Red Alligator 1968 Grand National /in Horses /by Simone Wright A nine year old when he won in 1968 carrying more than 10st. Owned by Mr J Manners, he was trained by Denys Smith in County Durham and ridden by Brian Fletcher, his S/P for the race was 100/7. Jockey Fletcher, was only 19 at the time and he would later go on to ride the legendary Red Rum to his first two victories in the Grand National. In the previous years race Fletcher had also ridden Red Alligator but had been one of the many whose chances were thwarted by the infamous “ Foinavon pile up ” at the 23rd fence. The jockey had remounted but without a clear run up due to the melee took three attempts to clear the fence, he finished third to Foinavon. Red Alligator’s Grand National win was commemorated by a local brewery who renamed a pub near Denys Smith’s farm outside Bishop Auckland in his honour. Smith was a regular in the popular pub/restauraunt and always had plenty of entertaining stories from his training days.

The stables which housed Red Alligator were within a few hundred yards of the pub but have since been demolished, however his photo’s still feature plentifully and prominently in the pub named after him. 'If you go to Catterick, you'll always know where to find me - in the bar' WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Denys Smith, trainer of 1968 Grand National winner Red Alligator, remains hale and hearty at 85. - Free Online Library 'If you go to Catterick, you'll always know where to find me - in the bar' WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Denys Smith, trainer of 1968 Grand National winner Red Alligator, remains hale and hearty at 85. Page URL: HTML link: <a href=" Citations: MLA style: "'If you go to Catterick, you'll always know where to find me - in the bar' WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Denys Smith, trainer of 1968 Grand National winner Red Alligator, remains hale and hearty at 85.." The Free Library. 2009 MGN LTD 20 Jan. 2017 Chicago style: The Free Library. S.v.

'If you go to Catterick, you'll always know where to find me - in the bar' WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Denys Smith, trainer of 1968 Grand National winner Red Alligator, remains hale and hearty at 85.." Retrieved Jan 20 2017 from APA style: 'If you go to Catterick, you'll always know where to find me - in the bar' WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Denys Smith, trainer of 1968 Grand National winner Red Alligator, remains hale and hearty at 85.. (n.d.) >The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Jan 20 2017 from Byline: Tom O'Ryan THEY may be building houses where the likes of Grand National hero Red Alligator and Lincoln winner Foggy Bell once stood, but the grand master of Holdforth Farm at Bishop Auckland remains in permanent residence. Even more importantly, he remains hale and hearty at 85. Denys Smith is a remarkable man.

The champion jumps trainer of the 1967-68 campaign rarely misses a meeting at Catterick, where his daughter Susan is secretary to the manager, or Sedgefield, which are both close to where he trained 1,700 winners, Flat and jumps in a career that ended in 2002, and that had spanned more than 40 years. "We had some great days here," he says of his County Durham home. "My wife [Jean, to whom he's been married for 59 years] was born in this house and she says she'll die here. We've still got the land, about 25 acres, but I've sold where the boxes stood for building. There's already two houses on it." Smith's enthusiasm for the sport he loves has never waned. "I'll watch it every day on the two channels, which helps me keep in touch. But I love to go racing and meet people. And if you go to Catterick, you'll always know where to find me - in the bar!" Smith built his career on the back of early years spent training and driving trotters, and buying and selling cattle.

Before long, he took out a permit, saddled eight winners in no time at all and then switched to a full licence. Within seven years he'd become a household name. "Red Alligator was a wonderful horse; he helped to put me on the map," says Smith of the 1968 Grand National winner. The following year, he won the Lincoln with the Sandy Barclay-ridden Foggy Bell. "He was a good horse, Foggy Bell, and he was also one of four winners I had in the William Hill Gold Cup at Redcar," he says. "Royal Prerogative was another. He was a hell of a horse; he won under 10st at the Western meeting at Ayr and won five races one season. Lester used to ride him a lot." Smith and Piggott enjoyed a formidable association. "Twenty-one times either he or his wife [Susan] rang me specially to ride a certain horse and I think 19 out of those 21 won," he claims. "Willie Carson was another jockey who rode a lot of winners for me.

There was one day at Redcar, when Willie rode me four winners and then beat one of mine into second, riding for a Newmarket trainer, as he completed a five-timer." Smith never tires of telling tales. "The Grey Bomber was potentially the best jumper I ever had. He was five from five over hurdles as a four-yearold, but then he got electrocuted. We'd had a storm overnight, which, unknown to us, had brought down electric wires into a pool of water at the end of a bridge on the way to the gallops. He put one foot into the water and was gone. Heartbreaking." But there were many more good days, especially with talented Flat horses like Tudenham, ridden to victory in the Middle Park by Jimmy Lindley, not to mention Mandrake Major (Flying Childers), Quayside (Ormonde Stakes) and Karinga Bay (Gordon Stakes). "I was very lucky in training a lot of good horses for a lot of good owners," he says, singling out people like Joe Lisle, 'Topper' Robson, Major Lionel Holliday and Roy Baker, a former chairman of Newcastle racecourse, for whom he trained 65 winners.

On the riding front, he nurtured the talents of Brian Fletcher, Chris Grant and Lindsay Charnock. "I still love it, still follow it," says this young-at-heart character. "And luckily, I'm in decent health. I can't walk as far as I used to do, but I've still got a good appetite." Moreover, Denys Smith's appetite for racing remains as insatiable as ever. Tom O'Ryan CAPTION(S): "Red Alligator was a wonderful horse; he helped put me on the map," says Denys Smith of the National hero COPYRIGHT 2009 MGN LTD No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder. Copyright 2009 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Article Details BBC NEWS | UK | England | Thieves ruin memory of sporting victory Thieves ruin memory of sporting victory The Grand National is one of the world's toughest horse races One of the north-east of England's finest sporting victories has been marred by an opportunist theft. County Durham racehorse trainer Denys Smith was an overnight hero when Red Alligator romped home to win the 1968 Grand National.

But the memory has turned sour for the 78-year-old, after raiders broke in to his Bishop Auckland home and stole the treasured Grand National trophy. Mr Smith was attending a party on 22 March in Sedgefield to celebrate his retirement from the sport, when the raiders struck. A distraught Mr Smith said: "We got home in the early hours and the house was upside down. They had really made a mess. Racing heritage "They stole cash and my wife's jewellery, but they took my Grand National trophy, which is what means the most." A spokesman for Durham Police said: "We are following all the usual lines of inquiries, but we would like to hear from anyone who may know the whereabouts of the trophy or give us any information that may lead to its recovery. "It is very sad. This is a piece of racing heritage that may never be recovered." Red Alligator became a legend in his home town of Bishop Auckland and a pub was named after him. About 2,000 people lined the streets of the town to welcome home the horse and jockey Brian Fletcher.

Facts & Figures Facts & Figures It is illegal for anyone aged under 18 to gamble Facts & Figures Records The first race was held in 1839, but it started in inauspicious circumstances, going off two hours late after confusion over weighing procedures. The aptly named, and 5-1 favourite, Lottery came home first. The 1929 National featured the most starters in the race when 66 horses lined up. The smallest field was in 1883 when just 10 faced the starter. The fastest ever time is the 8 minutes 47.8 seconds Mr Frisk recorded in taking victory in 1990. The slowest time is the 14m 53s it took Lottery to win the first National in 1839. The smallest number of finishers was in 1928 when Tipperary Tim, a 100-1 outsider, was the first of two past the post. The greatest number of horses to finish was 23 in 1984. Hallo Dandy, ridden by Neale Doughty, was the winner. 17 completed last season.

The 1997 Grand National, which was won by Lord Gyllene, was the 150th running of the race at Aintree and Sir Peter O'Sullevan's 50th and final commentary for the BBC. 2013 saw the first screening of the race by Channel 4. The shortest price winner was Poethlyn at 11-4 in 1919. The Course The first five Grand National's included one jump that was a stone wall. It was situated where the water jump now stands. Becher's Brook earned its name when a top jockey, Captain Martin Becher, took shelter in the brook after being unseated. "Water tastes disgusting without the benefits of whisky" he reflected. The Chair is the tallest fence at 5ft 2ins, and the broadest. The fence got its name as it was once alongside the seat used by the distance judge. The fences at Aintree are made up of spruce from the Lake District. The cost of the building work is tens of thousands of pounds and takes a month to complete. As well as horse racing, Aintree has also hosted a European and five British Grand Prix.

Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix in Liverpool in 1955. The change seemed to work in 2014 as no horse lost his jockey until the Canal Turn, although there were plenty of early casualties last year. Horses Red Rum is the most successful horse, having won the Grand National three times: 1973, 1974 and 1977. The oldest winning horse is Peter Simple, aged 15 (1853); the youngest winning horses were Alcibiade (1865), Regal (1876), Austerlitz (1877), Empress (1880), Lutteur III (1909), all aged 5. Abd-El-Kader was the first horse to win back-to-back Nationals, in 1850 and 1851. The Colonel, (1869 & 1870), Reynoldstown (1935 & 1936) and Red Rum (1973 & 1974) have also retained the crown. Can Many Clouds join this elite club this year?

Moiffa won in 1904 - having disappeared a year earlier. On a trip to Liverpool from New Zealand, Moiffa's ship was shipwrecked. The horse was presumed lost at sea before turning up on an outcrop south of Ireland. The legendary Golden Miller won in 1934 and became the only horse to complete the Cheltenham Gold Cup-Grand National double in the same season. Garrison Savannah narrowly failed to emulate the feat in 1991. Manifesto has run in more races than any other horse. Between 1895 and 1904, he ran in eight races, winning two and coming third on three occasions. He only failed to finish once. Two Russian horses, Reljef and Grifel, competed in the 1961 Grand National, but neither finished. Horses from Hungary, the Czech Republic and Norway have also run in previous Grand Nationals, although all with similarly disappointing results.

Hungarian chaser Buszke was pulled up in 1868, while Gyi Lovam, the first Czechoslovakian challenger in 1931, came to grief at Becherï¿½s, was remounted but fell again four fences later. The Czech-trained Essex, Fraze and Quirinus all carried automatic top-weight in the 1980s and 1990s but failed to complete. The 2000 renewal saw the first Norwegian-trained runner in the shape of Trinitro, but he got no further than the first fence where he fell. Japanese thoroughbred, Fujino-O captured four consecutive renewals of the prestigious Nakayama Daishogai in his homeland before being sent to Britain to be prepared for Aintree by trainer Fulke Walwyn. The seven year-old was given the automatic top-weight of 12st and failed to get competitive under his welter burden in 1966, eventually refusing under Jeff King.

Five winners were bred in France ï¿½ Alcibiade (1865), Reugny (1874), Lutteur III (1909), Mon Mome (2009) and Neptune Collonges (2012). Mely Moss, who was runner-up to Papillon in the 2000 Grand National and the 1996 and 2015 runners-up Encore Un Peu and Saint Are, were also French breds. In 1998, Earth Summit, owned by a six-strong partnership, became the first winner of the Grand National who was also successful in both the Scottish and Welsh Grand Nationals. Only three greys have won the Grand National - The Lamb (1868 and 1871), Nicolaus Silver (1961) and Neptune Collonges (2012). Suny Bay finished second to Lord Gyllene in 1997 and filled the same spot behind Earth Summit in 1998. King Johns Castle was second in 2008.

Thirteen mares have won the Grand National, but the most recent was Nickel Coin back in 1951. Since then, the mares Gentle Moya (2nd 1956), Tiberetta (3rd 1957 and 2nd 1958), Miss Hunter (3rd 1970), Eyecatcher (3rd 1976 and 1977), Auntie Dot (3rd 1991), Ebony Jane (4th 1994) and Dubacilla (4th 1995) have all finished in the first four.

The complete list of winning mares is: Charity (1841), Miss Mowbray (1852), Anatis (1860), Jealousy (1861), Emblem (1863), Emblematic (1864), Casse Tete (1872), Empress (1880), Zoedone (1883), Frigate (1889), Shannon Lass (1902), Sheila's Cottage (1948) and Nickel Coin (1951). In 1923, Sergeant Murphy became the first US bred horse to win the race. He is also the joint-second oldest horse to win, at age 13, alongside Why Not (1884). The US bred Battleship, son of the famous Man o' War, became the first (and so far only) horse to have won both the Grand National (in 1938) and the American Grand National (which he won four years earlier). 1991 was the seventh and final year that the Grand National was sponsored by Seagram.

Aptly, the race was won by a horse named Seagram, bred in New Zealand. 1997 saw another New Zealand-bred winner in Lord Gyllene. Jockeys Tony McCoy is the most experienced jockey in the history of the National - his final ride in 2015 was his 20th National. McCoy won his only National on Don't Push It in 2010. He took the record from Tom Olliver who rode in 19 Nationals - winning three - despite spending time behind bars in a debtor's prison. In 2016 Richard Johnson will ride in the National for the 20th consecutive year since Celtic Abbey became his first mount in 1997 (unseating him at The Chair). Johnson has twice been runner-up, on What's Up Boys (2002) and Balthazar King two years ago, but is yet to win. George Stevens is the most successful jockey in the history of the National with five wins. His final triumph came in 1870 on The Colonel. Stevens died three months after finishing sixth in the 1871 race.

Together with the Lincoln Handicap run on the Flat at Doncaster, the Grand National forms leg two of the ï¿½Spring Doubleï¿½. The only jockey to have won both contests is Dave Dick, who captured the Lincoln on Gloaming in 1941 and the Grand National on E.S.B. in 1956. Bruce Hobbs is the youngest jockey to have ever won the race. The 17-year-old triumphed aboard Battleship in 1938. The late Dick Saunders is the oldest ever winner of the Grand National, partnering Grittar to victory in 1982. Saunders was 48 at the time. He was the first member of the Jockey Club to partner a Grand National winner. Brian Fletcher (1968 Red Alligator, 1973 and 1974 Red Rum) shares a 20th century record with the legendary Jack Anthony (1911 Glenside, 1915 Ally Sloper, 1920 Troytown), both jockeys having ridden three National winners. Plenty of riders have won the Grand National on their first attempt.

The most recent are Ryan Mania (2013 Auroras Encore), Liam Treadwell (2009 Mon Mome), Niall ï¿½Slippersï¿½ Madden (2006 Numbersixvalverde), Ruby Walsh (2000 Papillon), Jason Titley (1995 Royal Athlete), Nigel Hawke (1991 Seagram), Jimmy Frost (1989 Littler Polveir), Dick Saunders (1982 Grittar) and Maurice Barnes (1979 Rubstic). Ruby Walsh holds the best record of current jockeys, having won the Grand National twice, on Papillon in 2000 and Hedgehunter in 2005. Jockey William Watkinson recorded the first riding success for Australia in 1926. He was killed at Bogside, Scotland, less than three weeks after winning the Grand National. Prince Karl Kinsky, an Austro-Hungarian nobleman, was the first jockey from outside Britain and Ireland to ride when he made a winning debut on board his own mare Zoedone in 1883.

Tsuyoshi Tanaka, the son of a champion boxer, became the first Japanese jockey to ride in the Grand National in 1995, although his taste of the Aintree experience proved to be brief as he fell at the first fence on The Committee. American amateur Tim Durant was 68 when 15th on Highlandie in 1968 (although he remounted at Becherï¿½s second time). In 2012, Richard Johnson beat the record for the most rides in the National without a win. He has now ridden in the race 19 times without bettering the runner up spot in 2002 on Whatï¿½s Up Boys. There are 12 other riders who have never won (or have not as yet won) the National, despite having had more than 12 rides in the race.

They are: David Casey (1997-2015): finished third once in 15 attempts; Jeff King (1964ï¿½1980): finished third once in 15 attempts; Robert Thornton (1997ï¿½to date): never in first three in 14 attempts; Bill Parvin (1926ï¿½1939): finished second once in 14 attempts; Tom Scudamore (2001-2015): never in first three in 14 attempts; Graham Bradley (1983ï¿½1999): finished second once in 14 attempts; Chris Grant (1980ï¿½1994): finished second three times in 13 attempts; Stan Mellor (1956ï¿½1971): finished second once in 13 attempts; David Nicholson (1957ï¿½1973): never in first three in 13 attempts; George Waddington (1861ï¿½1882): finished second once in 13 attempts; Walter White (1854ï

¿½1869): finished second once in 13 attempts; Andrew Thornton (1996-2013): never in first three in 13 attempts.

Peter Scudamore technically lined up for thirteen Grand Nationals without winning but the last of those was the void race of 1993, which meant that he officially competed in twelve Nationals. Many other well-known jockeys have failed to win the Grand National. These include champion jockeys such as Terry Biddlecombe, John Francome, Josh Gifford, Stan Mellor, Jonjo O'Neill (who never finished the race) and Fred Rimell. Three jockeys who led over the last fence in the National but lost the race on the run-in ended up as television commentators: Lord Oaksey (on Carrickbeg in 1963), Norman Williamson (on Mely Moss in 2000), and Richard Pitman (on Crisp in 1973). Pitman's son Mark also led over the last fence, only to be pipped at the post when riding Garrison Savannah in 1991. Female Jockeys Since Charlotte Brew became the first in 1977, female jockeys have participated in 19 Grand National's. Brew attracted huge media attention when partnering her own horse Barony Fort.

She was a guest on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show and the Daily Mirror arranged a day-trip on Concorde to Washington. She was also unseated in the 1982 race. Geraldine Rees became the first to complete the course (albeit in last place) in 1982. She fell at the first a year later and went on to train for 12 years in Lancashire, before retiring in 2010. In 2012 Katie Walsh (sister of two-time winner Ruby Walsh) achieved the best placing by a woman to date - 3rd place on Seabass. In 2013, she rode that same horse when he was sent off as favourite, but he could only finish 13th. She also led up Papillon, when trained by her father and ridden by Ruby to win in 2000. National winning trainer, Venetia Williams, also rode in the race, falling at Becherï¿½s first time when riding 200-1 chance Marcolo in 1988.

Nina Carberry, now assistant to trainer Noel Meade, is the most experienced female rider, having finished on four of her five starts. Gee Armytage had to pull up her aptly-named mount, Gee-A, in 1988. A dual Cheltenham Festival-winning rider, she is the sister of Marcus Armytage - rider of the 1990 winner Mr Frisk - and became personal assistant to multiple champion jump jockey A P McCoy. Rosemary Henderson finished fifth when aged 51 on her own 100/1 shot Fiddlers Pike in 1994. She subsequently wrote a book, ï¿½Road To The Nationalï¿½, about her exploits. There was huge media interest in Carrie Ford when she finished fifth in 2005 on Forest Gunner, trained by her husband Richard. Ford, then 33, had given birth to her daughter Hannah 10 weeks earlier. Here is the complete record of lady jockeys to date: Year The Grand National, Aintree. The greatest jumps meeting. A concise history of the Grand National, previous winners and statistics.

Racing Site Home Bets Explained Each-Way Bets Racing Terms Greyhound Bets Greyhound Racing Multiple Bets Calculate Perms Odds Conversion Online Bookmakers Lucky 15 Calculator History of The Grand National and Interesting Facts The Grand National is not a race for favourites. Only 12 were victorious in the whole of the 20th century. Neither is it is a race for outsiders. The majority of winners have an s.p of 7/1 to 16/1, although 5 have won at 100/1. Older, more experienced horses seem to do better. In the last 35 years all but three races have been won by horses aged 9 to 12 and all with at least 10 runs over fences. No horse aged 13 or older has won since 1923 when Seargent Murphy ran to victory. 1837 - The first Grand National meeting: The first two races were run in Maghull, and the very first Grand National was won by "The Duke". 1839 - The first official races at Aintree were organised by the owner of Liverpool's Waterloo Hotel, Mr William Lynn.

Lynn leased the land from Lord Sefton, laid out a course, built a grandstand and staged the first Flat fixture on July 7, 1829. On Tuesday February 26, 1839, Lottery became the first winner of The Grand National. In those days the field had to jump a stone wall (now the water jump), cross a stretch of plough land and finish over two hurdles. This was also the year in which the infamous Captain Martin Beecher fell from his horse, "Conrad" into the brook when in the lead, thus beginning the legend that is Beecher's Brook. 1840 - Valentines (fence 8 and 24) was named this year when a horse called "Valentine" reared up violently before jumping the fence and somehow managing to reach the other side. The race was won by "Jerry", a 12-1 outsider. 1843 - Under pressure from bookies, the race becomes a handicap for the first time, with the best horses being allocated weights. to hold them back. 1845 - "Cure All" won and was the first horse to win in less than 11 minutes.

1850 - "Abd-El-Kader" won and was the first horse to do so in under 10 minutes, winning £1,000. 1851 - "Abd-El-Kader" became the first ever dual Grand National winner. 1857 - The renewal of the Grand National saw no less than 7 false starts. The race was won by "Emigrant" at 10-1. 1868 - "The Lamb" won for the first time at 9-1, the first grey horse to win the National. 1869 - The Colonel becomes the first 100/1 outsider to win the National. The Colonel successfully defends his crown the following year, but this time as the favourite. 1870 - "The Colonel", 7-2 favourite, became a dual winner. 1871 - "The Lamb" became a dual winner at 11-2. 1884 - The first horse owned by HRH The Prince of Wales ran this year - a horse called "The Scot" who failed to complete the course. The race was won by "Voluptuary" at 10-1.

1885 - Foul play was suspected as one of the runners met with a severe case of poisoning as the favourite, "Roquefort", won the race with £1,035 prizemoney. 1893 - 9-2 favourite, "Cloister", won with a time of just over 9� minutes creating a new record. 1897 - Manifesto wins the National for a second time - in total the horse ran in the National a record eight times 1899 - "Manifesto became a dual winner. 1900 - Ambush II becomes the first winner to be owned by an immediate member of the Royal Family - HRH The Prince of Wales. 1903 - King Edward VII had "Ambush II" running again, but this time the horse fell. The favourite "Drumcree" won making his owners £2,000 richer. 1904 - Moiffa wins the National in remarkable circumstances. The New Zealand-born horse was found stranded off the coast of Ireland after being shipwrecked and presumed lost at sea.

1916 - 1918 - The First World War forces the race to be moved to Gatwick. 1919 - The race returns to Aintree. Lester Piggott's Grandfather, Ernie Piggott, won the race on "Poethlyn", at 11-4, winning just over £3,500 for the owners . 1921 - A record 35 horses took part with "Shaun Spadah" winning £7,000 for the owners. 1923 - "Sergeant Murphy" won at 100-6. 1925 - This year saw the introduction of the starting gate with "Double Chance" ridden by Major J Wilson winning at 100-9. 1927 - The BBC introduces radio coverage for the first time. 1928 - Only two horses finish the race after a pile-up at the Canal Turn. Outsider Tipperary Tim becomes a 100/1 winner. Bizarrely, given the extent of the collision, a record 66 horses are permitted to line up for the race the following year.

1929 - The biggest field ever to take part in the National saw 66 horses charge down to the first fence. The race was won by 100-1 shot, "Gregalach", who netted £13,000 pounds for his grateful owners. 1933 - The great "Golden Miller", dual winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, fell at the Canal Turn with 25-1 "Kellsboro' Jack" winning. 1934 - "Golden Miller", at 8-1, won in 9 minutes and 20 seconds. 1935 - "Golden Miller", with 5 Gold Cups and a National win under his belt, started at 2-1 favourite but unseated his rider at the 10th fence as "Reynoldstown" went on to win the race. 1936 - "Reynoldstown" completed a double in the National. 1938 - An unlikely pair, Bruce Hobbs at the tender age of 17 on "Battleship" who was just over 15 hands high took the victory.

1941-1945 - Aintree is used as a US Army base during the Second World War. The Grand National returns the year after the war ends. 1947 - On the first year the National is staged on a Saturday, Coughoo wins the race as a 100/1 long-shot. 1948 - A 50-1 outsider, "Sheila`s Cottage", won the race. 1950 - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth had her first horse in this race, "Monaveen", which finishes sixth while "Freebooter" won at 10-1. 1952 - Mrs Topham employed her own commentators for the race, which "Teal" won at 100-7. 1953 - "Early Mist" won for Irish Trainer, Vincent O'Brien. 1954 - "Royal Tan" won, trained by Vincent O'Brien. 1955 - Quare Times wins Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien his third National in a row, following on from the success of Royal Tan and Early Mist.

1956 - The Queen Mother was one of National Hunt's biggest fans, but as an owner she will always be remembered for this race. In unthinkable circumstances, her horse, Devon Loch, is way out in front on the final stretch when it skids to a halt trying to jump a non-existant fence. Appropriately, jockey Dick Francis, went on to become a mystery writer. ESB took advantage and won race. Was it the shadow of the Chair Fence that made him jump? Was it the huge crowd that frightened him with the tremendous crescendo of noise that was about to greet a Royal Grand National winner? We will never know, but Devon Loch will always be known as the unluckiest Aintree loser of all time. 1959 - This year saw the heroic riding of Tim Brookshaw who rode "Wyndburgh" into second place despite having to ride without irons from Bechers Brook second time around. "Oxo" won the race at 8-1. 1960 - The Grand National is televised for the very first time and legendary commentator Peter O'Sullevan enjoys his first stint behind the microphone.

1961 - The Russians came in the shape of two horses, "Grifel" and "Reljef" but they failed to complete the course with the race won by "Nicholas Silver", the second grey horse to win the National. 1967 - There was nothing unremarkable about the 1967 Grand National until, eight fences from home. Popham Down" ran right across the fence causing complete chaos for the rest of the field. With the leaders either refusing to jump, throwing their jockeys or simply turning round and running back down the course, it looked like the race was over until 100/1 shot and back-marker Foinavon appeared, found a way through the chaos and over the fence, and went on to win the National. The 23rd fence is now known as Foinavon in his honour. 1968 - American film star Gregory Peck owned the favourite, "Different Class" who finished third with victory going to "Red Alligator" ridden by Brian Fletcher. 1973 - "Red Rum" won his first National in a record time of 9 minutes and 2 seconds.

The race revolved around Red Rum and a great Australian chaser called Crisp, both 9-1 joint favourites. Crisp had 12-0 on his back and Red Rum had 10-5. The Australian horse led for a lot of the way but was just run out of it in the last few strides. It was a memorable Grand National and the start of a legend of "Red Rum". 1974 - "Red Rum" at 11-1 won for the second time, with his jockey, Brian Fletcher, taking his third win in the race. 1975 - The News of the World was the new sponsor of the race with prize money of £38,000 which went to "L'Escargot" at 13-2, beating "Red Rum". 1976 - "Red Rum" finished second, this time to 14-1 shot "Rag Trade". Once again the legendary horse was valiant in defeat carrying 11 stone 10 pounds around the course and only being beaten by a couple of lengths.

1977 - After successive victories in 1973 and 1974, the legendary Red Rum finally wins his third Grand National. The previous two years Red Rum narrowly missed out to L'Escargot and Rag Trade, largely due to the extra weight he was forced to carry. History is also made by Charlotte Brew, who becomes the first female to ride a horse in the National. 1980 - "Ben Nevis", 40-1, from the USA won the race worth nearly £46,000 and this year saw the death of Aintree's owner, Mrs Topham. 1981 - Bob Champion rides Aldaniti home to win the National. The win was the most remarkable in Grand National history given that Aldaniti had been struggling with tendon and bone trouble and that jockey Champion had recently recovered from cancer. The win spawned a movie, Champions. 1982 - Dick Saunders becomes the oldest winning National jockey on Grittar - he does so at the age of 48. That same race Geraldine Rees becomes the first female jockey to complete the course.

1983 - Legendary trainer Jenny Pitman becomes the first woman to train a National winner with Corbiere. Her ex-husband Richard Pitman had ridden Red Rum to his first victory a decade earlier. 1984 - "Hallo Dandy" won the race but, despite his achievement he was to become the subject of horror a few years later when he was found disshevelled and neglected in a field. He is now enjoying a happy retirement at the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre. 1985 - "Last Suspect" at 66-1 and trained by Captain Tim Forster won £54,000 for the owner, The Duchess of Westminster. 1987 - "Maori Venture" won £64,000 pounds for his owner, octogenarian Mr Jim Joel. 1988 - Rhyme 'n' Reason sprawls on all fours at Beecher's Brook... yet miraculously still recovers to win the race. 1990 - The National is won in a time under 9 minutes for the very first time, by Mr Frisk. His staggering time of 8 minutes 47 seconds has never been bettered.

Mr Frisk went on to win the Whitbread Gold Cup a few weeks later. 1991 - The Grand National, sponsored by Seagram, is won by... Seagram! 1992 - Party Politics, a horse of huge proportions, wins the National in General Election week despite having to breathe through a tube in his neck. 1993 - 'The race that never was' leaves millions frustrated - after animal activists disrupt the first start, the starting tape gets stuck round jockey Richard Dunwoody's neck during the second start. Despite a false start being called the horses race on. Esha Ness crosses the finishing line first, only to be told that the race is void. 1994 - Minnehoma wins the National for comedian Freddie Starr. 1995 - Trainer, Jenny Pitman, won again with 40-1 "Royal Athlete" ridden by Irishman Jason Titley having his first ride in the big race. 1997 - The race is abandoned on the Saturday after an IRA bomb scare. 60,000 racegoers have to be evacuated. Lord Gyllene wins the rescheduled race, run on the Monday.

2000 - Irish father and son Ted and Ruby Walsh won the race with "Papillon" who was subject of a huge morning gamble dropping odds from 33-1 down to around 12-1 netting a supposed £1m coup. 2001 - At the height of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, the race almost goes the way of the cancelled Cheltenham Festival, but when it eventually gets under way, only four horses finish, with Red Marauder claiming the spoils. 2002 - In a field restricted to just 40 runners, Bindaree comes home the winner. The following year Bindaree finishes sixth, despite having to work his way from the very back of the field. 2003 - 16-1 outsider Monty's Pass was the surprise winner Ridden by Barry Geraghty the horse came home 12 lengths ahead of 40-1 Supreme Glory. 2004 - A record 70,000 people watched racing legend Ginger McCain make history by becoming only the second trainer in history to secure four Grand National victories.

16-1 outsider Amberleigh House, ridden by Graham Lee, caused an emotional storm as he came late to take the glory from the 10-1 co-favourite Clan Royal by three lengths, once more making McCain the King of Aintree. 2005 - Irish horse Hedgehunter had a convincing victory under jockey Ruby Walsh before a record crowd of 70,850. The nine-year-old had suffered an agonising last-fence fall in last year's race, but had no such problems this time. He powered away at the elbow and was 14 lengths clear at the finishing line. Meanwhile, female jockey Carrie Ford answered her critics, riding home to equal the best result for a female jockey in the Grand National 2006 - Numbersixvalverde continued the recent success for Irish horses, with Boobyjo in 1999, Papillon in 2000, Monty�s Pass in 2003 and Hedgehunter in 2005. 2007 - Silver Birch continued the success of Irish trained horses, winning in 2007.

Two new grandstands were used for the first time at Aintree, the Earl of Derby and the Lord Sefton Stands. 2008 - The run of success for Irish horses ended when the joint favourite Comply or Die ran to victory. 2009 - 100/1 Mon Mome became the longest priced winner to win the National for 42 years. This is only the fifth winner at those odds and no horse has ever succeeded at greater odds. 2010 - Don�t Push it trained by Jonjo O�Neill won by 5 lengths and it was a personal triumph for rider Tony McCoy having had 14 previous failed attempts. 2011 - Owner Trevor Hemmings, who won with Hedgehunter 2005 thought he was dreaming as he watched his horse Ballabriggs run to victory beating an equally brave Oscar Time by two and a quarter lengths. 2012 - One of the most dramatic races in the history of the National. It needed a photograph to separate first and second with Neptune Collonges edging a nose past Sunnyhillboy.

But events were overshadowed by the death of two horses, Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised, one of the favourites and According To Pete. They both fell at Becher's Brook fence and were later put down. 2013 - The 166th Grand National took placd on April 6th 2013. It was won by 66/1 Auroras Encore. Seabass the 11-2 favourite finished in 13th place. 40 ran. 2014 - Pineau De Re beat Balthazar King by 5 lengths to win the 2014 Grand National. The 25/1 winner was trained by Dr Richard Newalnd who up to 12 months ago was a practising GP. All horses and riders returned safely. 2015 - Many Clouds (25/1), ridden by Leighton Aspell, won the 2015 Grand National at Aintree, with Saint Are (25/1) second and Monbeg Dude third (40/1). This website and all it's contents Copyright © Bannedsystems.co.uk 2009-2016.

Question: Which jockey rode Red Alligator to victory in the 1968 Grand National?
Answer: BRIAN FLETCHER