Nations

Irish Grand National

admin February 1, 2025

After writing a number of articles about Aintree, the Welsh and Scottish Grand Nationals, I’d almost forgot about its Irish counterpart.

Leprechauns turning in their grave!

A substantial crowd at Fairyhouse shaking their heads.

Perhaps the end of the rainbow hides a pot of gold or three wishes. I promise they will have everything to do with this beautiful Emerald Isle.

The Irish Grand National is held at Fairyhouse, County Meath, Ireland. This National Hunt steeplechase takes place each year on Easter Monday, part of the Festival meeting, attracting racegoers from Dublin.

This right-handed turf course over 3m 5f has twenty-four fences. It is open to horses aged five years and older. (It should be noted the race was run of 3m 4f until 1991).

Inuagurated in 1870, this handicap has an impressive history.

The first race was won by Sir Robert Peel.

The most noted winner with three victories is Brown Lad (1975, 1976, 1978). A brave performance in 1976 when carrying almost two stone extra weight under Tommy Carberry.

Notable winners in those early years include:

The Gift (1883, 1884)

Prince Regent, winner of the 1942 Irish Grand National, who went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1946 for trainer Tom Dreaper in the ownership of Jimmy Rank. The trainer won this race ten times, with seven successive wins from 1960 – 1966.

Dreaper’s star turn being Arkle who won the Irish Grand National in 1964. He went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times (1964, 1965, 1966). Also, highest rated steeplechaser ever by Timeform.

Flyingbolt (1966) was another supreme winner, noted as the second best steeplechase of all time. The same year he was crowned Champion Two-Mile Chaser.

Pat Taaffe is the leading jockey with six wins.

In 1953, Overshadow won at the age of 13.

Although no horses have won the Irish and Aintree Grand National in the same year a select number of horses have won both: *A (Aintree)

1904, 1906* Ascetic’s Silver

1985, 1988* Rhyme ‘n’ Reason

1989, 1999* Bobbyjo

2005, 2006* Numbersixvalverde

2023, 2024* I Am Maximus

In more recent years, punters will remember Desert Orchid (1990) for trainer David Elsworth, ridden by Richard Dunwoody. This followed a brilliant effort from the grey gelding in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Within the last decade (2015 – 2024) Willie Mullins and Dermot McLoughlin have featured winners:

Willie Mullins:

2019 – Burrows Saint

2023 – I Am Maximus

Dermot McLoughlin:

2021 – Freewheelin Dylan

2022 – Lord Lariat

The Irish Grand National is a prestigious race with total prize money of 500,000 (Euros) with a win prize of 270,000 (Euros).

Last year saw Intense Raffles (2024) take the honours at odds of 13/2 for Thomas Gibney, ridden by J J Slevin. In heavy going, the six-year-old son of Martaline won by one and a half lengths from Any Second Now (14/1), while Minella Cocooner (20/1) finished third.

The Irish Grand National is one of the featured races in the National Hunt season and part of the quartet of extended handicap chases.

A race with much history and prestige.

Welsh Grand National Winners

admin January 27, 2025

Of all the three Nationals, the Welsh is the first on the list for punters. It takes place on the 27^th December at Chepstow over 3 miles and 6 ½ furlongs. This Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase is the feature of this idiosyncratic left-handed racecourse. With 23 fences it has fewer obstacles than Aintree or Scottish Grand National.

It is open to horses aged four years and older.

Chepstow is the major racecourse in Wales, just one of three tracks including Bangor-on-Dee and the newest of the trio Ffos Las.

Personally, I always remember Native River winning the Welsh Grand National in 2016. He was a classy gelding who went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup (2018) and achieved total earnings topping £1M. Trained by Colin Tizzard, he won 10 major races in his career. A very consistent horse racing 28 times, unplaced in just 4.

Inaugurated in 1895. It was originally run at Ely Racecourse in Cardiff. However, the last race took place in 1939.

The race was cancelled over the war years, then one meeting at Newport Racecourse before Chepstow in 1948.

Fighting Line (1949) won the first race at Chepstow, ridden by Dick Francis, who would later become an accomplished author.

The date of the race has changed over time. Originally, it took place on Easter Tuesday. It was move to February in 1969 and then to its present schedule of late December in 1979. It is now posted the day after Boxing Day. It is sponsored by bookmakers Coral which is the longest running since 1973.

The quality of runners improved when re-classified as a Premier Handicap in 2022. In fact, it is an important guide for both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National.

Last year’s (2024) saw Val Dancer win well for trainer Mel Rowley ridden by Charlie Hammond. The 8/1 shot was ridden clear in the closing stages to beat joint favourite Jubilee Express (6/1). With win prize money of £85,425 and total purse of £150,000 there is much competition.

Is this race a good pointer for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National?

Winning the Welsh National is no easy feat and only a handful of runners have prevailed at the pinnacle of racing. However, there have been a number of noted victories.

Jenny pitman had a fine record in this race with high-profile winners including:

1982 – Corbiere

1983 – Burrough Hill Lad

1986 – Steersby

These were halcyon days for Pitman who used the Welsh Nation as a springboard for big winners the following season.

Corbiere went on to win the Aintree Grand National in 1983. A triumph which saw her become the first female winner of the most famous steeplechase in the world.

Burrough Hill Lad went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1984. Once again, the first woman to train the winner of this renowned race.

Other noted winners of the Welsh National include:

Bindaree – Grand National: 2002, Welsh National: 2003

Silver Birch Welsh National: 2004, Grand National: 2007

Synchronised Welsh National: 2010, Gold Cup: 2012

Truly superb horses.

It was a very sad day when Synchronised fractured his leg in the 2012 Grand National and euthanised.

Looking down the list of Welsh National winners it is like stepping back in time and remembering these special horses.

A few favourites include:

1985 – Run And Skip

Martin Pipe was a training phenomenon and he excelled in the Welsh National. From 1988 – 1993 he was almost unstoppable. Only Reg Akehurst could lower his colours with Cool Ground in 1990.

Martin Pipe Welsh National Winner:

1988 – Bonanza Boy

1989 – Bonanza Boy

1991 – Carvill’s Hill

1992 – Run For Free

1993 – Riverside Boy

2017 – Raz De Maree (16/1)

An exceptional performance from one of two veterans of the race winning at 13. He was followed gallantly by Alfie Spinner (33/1) who was also 13 years young.

The Greatest National Horse:

One horse which deserves particular praise is Nigel Twiston-Davies Earth Summit who won all 3 Nationals.

Scottish National 1994

Welsh National 1997

Grand National 1998

A feat that even the mighty Red Rum couldn’t surmount.

In additional, it is notable that Paul Nichols’ L’Aventure was one of few mares to win (2005), ridden by Leighton Aspell. A noble performance beating the opposition by a distance at odds of 14/1.

To be fair, it is a delight to write this article remembering so many greats of racing.

Scottish Grand National Winners

admin January 20, 2025

The emphasis of this website is to detail the Aintree Grand National. However, it is important to remember there are other ‘Nationals’ on the Racing Calender, including both Scottish and Welsh.

The Scottish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase which takes place at Ayr Racecourse, Scotland, towards the end of April. This premier handicap is over a distance of almost 4 miles, with 27 fences.

This left-handed turf course has win prize money over £100,000.

It is the Scottish equivalent of the Aintree Grand National.

This race is open to horses aged 5 years and older.

Dating back to 1858, it was originally named the West of Scotland Grand National. It took place in the Lowlands of Scotland.

Similar to the Aintree Grand National, it consisted of 32 jumps, mainly stone walls.

The win prize: £100.

In 1867, the Scottish National moved to Bogside Racecourse, near Irvine, on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire. It hosted Flat and National Hunt racing on an undulating course. One of the major races was the Bogside Cup.

An interesting point about Bogside. On the 19^th July 1957, jockey, Alec Russell rode all six winners on the card [Flat turf]. In fact, he won the last race the previous day at Lanark, to achieve 7 consecutive winners.

The inaugural running of the Scottish National, saw The Elk win for the Duke of Hamilton. In those days, the race was over 3 miles.

The distance increased to 4 miles in 1880.

In 1965, Bogside Racecourse closed, although point-to-point meetings continued until 1994.

The following year, it moved to Ayr Racecourse. African Patrol (1966) won for trainer Robert Fairbairn, ridden by Johnny Leech. The seven-year-old gelding carried 10-7lbs.

You may wonder how many horses have won both Aintree and the Scottish Nationals.

We have to go back to 1922 to see the first horse, Music Hall, trained by Owen Anthony, ridden by Lewis Rees, which ran in the silks of Hugh Kershaw.

Music Hall:

Scottish Grand National (1920)

Aintree Grand National Victory (1922) 24^th March

Other horses to complete the double include: Merryman II, Little Polveir and Earth Summit.

The only horse to win both races in the same year is the legendary Red Rum in 1974. A great occasion for trainer Ginger McCain, rider Brian Fletcher and owner Noel Le Mare.

A trio of horses won the Scottish Grand National 3 times:

Couvrefeu – 1911, 1912, 1913

Southern Hero – 1934, 1936, 1939

Queen’s Taste – 1953, 1954, 1956

You have to go back a long way to find the leading jockey who secured 4 wins:

Charlie Cunningham (known as Scotland’s greatest jockey) – Bellman (1881), Wild Meadow (1885), Orcadian (1887) & Deloraine (1889).

In this modern era, with all 3 wins at Ayr Racecourse, Mark Dwyer had great success with Androma (1984, 1985) & Moorcroft Boy (1996).

Moorcroft Boy finished 3^rd in the Aintree Grand National in 1994, behind Miinehoma. He retired after his easy win in the Scottish National at odds of 20/1. Amazingly, that day he was 16lb out of the handicap and Dwyer put up 2lb overweight.

Leading trainers with 5 wins:

Neville Crump: Wot No Sun (1949), Merryman II (1959), Arcturus (1968), Salkeld (1980) & Canton (1983)

Merryman II won the Aintree Grand National in 1960 at odds of 13/2f.

Ken Oliver was very successful with 5 wins: Pappageno’s Cottage (1963), The Spaniard (1970), Young Ash Leaf (1971), Fighting Fit (1979) & Cockle Strange (1982).

In the last 50-years, Willsford (1995) was the oldest winner of this race, aged 12.

Let’s take a look at the last decade of Scottish Grand National Winners:

2015 – *Wayward Prince (25/1), Trainer: Hilary Parrott

2016 – *Vicente (14/1), Trainer: Paul Nicholls

2017 – *Vicente (9/1), Trainer: Paul Nicholls

2018 – *Joe Farrell (33/1), Trainer: Rebecca Curtis

2019 – *Takingrisks (25/1), Trainer: Nicky Richards

2020 – No race (COVID 19)

2021 – *Mighty Thunder (8/1), Trainer: Lucinda Russell

2022 – Win My Wings (13/2), Trainer: Christian Williams

2023 – *Kitty’s Light (4/1), Trainer: Christian Williams

2024 – Macdermott (18/1), Trainer: Willie Mullins

* Denotes: Ran in Aintree Grand National at least once.

With the Scottish Grand National following Aintree, there’s always an opportunity for a ‘National horse’ to take its chance. Recent data adds to this point. However, very few horses have won both races.

Red Rum (1974) is the only horse to win both Aintree Grand National & Scottish Grand National in the same year.