Category: Grand National

Who was the first female jockey to win the Grand National?

Who was the first female jockey to win the Grand National? The first female jockey to win the Grand National was Rachael Blackmore who, on April 10, 2021, partnered Minella Times to an historic, 6½-length victory over 100/1 outsider, and stable companion, Balko Des Flos. Owned by John ‘J.P.’ McManus and trained by Henry De Bromhead, Minella Times was sent off 11/1 fourth-favourite for the celebrated steeplechase, so there was no fluke about his performance or that of his trailblazing jockey.

In a year of ‘firsts’, Blackmore had already become the first female jockey to win the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, on Honeysuckle, and the first female jockey to win the Holland Cooper Leading Jockey Award for the Ruby Walsh Trophy, with six winners during the week. At that stage, De Bromhead paid tribute to her, saying, ‘She’s riding out of her skin’, but little did he know what Aintree had in store for the 31-year-old Irishwoman. Previously, the closest a female jockey had come to winning the Grand National was in 2012, when the now-retired Katie Walsh, sister of Ruby, finished third, beaten 5 lengths, behind Neptune Collonges.

How many female trainers have won the Grand National?

As far as the Grand National is concerned, it was Jenny Pitman who first broke through the ‘glass ceiling’ when saddling Corbiere, who was still a novice, to victory in 1983. In 1995, ‘Mrs. P.’ won the Grand National again with the 12-year-old Royal Athlete and, in the meantime, has been joined by three more female trainers on the Grand National roll of honour.

In 2009, Mon Mome, trained by Venetia Williams, caused a shock – although, to be fair, there appeared no fluke about his performance – when driven clear by the late Liam Treadwell to beat the 2008 winner Comply Or Die by 12 lengths at odds of 100/1. Four years later, in 2013, Auroras Encore, trained by Sue Smith, belied odds of 66/1 with a comprehensive 9-length win. Four years later still, in 2017, One For Arthur, trained by Lucinda Russell, was sent off at a rather more ‘punter friendly’ starting price of 14/1 and, having travelled and jumped well, stayed on strongly to win by 4½ lengths; in so doing, he not only made Russell the fourth female trainer to win the Grand National, but became the first Scottish-trained winner since Rubstic in 1979.

What’s the smallest number of finishers in the Grand National?

It would be reasonable to assume that the smallest field ever assembled for the Grand National, just ten in 1883, also resulted in the smallest number of finishers. However, on that occasion, the actual result was quite the contrary; Jolly Sir John refused at the fourth fence and Cortolvin fell at the second fence on the second circuit, but the other eight runners all completed the course.

The smallest number of finishers in the Grand National actually occurred in 1928, when 100/1 outsider Tipperary Tim beat the only other finisher, Billy Barton, who was remounted after falling at the final fence, by a distance. Ironically, race featured what was, at the time, the largest field ever assembled for the Grand National.

However, a mêlée at the Canal Turn on the first circuit caused, in part, by Easter Hero, who landed on top of the fence and slipped back into the ditch and, in part, by Eagle’s Tail, who refused, put paid to 18 of the 42 starters and further drama was to follow. Heading out into the country for the second time, only six horses remained in contention; that number was reduced to three by the departures of De Combat at Becher’s Brook and Maguelonne and May King at the fourth-last fence. Of the remaining trio, Great Span was travelling best when unseating rider at the second-last and when Billy Barton fell at the last Tipperay Tim was temporarily left alone.

When, and why, was the Grand National ever cancelled?

Following three runnings of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, the first ‘official’ running on the Grand National National took place at Aintree on February 26, 1839. In the best part of two centuries, or 182 years, to be exact, since, the Grand National has been cancelled outright just six times. Even during World War I, when Aintree Racecourse was requisitioned by the War Office, a substitute race was staged at Gatwick Racecourse in 1916, 1917 and 1918.

During World War II, Aintree Racecourse was, once again, occupied by the military, leading to the outright cancellation of the Grand National in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1945. However, the Grand National returned to Aintree in 1946, shortly after the departure of American troops and, thereafter, enjoyed an uninterrupted spell until 2019. Of course, the 2020 renewal was cancelled outright due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aside from outright cancellations, the Grand National has been declared void once, in 1993, when a fiasco at the start led to many of the jockeys setting off around the course, despite a false start being called. It has also been postponed once, in 1997, but only by 48 hours, after a coded terrorist bomb threat led to the complete evacuation of Aintree Racecourse on Grand National Day.

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