On April 5, 2008, a maximum field of 40 runners went to post for the Grand National. Joint-favourites at the ‘off’ were Cloudy Lane, trained by Donald McCain and carrying the famous green, yellow and white silks of the late Trevor Hemmings, and Comply Or Die, trained by David Pipe and carrying the equally famous blue, green and white silks of the late David Johnson. The pair had finished first and second in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock the previous December and, at Aintree, Comply Or Die was 4lb better off for the two-and-a-half lengths he was beaten on that occasion.
Since Haydock, Cloudy Lane had gone on to complete a hat-tirck, in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster, while Comply Or Die had won the Eider Chase at Newcastle on his only subsequent start, so both market leaders arrived at Aintree at the top of their form. In an eventful renewal, overshadowed by the death of the 2007 runner-up McKelvey, who unseated jockey Tom O’Brien early on the second circuit and was fatally injured while running loose, just 15 of the 40 starters completed the course.
Ridden by Jason Maguire, Cloudy Lane was asked for an effort three fences from home, where he made a mistake, and thereafter weakened to finish a distant sixth. Comply Or Die, meanwhile, led going well two out and, once shaken up by jockey Timmy Muphy, forged clear on the run-in to put four lengths between himself and his nearest pursuer, King Johns Castle, with Snowy Morning a close third, a further length-and-a-half away, with 16 lengths back to the fourth horse home, Slim Pickings.
Comply Or Die ran in the next three Grand Nationals. In 2009, off a 15lb higher mark, he finished 12-length runner-up to 100/1 outsider Mon Mome, in 2010, he finished a distant twelfth behind Don’t Push It and, in 2011, was tailed off when pulled up two out behind Ballabriggs. He was retired immediately afterward, with Pipe saying, “He’s been great for Pond House, for me and for David Johnson and his family and everyone involved with him.”