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Moehat – Congratulations; I’m sure you’ll get it one day. I think there was a 100/1 winner at the Aintree meeting – Scottish Tartan (?) – tipped, if I recall, by Joe McNally.
The evening was excellent, wasn’t it? 5 GN-winning jockeys and the 2012 trophy. Chris’s pulling power is remarkable!
As author of that Foinavon book, may I first say a big ‘thank you’ to moehat and graysonscolumn.
I’m not sure I entirely answer the question of when the fence first started being called Foinavon on a routine basis. You will, though, find the name of the commentator who first suggested it might happen.
My main reason for posting is to make a contribution to the ‘greatest completion’ debate. The great Pat Taaffe would have said Francis Shortt’s ride to 5th place in 1962 aboard Fredith’s Son.
According to Taaffe, ‘This was the sort of ride you wouldn’t have wished on your worst enemy. FS didn’t jump a single fence correctly. He jumped them crookedly, landed parallel to the fence, twisted and did just about everything but fall…I don’t believe there was any other jockey in the world who could have completed the course with him.’
And, of course, while substantial changes had been made in 1961, the fences were considerably stiffer then than in 21st century Nationals.
As readers of the book will see, Shortt was one of those who almost wriggled through in 1967, well before Johnnie Buckingham and Foinavon reached the fence. Almost, but not quite…
