# 1976 Grand National

   And it's Rag Trade, gonna win a 4th National for Fred Rimell, John Burke is gonna win the National. It's Rag Trade from Red Rum. Red Rum is fighting back but he can't get to him. Rag Trade is running to the line from Red Rum second and Eyecatcher third, that's how they're gonna finish in the National. Rag Trade is the winner!
Commentator Peter O'Sullevan describes the climax of the 1976 National
The 1976 Grand National (officially known as the News of the World Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 130th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 3 April 1976. The race was won by Rag Trade, who was the fourth winner trained by Fred Rimell and the second winner owned by Pierre Raymond Bessone. Red Rum finished second for the second year in a row. Rimell's fourth winner gave him the outright record for training most National winners which he had previously shared with six other trainers. His record was equalled by Ginger McCain in 2004.

## Finishing order

| Position | Name | Jockey | Age | Handicap (st-lb) | SP | Distance |
| 1st | Rag Trade | John Burke | 10 | 10-12 | 14/1 | |
| 2nd | Red Rum | Tommy Stack | 11 | 11-10 | 10/1 | |
| 3rd | Eyecatcher | Brian Fletcher | 10 | 10-7 | 28/1 | |
| 4th | Barona | Paul Kelleway | 10 | 10-6 | 7/1 | |
| 5th | Ceol-Na-Mara | Jeremy Glover | 7 | 10-6 | 22/1 | |
| 6th | The Dikler | Ron Barry | 13 | 11-7 | 25/1 | |
| 7th | Sandwilan | Ron Hyett | 8 | 10-0 | 100/1 | |
| 8th | Spittin Image | Andy Turnell | 10 | 10-0 | 66/1 | |
| 9th | Spanish Steps | Jeff King | 13 | 10-2 | 22/1 | |
| 10th | Black Tudor | Graham Thorner | 8 | 10-0 | 50/1 | |
| 11th | Churchtown Boy | Taffy Salaman | 9 | 10-6 | 33/1 | |
| 12th | Highway View | Pat Black | 11 | 10-10 | 33/1 | |
| 13th | Jolly's Clump | Ian Watkinson | 10 | 10-3 | 12/1 | |
| 14th | Money Market | Bob Champion | 9 | 11-0 | 12/1 | |
| 15th | Colondine | Brian Forsey | 9 | 10-0 | 60/1 | |
| 16th | Indian Diva | Nicky Henderson | 9 | 10-3 | 100/1 | Last to finish |

## Non-finishers

| Fence | Name | Jockey | Age | Handicap (st-lb) | Starting price | Fate |
| 01 | Huperade | John Carden | 12 | 10-4 | 100/1 | Fell |
| 01 | Ormonde Tudor | Keith Barnfield | 7 | 10-0 | 100/1 | Fell |
| 03 | Merry Maker | Anthony Mildmay-White | 11 | 10-2 | 50/1 | Fell |
| 04 | High Ken | Michael Dickinson | 10 | 10-12 | 33/1 | Fell |
| 04 | Thomond | Jim Wilson | 11 | 10-3 | 100/1 | Brought Down |
| 06 | Glanford Brigg | Martin Blackshaw | 10 | 11-3 | 28/1 | Fell |
| 06 | Tregarron | Colin Tinkler | 9 | 10-1 | 12/1 | Fell |
| 06 | Tudor View | Chris Read | 10 | 10-0 | 100/1 | Fell |
| 13 | Meridian II | Jonjo O'Neill | 9 | 10-0 | 33/1 | Fell |
| 13 | Nereo | Duke of Alburquerque | 10 | 10-1 | 100/1 | Fell |
| 19 | Roman Bar | Gerry Newman | 7 | 10-10 | 33/1 | Fell |
| 20 | Perpol | Ken White | 10 | 10-6 | 66/1 | Pulled Up |
| 22 | Ballybright | Sam Morshead | 9 | 10-0 | 80/1 | Fell |
| 22 | Boom Docker | John Williams | 9 | 10-0 | 50/1 | Brought Down |
| 22 | Golden Rapper | John Francome | 10 | 10-8 | 28/1 | Fell |
| 22 | Prolan | Mouse Morris | 7 | 10-3 | 13/1 | Brought Down |

## Media coverage and aftermath

For the 17th consecutive year the BBC broadcast the Grand National in a Grandstand special, presented by David Coleman. In an interview eleven years after the race, Red Rum's trainer, Ginger McCain, expressed that he felt jockey Tommy Stack had made a tactical error in waiting until the penultimate flight before attempting to race to the finish as is, McCain noted, the textbook way to ride a National. He instead felt that if Stack had allowed Red Rum to "kick on from the fifth last flight he would have stretched his rivals and outpaced them". McCain was also quick to point out how much easier it is to ride the Grand National in your head from the stands and praised his rider for a "marvelous effort" The tactics described by McCain turned out to be those employed by Stack in 1977 when the horse won a record breaking third Grand National.