Run on April 9, 2011, on going officially described as good, good to soft in places, the 2011 Grand National was an eventual renewal, overshadowed by fatal injuries to two horses, which led to the bypassing of two fences, including Becher’s Brook, on the second circuit. Ultimately, 19 of the 40 starters completed the course and were led home by 14/1 chance Ballabriggs, in a time of 9:01.2, significantly slower than the course record of 8:47.8, set by Mr. Frisk on firm going in 1990, but nevertheless the second-fastest winning time in history.
Owned by the late Trevor Hemmings, trained by Donald McCain Jnr. and ridden by Jason Maguire, Ballabriggs was on, or close to, the pace throughout and, despite a blunder at Valentine’s Brook on the second circuit, regained the lead at the next fence and was never headed thereafter. That said, four other horses, Oscar Time, Niche Market, Big Fella Thanks and the 2010 winner, Don’t Push It, remained in serious contention approaching the second last. Ballabriggs jumped the final fence with a two-length lead and, although Oscar Time, ridden by leading amateur Sam Whaley-Cohen, reached his quarters halfway up the run-in, he found extra in the closing stages and drew away again to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths. Don’t Push It stayed on to finish a modest third, a further 12 lengths away, while State Of Play, who had been only seventh jumping the final fence, stayed on relentlessly to finish fourth, two lengths further back.
In saddling Ballabriggs to victory in the world-famous steeplechase, McCain Jnr. followed in the footsteps of his father, Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain, who saddled the legendary Red Rum to an unprecedented hat-trick in 1973, 1974 and 1977, plus Amberleigh House in 2004. Winning connections collected the lion’s share of the record £950,000 prize money awarded for what was, at the time, the most valuable National Hunt race in the country. Winning jockey Maguire told the BBC, “This is crazy. I’ve got to thank Donald [McCain], Mr. Hemmings, my mother and father, everybody. It’s a dream come true.”