Horses Running In Grand National Aintree

Welsh Grand National winner Secret Reprieve is an eye-catching runner lower down the weights and has to warrant respect, while Santini is bound for a crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but could feature here. Other notable entries include Any Second Now, Kimberlite Candy, Potters Corner and former Cross Country Chase winner Easysland, who add yet to more depth. Aintree stages only National Hunt racing and has two courses laid out on a large flat surface. The Grand National course is used to stage the famous race, as the horses travel left-handed and cover the 2 mile 2 furlong track twice. There is a run in of nearly 500 yards from the last fence and an elbow that must be negotiated. The fences are laid out in various styles and are perhaps the ultimate equine challenge.

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Cloth Cap is strong favourite with Paddy Power for the Randox Grand National at Aintree next month after a wonderful warm-up victory at Kelso on Saturday.

The nine-year-old chaser has seen his odds slashed for the big event on April 10 following a comfortable victory in the Listed bet365 Premier Chase.

Initially 12/1 non-runner money back with Paddy, the Jonjo O’Neill-trained star shortened to 8/1 immediately after his victory and is now just 6/1 as punters pile in.

Cloth Cap caught the eye as he made all the running during the 2m7.5f contest in Scotland, travelling strongly throughout to secure a seven-and-a-half length win over Aso – despite jinking left on occasion and easing up in the final 100 yards.

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The triumph cements his solid form this season, having placed in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Chase behind Frodon and West Approach on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham in October.

The Trevor Hemmings-owned chaser then went on to beat Aye Right and The Conditional in the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury, and now it’s all eyes on the National at Aintree after his latest success.

Cloth Cap is yet to run at the Liverpool racecourse during his career but has seen plenty of support despite that inexperience thanks to the withdrawal of dual winner Tiger Roll.

Tiger Roll’s Gigginstown owners have decided not to attempt a third successive Grand National victory due to what they believe to be unfair handicapping.

The 11-year-old, who landed the 4m2.5f steeplechase in 2018 (carrying 10st3lbs) and 2019 (carrying 11st5lbs), was withdrawn at the forfeit stage because of an “unfair weight burden” of 11st9lbs.

That has strengthened Cloth Cap’s chances in the £750,000 handicap, while he is only set to carry a relatively manageable burden of 10st5lbs.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “We went 8-1 favourite for the National about Cloth Cap immediately after the race, but punters very quickly realised that he would be at least 8lb well in at Liverpool and he’s now half the price he was beforehand and is into 6-1.”

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Aintree Racecourse Grand National

The 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first official annual running of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.

It was held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on Tuesday 26 February 1839 and attracted a field of 17 runners.^[1]

Although recorded by the press at the time as the fourth running of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, which was renamed the Grand National in 1847, the first three runnings were poorly organised affairs. This year the race came under new management and the arrival of the railway in Liverpool made travel to the course easier.

The race was not run as a handicap chase (the Grand National was converted to a handicap race in 1843) and therefore all the runners carried twelve stone.

Competitors and betting[edit]

Eighteen runners were declared to run in the race but shortly before the start Jerry was withdrawn. This left the field as follows:

The race[edit]

The start was situated near to where the modern day Melling Road is and took the runners out into open countryside, jumping a line of natural banks, no more than 2 feet (0.61 m) high before reaching a post and rails over a brook. They then took the runners left towards the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, turning sharply (where the modern day Canal Turn is) to run along the canalside back towards the racecourse, negotiating the Second Brook (the modern day Valentine's Brook). The runners would then enter the 'racecourse proper' at the far end of the circuit to run back towards the stands, jumping a plain fence (the modern day Chair before jumping a wall topped with gorse (the modern day Water Jump). The field then took another circuit of the course, this time bypassing the final two obstacles towards the finishing post.

Paulina refused the first jump but continued after being put at the fence a second time. The most famous incident of the race occurred at the fence then known as the First Brook. Captain Becher had taken Conrad into second place at this stage but his mount failed to clear the rails and fell. Becher was forced to dive for cover into the brook itself as the other horses cleared the obstacle and legend has it that he was heard to tell the spectators that he did not realise how filthy water tasted without the benefit of whisky.

Seconds later, William McDonough joined Becher in the brook after falling from Rust but it was the Captain's name attributed to the fence, now known as Becher's Brook. Both riders remounted but Becher's race ended when his mount fell again at the Second Brook where both Barkston and Cannon Ball had also fallen. It was one of these horses, while running loose, who ended the hopes of the favourite when The Nun was brought down shortly before rejoining the racecourse; she was remounted by Tom Ferguson while Rust was pulled up before reaching the stands. Charity fell at the wall in front of the stands but was also remounted.

Railroad led at this stage with Lottery in second place but so slow was the pace of the race and so wide the distances between competitors that the favourite The Nun had managed to make up ground to move into third. Seventy-Four was fourth.

On the second circuit, Charity fell before reaching the First Brook for the second time while Dictator fell at the fence situated at the turn by the canal but was quickly remounted by Robert Carlin. Daxon and The Nun both fell for a second time at the next fence, the Second Brook, while Dictator fell there again, this time fatally, becoming the first equine fatality of the Grand National

Jem Mason took Lottery into the lead at the First Brook and maintained it to the finish, winning more easily than the three-length margin suggested in a time of 14 minutes 53 seconds, 53 seconds outside the course record. Lottery was prepared for the race at the stables of George Dockeray in Epsom, who is loosely regarded as the trainer but most of the preparation was more likely conducted by the owner, Piccadilly horse dealer John Elmore in whose colours of blue jacket and black cap the jockey rode. Seventy-Four was second, Paulina third and True Blue fourth. Pioneer was on course to finish third when he unseated his rider. Walker quickly remounted but could only manage fifth place.

Aftermath[edit]

Although regarded at the time as the fourth running of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, this running went on to be regarded as the first official running of the Grand National. The finishing order was only loosely recorded in the press as Jack in sixth, The Nun seventh, Railroad eighth, Rambler ninth and Cramp the last of ten to pass the post. Later record books show seven finishers though this is not supported by any press reports from the time. There was also much criticism in the press over the severity of the event, especially the conduct of Robert Carlin in remounting Dictator when witnesses described the horse as distressed. His cause of death was recorded as a burst blood vessel.

Finishing order[edit]

Aintree Grand National Runners

*NQ = not quoted

Non finishers[edit]

Aintree Races

*NQ = not quoted^[3]

References[edit]

1. ^Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred Heritage. 'Lottery'. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
2. ^https://sites.google.com/site/carverwilliamjockey/powel-horatio
3. ^https://www.grandnationalultimatehistory.com/races-1839.html

Irish Newsletter 1839
Liverpool Mercury 1839
The Times 1839