The Aintree Grand National dates back to the early 19th Century. There have been iconic winners since 1839. The shortest priced favourites to the biggest priced outsiders. Horses many thought could never win, others who simply couldn’t lose!
Without doubt, it’s a race where stories are made…
Unless you are the grand old age of 100, few readers are likely to ask:
‘Do you remember Master Roberts winning in 1924? There was a false start and the race was delayed for 8 minutes but it didn’t stop Bob Trudgill winning at 25/1. I had 5-shilling each-way. After racing, I went to the Adelphi Hotel with 1,500 other guests and that crazy jockey re-enacted his victory by leaping a Becher’s Brook made out of 20 Magnums of Champagne.’
To be fair, I wish I had been there because it sounds one hell of a day and night.
Trainer, Aubrey Hastings and owner Lord Airlie were never the same.
I guess that’s what happens when you pocket £5,000 in prize money!
Obviously, this was a long time before the first TV footage (1960), but incredibly in 1924, forty-five cameramen recorded footage for Pathe News which captured the event for cinema audiences.
For most horse racing fans, this modern era of the Aintree Grand National dates back to 2015. I’m sure readers are looking forward to the 2025 National.
Let’s take a look at the last 10-years.
Here is a list of winners:
2024 – I Am Maximus (Willie Mullins)
2023 – Corach Rambler (Lucinda Russell)
2022 – Noble Yeats (Emmet Mullins)
2021 – Minella Times (Henry de Bromhead)
2020 – Cancelled
2019 – Tiger Roll (Gordon Elliott)
2018 – Tiger Roll (Gordon Elliott)
2017 – One For Arthur (Lucinda Russell)
2016 – Rule The World (Mouse Morris)
2015 – Many Clouds (Oliver Sherwood)
The main highlights include the disaster that was Covid 19 which saw life turned upside down and the 2020 Aintree Grand National being cancelled. I remember we were days away from the race taking place. It was a race to the line: Could Tiger Roll win 3 Nationals on the trot or would the deadly virus knock everything on the head?
We all know the answer.
It was unfortunate that Tiger Roll didn’t have his chance to go one better than the incredible Red Rum who won (1973, 1974 & 1977) for Ginger McCain and flamboyant owner Noel Le Mare. The man who had 3 ambitions in life.
Tiger Roll’s story would be cut short and sadly he wasn’t the same horse, He didn’t make the line-up for the 2021 Grand National.
2015 saw owner Trevor Hemmings win the National for the third time. Many Clouds, trained by Oliver Sherwood and jockey Leighton Aspell, who had won the year before. Hemmings had tasted victory with Ballabriggs (2011) and Hedghunter (2005). Hemmings, a very popular man and self-made billionaire, from very humble beginnings, sadly passed away in 2021 at the age of 86.
Lucinda Russell has won the National twice in the last ten years: One For Arthur (2014) and Corach Rambler (2023). They gave jockey Derek Fox special days to remember.
In fact, in the last 15 running (2009 – 2024) there has been three women train Aintree Grand National winners:
2009 – Mon Mome (100/1) Ventia Williams
2013 – Auroras Encore (66/1) Sue Smith
2017 – One For Arthur (14/1) Lucinda Russell
2023 – Corach Rambler (8/1f) Lucinda Russell
A truly historic moment: Minella Times (2021).
The first woman to win the Grand National, Rachael Blackmore. There is little doubt this victory said a lot about horse racing which bult on the shoulders of giants, such as of Charlotte Brew (1977) and Barony Fort. Without the efforts of many women and the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act which made discrimination on the grounds of sex illegal. Blackmore went on to win the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup: A Plus Tard won at 3/1f.
It is worth noting the success of Noble Yeats (2022) which saw Sam Waley-Cohen become the first amateur winner since Marcus Armitage and Mr Frisk (1990). Noble Yeats was the first seven-year-old to win since Bogskar in 1940.
In 2024, Willie Mullins found a winner in I Am Maximus, after a torrid time which saw him send out 63 runners since 2000. The eight-year-old gelding won well for Paul Townend and owner J.P. McManus.
But who will win the 2025 Aintree Grand National?
It takes place on the 5th April at 4pm.
At this time, 90 horses are entered for the Aintree Grand National. However, this will be narrowed down to a field of 34. At present, the final horse to make the start is Senior Chief alloted 10st 10lb. He is 33rd on the list.
This race over 4m 2 1/2f, with 30 fences and total prize money of £1M (£500,000 to the winner) sets a stiff challenge.
Leading fancies include:
*I Know The Way Ur Thinking (Gavin Cromwell) 8/1
*I Am Maximus (Willie Mullins) 12/1
*Iroko (Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriro) 14/1
Intense Raffles (Thomas Gibney) 16/1
Minella Cocooner (Willie Mullins) 20/1
Nick Rockett (Willie Mullins) 20/1
*Meeting Of Waters (Willie Mullins) 25/1
*Perceval Legallois (Gavin Cromwell) 25/1
It’s noticeable that *J.P. McManus has a strong hand with 5 horses high in the betting. I Am Maximus has been raised 6lb for last year’s win. Mullins is throwing a hedgehog at the dartboard with 7 horses in the betting priced at 66/1 and less.
Mullins said: ‘It will be ‘tough’ for I Am Maximus to win off top weight.