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Grand National Winners 1840 – 1849

admin October 19, 2025

The Industrial Revolution saw urbanisation intensify. Cities grew rapidly but for the poorest, housing and sanitisation remained inadequate. Workhouses reflected the harsh realities for many. Outbreaks of Cholera took their toll on public health. Huge investment added to ‘Railway Mania’ which peaked mid-decade transforming society. Queen Victoria got married to Prince Albert in 1840. The British Empire expanded. China was humiliated with their loss in the First Opium War, which saw them concede much in The Treaty of Nanking 1842. It was called a ‘Century of Humiliation’ which saw Hong Kong Island ceded to Britain. New Zealand became a British colony in 1840. Expansion continued in Africa and India. However, closer to home the Great Famine (Potato Famine) devastated Ireland with repeated crop failures. Over 1 million died and another million emigrated (mainly to the United States). The British Government were criticised for their inadequate or indifferent relief policies. With an emphasis on free trade, The Bank Charter Act (1844) regulated bank note issuance. The Victorian culture of respectability, family and duty held strong. Charles Dickens published major works including A Christmas Carol (1843).

The Aintree Grand National saw a decade of winners.

Although detailed as the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase much of the press recorded it for the first time as the Grand National.

These early races were very disorganised but developed into the steeplechase we know and love today.

Let’s take a closer look:

1840 – Jerry 12/1

1841 – Charity 14/1

1842 – Gaylad 7/1

1843 – Vanguard 12/1

1844 – Discount 5/1

1845 – Cure-All (Not Quoted)

1846 – Pioneer 20/1

1847 – Mathew 10/1

1848 – Chandler 12/1

1849 – Peter Simple 20/1

1840: Jerry won the 2^nd running of the Grand National, although until 1847 it was called The Grand Liverpool Steeplechase. This race featured a field of just 13 runners. It should be noted that it wasn’t a handicap as all horses carried 12 stone. Jerry won at odds of 12/1. Ridden by Mr Bartholomew Bretherton, trained by George Dockeray in the ownership of Henry Villebois. The gelding was meant to run the year before, but was withdrawn at the last minute. He won in a canter, beating the previous course record. The race was criticised as it was feared Tom Oliver had been killed by his fall, when brought down at the wall. He suffered a broken collar bone and concussion. Another jockey P. Barker had been found unattended in a nearby barn and connections had made no inquiries about his state.

1841: Noted for being the smallest field with just 11 runners. Charity, an eleven-year-old gelding, won at odds of 14/1. Trained by William Vevers, ridden by Horatio Powell in the ownership of Lord Craven, formerly Viscount Uffington. Race reports varied wildly with some newspapers suggesting Charity was a pre-race favourite while other said the going varied from good to heavy. The race started two hours late. Charity won by a length.

1845: Cure-All is something of a mystery in that he was a half-bred and his dam was unknown. Amazingly, he was walked from Grimsby to Liverpool and returned the same way after his noted victory. In their honour, church bells rang.

Cure-All won by two lengths.

William Loft, son of a Grimsby MP, originally purchased the horse at Horncastle Fair in 1843. He went on to win impressively at Lincoln. Thereafter, he was approached by William Stuart Sterling Crawford who wished to lease Cure-All for the 1845 Grand National, which Loft agreed as long as he could take the ride. He was trained by ‘Kitty’ Crisp.

In reality, William Loft owned, trained and rode the horse.

The gelding was an outsider (perhaps the reason there were no odds quoted). Sterling Crawford complained about the race conditions which had seen heavy rain followed by a sharp frost which saw parts of the course rock hard. Horse owners voted for the race to start at 5pm. However, Crocus, owned by Mr Robson, was withdrawn on safety concerns.

In those days, only the first four horses to pass the post were recorded as finishers. Some of the other runners to finish were so far behind they crossed the line with spectators.

Sadly, Clansman was fatally injured at the Canal Turn.

In years to follow, Tom Oliver detailed that Cure-All’s victory was due to not completing the entire course.

1849: Peter Simple won his first National at the age of 11 for owner-trainer Tom Cunningham in the ownership of Finch Mason Jr at odds of 20/1. He would win once more in 1853 at the age of 15. A feat that will never be beaten.

The oldest horse to ever win the Aintree Grand National.

Sadly, 3 horses were fatally injured (The Curate, Equinox & Kilfane.) There was a great deal of criticism regarding the horse deaths which had seen 6 horses fatally injured in two years. This would lead to modifications of the course.

A point considered to this day.

Grand National Winners 1850 – 1859

admin October 10, 2025

The height of the Victorian era.

Lord Palmerston becomes Prime Minister in 1855. A time of much conflict.

The Crimean War (1853 – 1856) saw Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire fight against Russia. The weakening Ottoman Empire saw European powers fighting over influence and territory. Known as the ‘Eastern Question’ Russia wanted to gain control of the Black Sea, while Britain and France feared this would threaten trade routes and global influence. It also had religious underpinnings with disputes between Catholic and Christians, which saw a religious dispute in Jerusalem. Major battles included The Charge of the Light Brigade and the Fall Of Sevastopol. Sadly, of the 750,000 who lost their life, the vast majority died through disease, infection and harsh conditions. Typhus and Cholera swept through armies. Russia lost the war and signed the Treaty of Paris in 1856.

This period saw Florence Nightingale reform nursing and hygiene.

It was the height of the Industrial Revolution. Cities such as Liverpool and Birmingham become industrial powerhouses. This was detailed with the Great Exhibition (1851), held at Crystal Palace, organised by Prince Albert.

A Victorian cultural boom saw Charles Dickens Bleak House and Little Dorrit hit the bookshops. The growth of popular journalism saw the penny press.

Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published in 1859.

The Aintree Grand National remained as popular as ever although there was criticism regarding horse fatalities.

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

1850 – Abd-El-Kadar 30/1

1851 – Abd-El-Kadar 7/1

1852 – Miss Mowbray 12/1

1853 – Peter Simple 9/1

1854 – Bourton 4/1

1855 – Wanderer 25/1

1856 – Freetrader 25/1

1857 – Emigrant 10/1

1858 – Little Charley 100/6

1859 – Half Caste 7/1

1850: The decade started on a high note with Abd-El-Kadar who was an unconsidered Irish raider who won at odds of 30/1. ‘Little Ab’ was a tiny gelding owned and trained by Joseph Osborne and ridden by Chris Green (who went on to win again with Half Caste, 1859). He was born at Upwell, Norfolk. Abd-El-Kadar was considered by many a fortunate winner, holding on to win by half a length with much drama at the final fence. Fortune favours the brave, and this little horse would prove he was a star when retaining his title the following year with another battling victory to win by a neck. The first dual winner of the National. He would attempt to make it three wins on the trot but pulled-up at the 20^th fence (Becher’s Brook) after running across the wheat field for the second circuit. He would finish 5^th in 1853.

1853: Peter Simple was no stranger to the Grand National after winning in 1849 for Tom Cunningham and owner Finch Mason, Jr. In heavy ground, he won by three lengths at odds of 20/1. There were 3 fatalities in the race leading to much criticism in the press. However, Peter Simple would make history in 1853 when winning for a second time at the age of 15. This is a record unlikely to be beaten. His victory was all the more impressive for not completing the course in the three previous races.

1854: 4/1f Bourton won in a canter by fifteen lengths, ridden by John Tasker, trained by Henry Wadlow in the ownership of William Moseley. Reading the race report, it is quite distressing to hear the lack of compassion some jockeys had for their mounts. Half And Half finished sixth but was ridden lame for most of the second circuit after breaking down. A similar story for the veteran Peter Simple, who was 16, who finished in a very distressed state after breaking down badly. He was ridden by Newmarket-born Charles Boyce, the son of Classic winning jockey Frank.

1857: There is an interesting story behind Emigrant, who was won in a card game from Ben Land. Bookmaker and noted gambler George Hogman, bet heavily on his horse ante post but began to lay it to lose as the race neared as public confidence in the horse faded. However, Hogman made no secret that he thought the horse was a certainty. Trained and ridden by Charles Boyce, who was injured leading up to the big day, kept the ride. When asked for instructions Hogman said: ‘Do what you like.’

Emigrant won the race easily by three lengths at odds of 10/1.

Hogman won £5000. However, if he hadn’t laid much of his potential win with fears of his injured jockey not being at his best, he could have won ten times that sum. Boyce was rewarded with a gift of £1000. In today’s money, that would be worth £150,000.

1859: Half Caste concluded the decade winning at odds of 7/1 for trainer-jockey Chris Green in the silks of Mr Willoughby. The race saw spectators sabotage many of the fences endeavouring to make them less of a test. Some jockeys returned after the race to say their mounts had jumped spectators, so close to the jumps were the crowds! With the conflict of the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny there was concerns it had starved the sport of both good hunters and good hunting men. The field was made up of mostly flat race rejects and horses which had never taken part in a steeplechase. In one of the closest finishes ever, Half Caste won by a short neck.