The 1885 Grand National
"Roquefort" who was ridden by Ted Wilson, a jockey that returned to win consecutive Nationals on different horses, won the 1885 Grand National. The winning pair started at 100-30 with both a new trainer and owner partnering the jockey. Harry Beasley also returned riding "Frigate" again and again managed to finish second followed by "Black Prince" in third, the best finish for "Black Prince" since it came in second in 1882.
There was also discussion of foul play after one of the runners suffered a severe case of poisoning before the race, which had a prize fund of £1,035. The course itself was greatly changed for 1885, Aintree had been fully turfed with stretches of open plough removed and running trails built all the way around the inside of the course. Steeplechasing itself had developed to a stage where it required this change; the races had long been ridden over farmland that was largely unturfed but the perception of the sport had changed in recent years with it now though of as less of an event for hunters to test
their own horses abilities.
The 1884 Grand National
Harry Beasley improved a place in 1884 riding "Frigate" to second as his quest to win the Grand National continued. Harry would eventually win the race, but not until 1891, this year though would belong to "Voluptuary" ridden by Ted Wilson with both horses starting at 10-1.
"Roquefort" trailed the two finishing in third, but would not have to wait long to win the National winning in 1885 when Harry Beasley would switch horses and ride him to victory. Another horse that participated was "The Scot" son of a former Derby winner ran but did not complete the course, he did however have the distinction of being owned by the Prince of Wales, the first horse the Prince owned on his own.
The 1883 Grand National
A very poor number of horses participated in the 1883 Grand National, two less than 1882 with only ten starting. The number of starters wouldn't have bothered "Zoedone" and jockey Count Charles Kinsky who had finished third a year before when only three horses completed the race. This year though he took the 100-7 outsider to victory beating "Black Prince" who finished second. Harry Beasley finished in third riding "Mohican".
The 1882 Grand National
"Seaman" who was owned by Lord John Manners a man that has purchased the horse for £2,000 won the 1882 Grand National. The horse was felt to be past it's best after being plagued by sickness from a young age, he shook the injuries off over time though and managed to hold off "Cyrus" and "Zoedone" the only other horses to complete the course to win the National. The race this year was on the 24th of March and had a field of only 12 starters after very heavy snow.
"Seaman" wasn't fully fit on the day but managed to come from behind to beat "Cyrus" who had led with only 300 yards left winning while racing on virtually three legs. The horse was retired after the race, receiving a well-deserved retirement.
The 1881 Grand National
11-2 Joint favourite "Woodbrook" with "Thornfield" won the 1881 Grand National ridden by Tommy Beasley who joined that special group of very few jockeys to win the event two years in a row. It was also a second victory in two years for trainer Henry Linde returned with the jockey and horse that was owned by Mr. Y L Kirkwood.
The 1880 Grand National
"Empress" won the 1880 Grand National ridden by Tommy Beasley who had also ridden "Martha" to second in 1878 and third place in 1879. Due to his past performances Tommy Beasley started very highly favoured at 8-1 in a race that had only 14 starters, but still saw 10 of those horses complete the four and a half miles. "The Liberator" returned one year after winning the big race at Aintree with better odds still at 11-1, which were shorter odds than when it raced to victory, dropping a spot in a tightly fought race.
The 1879 Grand National
The 1879 Grand National was won by "The Liberator" ridden by Garry Moore who was also the horse's owner with Mr. J Moore as the horse's trainer. The horse started at 25-1 and beat "Jackal" who was now co-owned between Lord Marcus Beresford and the Prince of Wales who had become hugely interested in the sport and the Grand National in particular. The 11 year-old horse "Jackal" started the race at 1000-65 wearing light blue and black and performed very well. It was however a disappointing race for Lord Marcus Beresford, even though the horse performed well he had seen many a high placed finished with
"Chimney Sweep" the previous few years, but he didn't ever win the Grand National race.
The 1878 Grand National
Mr. J Jones finally won the Grand National after several years of high place finishes on "Chimney Sweep" who was unlucky not to have done a little better. This time around though he was riding "Shifnal" a highly fancied horse at 7-1 that was both owned by and trained by John Nightingall. Mr. J Jones fought a tough race leading "Shifnal" past "Martha" a 20-1 outsider and "Pride of Kildare" to a wonderful victory.
The 1877 Grand National
Sixteen runners began the 1877 Grand National, less again from the nineteen in 1877 on a trend that would continue over the next few years with as little as 10 starting later in 1883. "Austeritz" won ridden by Fred Hobson who also owned the horse beating "Congress" to a second second place finish in two years. "Austeritz" was trained by Robert I'Anson and started the race at 15-1 leaving. "Congress" was again ridden by Joe Cannon as the pair managed to hold off "The Liberator" and "Chimney Sweep" in fourth who again finished well.
The 1876 Grand National
Only 7 horses finished the 1876 Grand National with the first four to do so starting the race at 25-1, of these four it was "Regal" ridden by Joe Cannon who won beating "Congress" who finished second. "Shifnal" and "Chimney Sweep" were next to finish with "Chimney Sweep" finishing in the top four for a second time ridden by Mr. J Jones who himself rode the horse three times to a top four finish but never to victory. Captain James Machell made it three wins in four years as owner of the 1876 winner.
The 1875 Grand National
The 1875 Grand National was won by "Pathfinder" who started at 100-6 and was something of an unknown horse ridden by a complete opposite in the form of the jockey everyone at the time must have been aware of, Thomas Pickernell who always seemed to be in the thick of the action. Nineteen horses lined up on the day and seven finished the race, the nineteen starters comprised the lowest number to begin the Grand National for over a decade.
Two-time winner John Page started as favourite on 6-1 bet "La Veine" and again performed well finishing 3rd behind "Dainty" who had been beaten by half a length. The next horse past the post was "Jackal" who would later be co-owned by the Prince of Wales in the 1879 National.
The 1874 Grand National
Returning for his second victory in two years John Richardson won 1874 Grand National on a different horse in "Reugny" winning as both jockey and trainer yet again and marking his place further into the record books. The odds on "Reugny" were much shorter at 5-1 with horse beginning the race as favourite, something that "Disturbance" didn't have to burden a year earlier. "Chimney Sweep" owned by Lord Marcus Beresford finished second at 25-1 with 40-1 bet Merlin in third place.
The 1873 Grand National
With 28 runners, the highest amount since 30 started in 1866 the Grand National was again viewed a thrilling and fantastic spectacle one which had managed to claw it's way back from the poor interest in suffered a decade earlier. "Disturbance" won the race as a 20-1 outsider ridden by John Richardson who also trainer the horse. The jockey repeated the feat 12 months later, but was much more of a favourite the second time around. The horse which left the much more favoured horse "Ryshworth" trailing in second was owned by Captain James Machell who also returned in 1874 keeping the team fully intact.
The 1872 Grand National
In the midst of a seven-year period, which included 3 horses to win the big race at Aintree "Casse Tette" won his one and only Grand National. The horse, which was owned by Mr. E Brayley and trained by Mr. A Cowley was ridden on the day by John Page, who himself won two Nationals with this his second success at Aintree following victory in the 1867 race whilst riding "Cortolvin" to victory as a 16-1 outsider. "The Lamb" who won in 1871 finished fourth while last years second and third place horse swapping places and finishing in the reverse order.
The 1871 Grand National
"The Lamb" returned for his second Grand National in 1871 after battling through a wasting disease, which stopped him from taking part in 1870. The horse was also unfortunate to miss the 1969 National after a clerical error when his age was incorrectly supplied. All of this seemed to doom "The Lamb" to never compete again, but the small horse that was originally thought to be too small to jump over the fences again proved his doubters wrong by bravely winning for a second time.
Following on from the tragedy a year earlier, which saw George Stevens die in a riding accident, another winning jockey was to be killed in a steeplechasing fall when George Ede the jockey who had ridden "The Lamb" to victory in 1868 also passed away. His death meant that Tommy Pickernell, who had also seen much success at Aintree take over on "The Lamb" riding the horse to victory.
The 1870 Grand National
It was an interesting year for "The Colonel", not only had he not raced since the previous Grand National, he also changed ownership and even started as favourite. The jockey and trainer duo of George Stevens and Mr. R Roberts returned as George Stevens won his fifth National after starting at 7-2. After the success of 1869 when the horse hung around it's competitors until making a late surge George again used those same tactics winning despite a 19lb penalty hanging on to win by a neck.
George Stevens would sadly not return to make an attempt at a 6th victory though as he was tragically killed in a riding accident just three months later. He is however rightly remembered as the most prolific National winning jockey of all time.
The 1869 Grand National
A young 6 year-old stallion "The Colonel" won the first of two back-to-back triumphs at Aintree by winning the 1869 Grand National whilst being ridden by George Stevens both times. The same George Stevens who won the 1856 National some thirteen years earlier and another set of back-to-back victories on "Emblem" and "Emblematic" in 1863 and 1864 making him one of the true legends of the event. It was "The Colonel's" second ever steeplechase winning at 100-7. The horse changed owners over the next twelve months with John Weyman passing over the honour of bringing back the champion horse to Matthew Evans a year later.
The 1868 Grand National
"The Lamb" became the first ever grey winner of the National in 1868 and one of only two grey horses to win the race, the other being "Nicolaus Silver" almost one hundred years later in 1971. The tiny horse that had been thought to be far too small to win the National found an unusual path to entering the 1868 event after he had originally been sold to a vet, who bought the horse for his daughter. "The Lamb" however proved to be too much to handle for the young girl allowing him to find his route into the Grand National for the first time in 1868.
The horse did however start with fairly good odds at 9-1 and was owned by Lord Poulett who also owned the horse in 1971 when he returned to the race winning again. The jockey George Ede and trainer Ben Land did not return with "The Lamb" though, but still enter the record books associated closely with the small grey horse.
The 1867 Grand National
5 years after Harry Lamplugh won the Grand National as a jockey he was back again winning for a second time, but this time as the trainer of "Cortolvin" the 16-1 outsider. The horse who won while ridden by John Page and was owned by the Duke of Hamilton wasn't really expected to fair that well in 1867, but under the guidance of John Page and Harry Lamplugh, was prepared sufficiently to fly past the opposition and win at the big one Aintree.
The 1866 Grand National
The 1866 Grand National was won by "Salamander" a 40-1 outsider with larger odds than any winner for years. The horse had been born with a crooked leg and was thought to be near to worthless, with it being bought for a bargain price by Mr. Edward Studd of Rutland when in a terrible state. "Salamander" did however repay the faith Edward Studd showed in him by making a full recovery and returning £40,000 from the huge gamble placed upon him as Alec Goodman rode him to victory.
The 1865 Grand National
"Alchibiade" won the 1865 Grand National ridden by Captain Henry Coventry of the Grenadier Guards who only ever raced in one National. Starting at 100-7, the horse trained by Mr. Cornell ran a fantastic race battling hard to beat all others to victory. The jockey Henry Coventry was also cousin of Lord Coventry who owned the two winning horses in 1863 and 1864, while this year's horse owner was Benjamin John Angell, the same Benjamin John Angell who formed the governing body for horse racing in 1866 known as the National Hunt Committee.
The 1864 Grand National
George Stevens who won the year before returned to race on 6 year-old "Emblematic", which carried a very similar name to the 1863 Grand National winner but was not the same horse with a rename. In something of an amazing feat George Stevens won his second National in a row on a horse not expected to perform anywhere near as well as "Emblem" who started with odds of 10-1.
25 runners began the race, which was a welcome improvement over the past two years as 1863's winning group of owner Lord Coventry and trainer Edwin Weever returned to all achieve back-to-back victories.
The 1863 Grand National
Another year, another poor number of starters with only 16 horses competing, which was still an improvement on the previous year. Even though the interest in competing seemed to have dropped the past couple of years the Grand National had become far too much a feature on the horse racing calendar to discontinue and the future looked bright with many die hard fans returning to bet and watch the race again.
"Emblem" won the 1863 event starting with odds of 4-1 ridden by "George Stevens" who didn't finished the race a year before and was about to become one of few jockeys to win the Grand National two years in a row by following up for his second victory in 1864. Lord Coventry owned the horse, which was trained by Edwin Weever.
The 1862 Grand National
The 1862 Grand National was won by 3-1 favourite "The Huntsman" on March 12th, almost a year to the day since "Jealousy" won. Unfortunately the number of starters was much poorer this year with only 13 horses lining up to compete. Jockey Harry Jeremiah Lamplugh, who had been racing for French owners since 1849 and first competed in the National in 1853 but did not complete the course that year. He did however keep trying and finally completed the course finishing fourth at his third Grand National in 1855 ten years after his father John Lamplugh raced in the same event.
It was Harry Lamplugh's 8th attempt to win the big race and he finally started on the horse most expected to do well after his third place finish in 1859, followed by second in 1860. "The Huntsman" however may never have seemed such a sure bet if last years winner "Jealousy" hadn't of withdrawn on the morning of the race leaving only "Bridegroom" to run from last years first four home.
1862 also sadly saw jockey James Wynne die at the fence before the water, the fence, which was always taken at such great speed was later changed to an open ditch. The ditch came to be known as The Chair due to it featuring directly across from the seat that the distance judge sits on.
The 1861 Grand National
"Jealousy" left 23 other runners feeling very envious as he won the Grand National on the 13th of March 1861. Owned by Mr. J Bennett and ridden Joseph Kendall the 5-1 bet ran an impressive race winning at the age of 7, but he had always been expected to perform very well at Aintree. The horse, which by today's standards was a very young winner weighed 9-12 and delighted all those associated with him especially his trainer Charles Balchin and the jubilant owner.
It was from 1861 the Grand National seemed to lose it's appeal, the number of horses participating each year was very low and much of the public's interest in the event faded away as fans felt the fences and other obstacles had become so small that they were no longer much of a challenge. Thankfully changes were set in motion and Aintree managed to counter this several years after the problems began.
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