On Its 180th Birthday, The Grand National is Still the Most Famous Horse Race in the World By Johnny Feltcher At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

The first official Grand National, ran as the Liverpool & National Handicap Steeplechase, was raced in 1839 and ironically won by a horse by the name of Lottery. Little did that horse or its connections know what a precedent they had set and how synonymous that the name Lottery would become with the Aintree Grand National.

It is not entirely fair of course to call the race a lottery, after all it is also the greatest steeplechase in the world, but there have been occasions over its long history that its outcome has had a profound lottery feel about it. For instance, Foinavon’s incredible victory in 1967, when he was the only horse to jump a fence, now called the Foinavon fence, when al, around him fell in a heap. He went on to win the race at 100-1.

During that the first race in 1839, a certain Captain Becher whilst riding a horse called Conrad fell at a fence and into a brook that now bears his famous name. Becher’s Brook is now the most fearsome of all Aintree’s thirty fences and has claimed more race casualties than any other. It is negotiated twice during the race it being the sixth and twenty second fence.

The race became entitled the Grand National Handicap Steeplchase in 1847 and still holds that name today.

One of the greatest ever runners in the race was without doubt was the two time winner, Manifesto. He holds the distinction of being the highest weighted winner, when he carried 12 st 7lb to victory in the late 1800s. He also holds the record of carrying the most weight in a Grand National when he was handicapped with 12st 13lb the year after he won for the second time. He ran in the race an incredible eight times.

The racehorse however who is most the most remembered in modern times is obviously Red Rum. Winner in 1973, 174 and 1977 and Runner up in 1975 and 1976, Red Rum and Aintree went together more so than any of the many other Aintree legends. Trained by Ginger McCain, Red Rum was never the greatest race horse, he lost far more races than he won, but somehow Aintree always brought the best out of him. His first victory in 1973, many say, was his greatest when he came from a street behind to defeat the gallant Crisp on the line. That race will be remembered in equal measures for both horses, some glad that Red Rum got up and some sad that Crisp who had got so close to becoming the race’s greatest ever winner.

The Grand National continues to flourish; the 2009 renewal will be as eagerly anticipated as every other and will be the biggest race gambled on this year as it grows in popularity and more people than ever before are aware of the race. Who will win remains a great question but the one certainty is that it will provide much enjoyment and excitement for millions of people..

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