Mat Maher. The 11 year old won at odds of 8/1 by one length from Why Not, who would go on to win the National in 1894.

Mr Ted Wilson was the other jockey to make his mark with two wins in the mid part of the decade with Voluptuary (1884) and Roquefort (1885).

Voluptuary raced on the flat. In fact, he ran in the Epsom Derby. He was the first winner of the Aintree Grand National without having previous experience in the race. Interestingly, the bay gelding was bred by Queen Victoria. After retirement, he received critical acclaim portraying the racehorse ‘The Duke’ in the play The Prodigal Daughter. Originally in the ownership of Lord Roseberry, he won the National in the silks of H.F.Boyd at odds of 10/1. Interestingly, Voluptuary was originally named Battersea. However, his name was changed before this racing career.

Roquefort was the shortest priced of this decade when winning for Wilson at the odds of 10/3f, trained by Arthur Yates in the ownership of Arthur Cooper. The six-year-old gelding won by two length from Frigate, who would be the star of the show in 1889.

There is an interesting story behind the 1882 winner Seaman. It is as much a story about owner as horse because Lord Manners made a wager. John Thomas Manners-Sutton, a nobleman, liked a bet and he wagered he could buy, train and ride the winner of the 1882 Aintree Grand National. Added to the scenario he only had months to prepare. The horse was bought from an Irish man who questioned whether it could achieve the standard to compete in such a prestigious race. Few believed Manners had the riding skills or experience necessary. By the day of the race, the weather was horrendous with snow storms and ice which played in Manners’ favour. While other jockeys were more cautious and held back, Manners pushed on until drawing level with the favourite at the last fence. Seaman, started to go lame, but the pair won by a short head.

Seaman won at odds of 10/1.

The winning wager must have been substantial as he built a 52 room mansion called Avon Tyrroll at Sopley, Hampshire. The Grade I listed building is considered to be one of the archetypal Arts & Crafts buildings. Commonly known as a calendar house.

Although Seaman never raced again, he lived with the family and family home for the rest of his life. He was buried between two trees on the grounds.

What a story.

This decade had a number of big priced winners including:

1886 – Old Joe 25/1

1887 – Gamecock 20/1

1888 – Play Fair 40/1

As seen with this post, the Aintree Grand National is a race of the great and the good.

It is worth noting that nobility was attracted to the Grand National like no other race. For example, in 1883 Zoedone won at odds of 100/7. The chestnut mare was not only owned but ridden by a very rich Count from Austria.

His full title: Karl, 8^th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau.

He has two ambitions in life: to be made Austo-Hungarian attache to Britain and the second to own and ride a Grand National winner.