Run on good going on April 14, 2007, the 2007 Grand National featutred a maximum 40 runners, including the winners from the past two years, Hedgehunter, trained by Willie Mullins, and Numbersixvalverde, trained by Martin Brassil. Co-favourites at the ‘off’ were Point Barrow, who fell at the very first fence, Monkerhostin, who refused at the seventh fence, ‘Foinavon’, on the first circuit, and Joe’s Edge, who was pulled up lame when well behind on the second.
In the absence of the market leaders, 16 horses were still standing turning for home, with at least half of them still in serious contention. Slim Pickings, ridden by Barry Geraghty, led over the second last, but was joined, and passed, at the final fence by Silver Birch, ridden by Robbie Power. Silver Birch took a clear lead, but approaching the famous ‘Elbow’, halfway up the run-in, Geraghty conjured a renewed effort from Slim Pickings, while Tom O’Brien produced his mount, McKelvey, with a withering run on the wide outside. The latter, who finished lame, was arguably unlucky, but Silver Birch passed the post three-quarters of a length to the good, with Slim Pickings a further length-and-a-quarter away in third place and 100/1 outsider Philson Run 15 lengths back in fourth.
Silver Birch had won the Becher Chase, over the Grand National fences, and the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow in 2004, as a seven-year-old, when trained by Paul Nicholls. However, the Clearly Bust gelding arrived at Aintree winless in nine starts, including four since joining Gordon Elliott in Longwood, County Meath the previous December. He finished a creditable second in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but was sent off a largely unconsidered 33/1 chance for his second attempt in the Grand National. Nevertheless, he was a memorable winner for Elliott, who was still in his first season as a licensed trainer and had yet to saddle a winner in his native Ireland. Reflecting on his subsequent rise through the ranks, Elliott said, “I didn’t get one horse out of training Silver Birch. I got my name out after that, but I had to prove I could go and train winners.”