The Most Unexpected Winners Of The Grand National
The Grand National is one of the most anticipated races in the horse racing calendar and features annually at Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside. The scale of the prestigious race exceeds that of any other in the UK, generating over 500 million viewers globally. Fans from around the world dream of visiting the racecourse and experiencing that famous atmosphere associated with the Grand National. Some viewers watch the event annually to take advantage of Grand National free bets, whereas some tune in to witness some of the greatest jockeys in the world. While there are always horses believed to be more likely to win a race, the Grand National is a good example that nothing is certain with some of the most unexpected events unfolding. Here, let’s take a look at some of the most unexpected winners of the world-famous Grand National.
Tipperary Tim
Not only is the story of Tipperary Tim an incredible story of an underdog who managed to win the most prestigious horse race, but it is also one of the greatest stories in the history of the Grand National. Tipperary Tim was named after a local marathon runner, however, ironically was known for being a relatively slow horse but never fell. In 1928, the Grand National consisted of 42 horses and was run in foggy and relatively dangerous conditions. Nonetheless, the race went ahead with Tipperary Tim being at 100-1 to win, leaving him a massive outsider and not backed by many people. However, some may argue that a stroke of luck fell at the horse’s feet with a massive pile-up occurring on the Canal Turn jump, resulting in only 7 horses left in the race. Throughout the course of the race, another 5 horses fell at different gates, leaving only Tipperary Tim and Billy Barton at 33-1 left in the Grand National. Approaching the final hurdle, Billy Barton fell, leaving only Tipperary Tim to finish the race. Despite Billy Barton’s jockey remounting and finishing the race as the only other horse to do so, Tipperary Tim won by a considerably large margin. This was met with lots of debate in the media after the race, discussing whether the Grand National should be won by the only horse not to fall; nonetheless, the winner of the 1928 Grand National remained the 100/1 Tipperary Tim.
Mon Mome
The most recent underdog story came in the 2009 Grand National with the French-bred racehorse Mon Mome. The horse was placed at 100/1, giving it very little chance of taking home the win in the prestigious race, with the previous year’s winner Comply or Die and second favourite My Will. Despite the favourites and odds being swung massively out of the French Horse’s favour, the underdog won the Grand National by around 12 lengths. The extremely impressive finish was conducted by English jockey Liam Treadwell and was the first 100/1 winner since 1967. The horse also made French history by being the first horse bred in the nation to win the Grand National for 100 years. The history-making horse defied all the odds after finishing 10th in the previous year’s race and even went on to finish 3rd in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010.
Foinavon
As previously mentioned, the last 100/1 horse to win the Grand National came in 1967 and was won by the Irish racehorse Foinavon. The odds were heavily stacked against the horse, and it even managed to escape a large melee on the 23rd Fence, resulting in several horses falling. During the Grand National preparations, several riders turned down the opportunity to ride Foinavon, resulting in young jockey John Buckingham being presented with the opportunity to take on the challenge of riding the 100/1 horse. Not only was the horse given little chance by the bookies, but the owner of the horse, too, had very little hope for it and didn’t even attend the race, opting to support another horse at a different racecourse in Worcester. While Mon Mome was not the quickest horse by any means, jockey John Buckingham was able to intelligently guide the horse through a large melee on fence 23, avoiding the dramatic pile-up on the jump. This was the major turning point in the race, allowing an advantage, and despite others trying to close the gap, Foinavon managed to hold on and win the Grand National by 15 lengths. As a result of the incredible scenes at the 1967 Grand National, in 1987, to pay homage to one of the greatest underdog stories, the 23rd fence at Aintree was renamed the Foinavon fence, cementing the horse’s name and legacy into the history of the sport
Final Thoughts…
The Grand National is full of twists and turns, making it one of the most enjoyable and unpredictable races you can watch; with the prestigious Aintree Festival just around the corner, who knows what the race has in store for us this year?