Red Rum 1973, 1974 Grand National /in Horses /by Simone Wright Red Rum was a racehorse who achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years. As well as his unprecedented record in the world-famous steeplechase, Red Rum was also renowned for his remarkable jumping ability as he fell only once in over 100 races. Red Rum was bred at Rossenarra stud in Kells, County Kilkenny, Ireland, by Martyn McEnery. Bred to win one-mile races, he won his National titles over the longest distance, four miles and four furlongs. “Rummy” started off in life running in cheap races as a sprinter and dead-heated in a five-furlong flat race at Aintree Racecourse . In his early career he was once ridden by Lester Piggott and after being passed from training yard to training yard, he found his footing when Liverpool car dealer Ginger McCain bought him for his client Noel le Mare and famously trained the horse on the sands at Southport.

McCain, who also won the Grand National in 2004 with Amberleigh House , thirty-one years after his first victory with Red Rum, reportedly took Red Rum for a therapeutic swim in the sea off Southport before his first National appearances to help treat the horse’s pedalostitis, a debilitating, incurable bone disease in his foot. At the 1973 Grand National, Red Rum beat the Australian chaser Crisp, carrying 23 pounds more, in what was a new record time of nine minutes, 1.9 seconds. Crisp had led the field virtually all the way in that year’s National, and at the last fence was 15 lengths clear of his nearest pursuer, Red Rum. However, jockey Brian Fletcher made up the ground on the final stretch and, two strides from the finishing post, Red Rum pipped the tiring Crisp to win by three-quarters of a length in what is often considered one of the greatest Grand Nationals in history. A year later, Red Rum retained his title at the 1974 National , carrying 12 stone on his back.

Red Rum came second in 1975 and 1976; Tommy Stack replaced Fletcher as jockey in the latter race after Fletcher had angered trainer Ginger McCain by telling the press the horse no longer felt right after a defeat in a race away from Aintree. Again, Red Rum saved his best for Aintree but was held off by Rag Trade . The following year, Stack rode the 12-year-old to his record third Grand National triumph. Red Rum Grand National Winner Betting Advice Red Rum If you want to know whether a horse has reached legendary status, check for two things: does he have a bronze statue in his honour and does he have a nickname that everyone knows? Red Rum or Rummy fits the bill on both counts. Red Rum achieved a grand trifecta when he captured the Grand National on three occasions � in 1973, 1974 and 1977 � and finished a close second during the two other years in between, 1975 and 1976. That unprecedented rare treble made Red Rum an instant celebrity and a national sensation in the United Kingdom.

His proud image was everywhere: posters, toys, cards, jigsaw puzzles, paintings, mugs, plates and the like. When a horse is the guest of honor in a host of public events, that�s another thing that tells you he is a legend. Rummy was the guest of honor in supermarket openings, the yearly Grand National parade, the 'Steeplechase' ride at Blackpool and other events. He was also the subject of many books � written by his jockeys, trainer and authors Ivor Herbert and Christine Pemberton, who wrote a well-loved children�s book about the horse. Perhaps what captured people�s imagination about Red Rum is that his success had its share of drama and controversy. Red Rum�s initial victory at the 1973 Grand National was one such dramatic moment. For most of the race, it was Crisp who led the field, leading by as many as 15 lengths clear of Red Rum at one time. However, Crisp, who carried the full weight of 12 stones, faded at the end and was overtaken by Red Rum on the long run-in.

Red Rum won by a mere three-quarters of a length and set a new record by finishing in nine minutes, 1.9 seconds, 20 seconds faster than the old record. It was an incredible record that would last for 16 years. In 1974, it was Red Rum�s turn to carry the full weight of 12 stone, but, despite that, he would cruise easily to victory to become the first and only consecutive champion at the Grand National since 1936 when Reynoldstown achieved the feat. After winning the Grand National in 1973 and 1974, Red Rum was a clear favorite to repeat in 1975. When the horse lost, accusations of cheating were hurled at Red Rum�s jockey, Brian Fletcher. Despite leading Red Rum to consecutive victories the previous two years, Fletcher was said to have held the horse back to allow L�Escargot to win the race. In 1976, Red Rum had a new jockey, Robert Stack. Unfortunately, Stack could only lead Red Rum to second place in the Grand National behind Rag Trade.

However, things would change in 1977 as Stack rode Red Rum to his third Grand National victory. This win was so dramatic that it has since been regarded as one of the greatest moments in British sports. It also made Red Rum the most famous and beloved horse in Great Britain. In 1995, Red Rum died at age 30 and was buried at Aintree, beside the Grand National�s winning post. Later, a life-size statue of Red Rum was built on the course. Bookmakers Grand National 2014: The story of Red Rum - the three-time winner | The Independent Grand National 2014: The story of Red Rum - the three-time winner How the horse helped reignite the Aintree race Wednesday 2 April 2014 10:46 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Red Rum is probably the most famous racehorse ever not only for exploits on the track but also in contributing to save the most iconic horse race in the world. By the start of the 1970s the Grand National was facing extinction due to disputes over ownership of Aintree racecourse, poor attendances and the general state of the facilities.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that the race was significantly revived but without Rummy there might not have been a race to save. Strangely enough the Red Rum racing story began at Aintree where he dead heated in a two year old race over five furlongs ridden by Lester Piggott. His journey to that third win in the National in 1977 took a circuitous route. Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain owned a car showroom in Birkdale, near Southport. He also worked as a taxi driver and trained a few horses behind the showroom. Obviously there are no gallops in Southport so each morning his horses walked through the town to the extensive miles of beach where they were trained. Noel Le Mare came from the other side of the railway line in Southport and was a client of McCain’s. He asked his friend if he would train him a horse to win the National. McCain paid a massive price for Red Rum in the context of his budget only to discover the horse had a diseased foot. It was the calming seawaters on Southport beach that enabled McCain to prepare the horse for the track.

The 1973 Grand National is seen by some as the best renewal in the history of the race. The gallant Crisp, a two mile champion chaser, led for every stride except the last ten. Red Rum was well off the pace jumping the last but overhauled Crisp right on the winning post. Twelve months later Red Rum won the National again. In 1975 and 1976 Red Rum finished second in the race. On both occasions he was beaten by a horse carrying significantly less weight and it was the handicapper that prevented a third win in those years. McCain never lost faith and always believed his horse would become the first and only three times winner of the great race. Red Rum won his third Grand National in 1977. The race will be remembered for producing just about the most famous piece of televised sport commentary ever.

As Red Rum stormed to the line Peter O’Sullevan described the moment with the words: “Its hats off and a tremendous reception, you’ve heard one like it at Liverpool…and Red Rum wins the National!” Red Rum was declared to run the 1978 Grand National but a minor injury meant he missed the race and McCain immediately retired his pride and joy. Red Rum died in 1995 and is buried at the winning post at Aintree the scene of the most wonderful achievement in racing history across the globe and where he is a legend. To read Ian's latest sports betting news, visit BBC SPORT | Other Sport | Horse Racing | Red Rum: Aintree favourite Red Rum: Aintree favourite Red Rum is not just a racing hero, he is a sporting legend. His feats on the racecourse remain unsurpassed and his place in the public's affection is undiminished 25 years after the end of his career.

RED RUM FACTFILE Main jockeys: Brian Fletcher, Tommy Stack Career highlights: Three Grand National wins (also second twice); Scottish Grand National His death made the front pages of the national newspapers and his name is still probably the first that non-turf fans will give when asked to name a racehorse. Red Rum's legend centres not just around his amazing feats on the racecourse but also the circumstances in which he achieved them. He was bred to be a sprinter but ended up - after overcoming a career-threatening disease - winning one of the world's most arduous steeplechases not just once, but three times. His sound jumping (he fell just once in over 100 races), stamina and bravery were perfectly suited to the demanding Grand National fences and his record of three wins (and two seconds) will surely never be matched. Red Rum was bred in Ireland and sold for a mere 400 guineas as a yearling. Appropriately, he ran his first race at Aintree, and dead-heated for first. Potential disaster struck relatively early in his career when Red Rum was diagnosed as suffering from pedalostitis, a debilitating bone disease which can cripple horses.

In stepped Southport trainer Donald 'Ginger' McCain, who bought the horse for 6,000 guineas for owner Noel le Mare. McCain's training regime, which took place on the local beach, proved effective in curing Red Rum of his bone problems. The horse then won five races and as a consequence started joint favourite for the 1973 Grand National. Ironically, Red Rum was the villain of the piece in his first victory in a race that witnessed one of the classic Grand National finishes. Crisp, ridden by Richard Pitman and carrying the top weight of 12 stone, had led for the entire second circuit and jumped the final fence more than 15 lengths clear of Red Rum, under Brian Fletcher. There will never be another horse like him Red Rum's trainer Ginger McCain But Crisp was tiring dramatically and Red Rum, carrying 23 pounds less, managed to reel in his rival on the notoriously long run-in to snatch victory on the winning line by just three-quarters of a length. The time of nine minutes, 1.9 seconds set a new record, 20 seconds faster than the previous best mark, and one which would stand for another 16 years.

The following year it was Red Rum's turn to shoulder the top weight and, guided once again by Fletcher, he cruised home to become the first - and to date last - back-to-back winner since Reynoldstown in 1936. Three weeks later, he won the Scottish Grand National carrying 11st 13lb. He is the only horse to have achieved this double - a statue of the horse at Ayr now marks the feat. The 1975 National saw Red Rum, a heavily backed 7/2 favourite beaten into second place by L'Escargot. The following year, ridden for the first time by Tommy Stack, Red Rum again came second, this time losing out to Rag Trade. By the time the 1977 Grand National came round, Red Rum was a 12-year-old and was generally seen to be a spent force. But he lined up for Aintree's big race and to the delight of both the local crowd and the watching millions on TV, came home for a third success by a winning margin of 25 lengths. The horse was prepared for a sixth attempt at the Grand National the following season but suffered a hairline fracture the day before and was subsequently retired.

Red Rum stayed in the spotlight, and led the pre-race parade in many Grand Nationals thereafter. He died in 1995 at the age of 30 and was fittingly buried by the winning post on the Grand National course at Aintree. A life-size bronze statue was also erected at the course in tribute to the horse, who is a National - and a national - legend. History History It is illegal for anyone aged under 18 to gamble Grand National History The Grand National at Aintree has been a British sporting institution since 1839, when a horse called Lottery won the inaugural running and Captain Becher parted company with his horse at a now world famous brook. In those days, the horses had to jump a stone wall, cross a stretch of ploughed land and finish over two hurdles. The race was then known as the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase. The course was founded by William Lynn, a syndicate head and proprietor of the Waterloo Hotel, on land he leased in Aintree from William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton.

Lynn set out a course, built a grandstand, and Lord Sefton laid the foundation stone on 7 February 1829. There is actually much debate regarding the first official Grand National; some leading published historians, including John Pinfold, now prefer the idea that the first running was in 1836 and was won by The Duke. This same horse won again in 1837, while Sir William was the winner in 1838. These races have long been disregarded because of the belief that they took place at Maghull and not Aintree. However, some historians have unearthed evidence in recent years that suggest those three races were run over the same course at Aintree and were regarded as having been Grand Nationals up until the mid-1860. Contemporary newspaper reports place all the 1836-38 races at Aintree although the 1839 race is the first described as "nationalï¿½. To date, though, calls for the Nationals of 1836ï¿½1838 to be restored to the record books have been unsuccessful.

In 1838 and 1839 three significant events occurred to transform the Liverpool race from a small local affair to a national event. Firstly, the Great St. Albans Chase, which had clashed with the steeplechase at Aintree, was not renewed after 1838 leaving a major hole in the chasing calendar. Secondly, the railway arrived in Liverpool, enabling transport to the course by rail for the first time. Finally, a committee was formed to better organise the event. These factors led to a more highly publicised race in 1839 which attracted a larger field of top quality horses and riders, greater press coverage and an increased attendance on race day. Over time the first three runnings of the event were quickly forgotten to secure the 1839 race its place in history as the first official Grand National. By the 1840s, Lynn's ill-health blunted his enthusiasm for Aintree. Edward Topham, a respected handicapper and prominent member of Lynn's syndicate, began to exert greater influence over the National.

He turned the chase into a handicap in 1843 after it had been a weight-for-age race for the first four years, and took over the land lease in 1848. One century later, the Topham family bought the course outright. Later in the century the race was the setting of a thriller by the popular novelist Henry Hawley Smart. The Grand National has produced a colourful array of stories throughout its illustrious past. Here are our favourites, including some famous video clips: Red Rum It was over 40 years ago now that Red Rum recorded the first of the three victories in the Grand National that earned him pride of place in the record books forever. He still remains the only horse to have won the Grand National three times and, as that statistic suggests, the great horse was a phenomenon. Bred to be a sprinter, Red Rum went on to win the gruelling four-and-a-half mile chase in 1973, 1974 and 1977, as well as finishing second on his other two starts, to become the greatest Grand National performer ever. All of this was achieved after overcoming the debilitating bone disease pedalosteitis, which should have rendered him unraceable.

However, fate stepped in: Red Rum was at probably the only yard in the country where the training took place on a beach. The sea water, into which trainer Donald ï¿½Gingerï¿½ McCain banished Red Rum after viewing the hobbling horse, worked an amazing transformation. On 31 March, 1973, he started 9/1 favourite for his first Grand National. However, by the time the runners had reached the Chair the giant Australian chaser, Crisp, who was shouldering top weight of 12st (a weight that is now forbidden in the National), had built up a massive lead and appeared unstoppable with four fences to go. But, conceding 23lb to Red Rum, his stamina started to wane and he slowly began to falter at the famous Elbow after being more than 15 lengths in front of his rival at the last.

Red Rum gradually wore Crisp down, getting up on the line to beat him by three-quarters of a length in a then record time of 9 min 1.9 sec, knocking nearly 20 seconds off Golden Miller's previous best under 12st 2lb in 1934 - this new record would stand for the next 16 years. You can watch this incredible race and finish here: Red Rum was never better than in the 1973/74 season when he won four more races before collecting his second Grand National, this time carrying the maximum weight of 12st. Giving 1lb to the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, L'Escargot, Red Rum started third favourite at 11/1, racing off a mark nearly two stone higher than for his 1973 victory. He was the first to achieve the double since Reynoldstown in 1936. Only three weeks later, Red Rum won the Scottish Grand National as the 11/8 favourite under 11st 13lb. It was then presumed that, having reached a zenith, Red Rum's talent would gradually decline in keeping with the rolling years.

Between the autumn of 1974 and the spring of 1976, he ran in 18 chases, winning twice and being placed seven times. But he also gallantly failed to resist first L'Escargot and then Rag Trade in the 1975 and 1976 Grand National's. The 1976/77 season began dismally. After an initial small win at Carlisle, Red Rum appeared totally lacklustre in his next four races, and even McCain began to think that he might have "gone". A foul winter had waterlogged the Southport sands, making them useless for training purposes, but Red Rum finally showed something like his old sparkle in his prep race for the 1977 Grand National, the Greenall Whitley Chase at Haydock. Worries about the now 12-year-old gelding's unwonted bulk abated when, in his last gallop before Aintree, he dazzled McCain and assorted members of the press who had gathered to watch. Ridden by Tommy Stack, as he had been in 1976, Red Rum tackled his fifth Grand National in 1977.

In the lead from the eighth last, Red Rum appeared momentarily to have a challenger in Churchtown Boy, but the latter's mistake at the third last compared with Red Rum's foot-perfect agility soon settled things in Rummyï¿½s favour. The noise of the cheering crowd was deafening as he led up the long run-in, winning by 25 lengths under 11st 8lb and you can watch the historic race below: In 1976, Red Rum had given Eyecatcher 17lb and beat her by eight lengths; in 1977, he gave her 21lb and a 31-length beating, rating an improvement at the age of 12 of two stone. The treble, five years in the making, had been achieved. The celebrations in Southport which received the three-time Grand National winner home were long and rapturous. But the greatest Aintree horse of all time was not yet finished. Up until the morning of the 1978 Grand National, Red Rum was being trained for a sixth attempt at the great race. He had run well all season, amassing two seconds and a fourth under mighty weights in his five races.

But, after his customary pre-National work-out on the day before the big race, Red Rum pulled up lame. The problem proved to be a hairline fracture and the horse had to be retired. Retired, that is, from the realm of racing. But Red Rum's career as a celebrity continued - a role to which he was as well-adapted as to tackling the Aintree fences. He thrived as the centre of attention, as anyone who saw the 1977 episode of Sports Personality of the Year Awards can testify. Hearing the voice of Tommy Stack, who was speaking from his hospital bed with a broken pelvis, Red Rum immediately pricked his ears, displaying the great intelligence and showmanship so evident in the horse throughout his life. He went on to lead the parade in many Grand Nationals. Red Rum died on Wednesday, October 18, 1995 and was buried by the winning post on Aintree's Grand National course. His grave is marked by an engraved stone listing his Grand National record, and a life-size bronze commemorates this legendary competitor, along with a race staged at the Grand National meeting, the Red Rum Chase, named in the great horse's memory.

Aldaniti There was hardly a dry eye among the crowd when Aldaniti won the Grand National in 1981. It was a victory for both courage and determination in the face of adversity. In late 1979, Bob Champion, the successful jockey, was told that he had cancer and only months to live, while Aldaniti had almost been retired because of leg trouble. Against all the odds, the gallant partnership held on to beat Spartan Missile, ridden by John Thorne, a 54-year-old grandfather and amateur rider. The winner's true-life story inspired the 1983 film Champions, starring John Hurt. Aldaniti died at the age of 27 in March, 1997. Bob Champion made a full recovery and, with the help of Aldaniti, has raised millions of pounds for cancer research. Aldaniti's name was a jumble from the names of four grandchildren of his breeder, Tommy Barron: ALastair and DAvid Cook plus NIcola and TImothy Barron. The Pitmans The Pitman family has a special association with the Grand National.

In 1983, Jenny Pitman became the first woman to train a winner of the race when Corbiere beat Greasepaint. She followed up this victory in 1995 with Royal Athlete who succeeded at the long odds of 40/1, but experienced heartbreak when Esha Ness "won" the 1993 void race. Mark, her son, must have gone through similar emotions when he was caught in the dying strides by Seagram whilst riding Garrison Savannah in 1991, also trained by his mother. Garrison Savannah was bidding for an historic double ï¿½ and to emulate the great Golden Miller ï¿½ having won the Cheltenham Gold Cup a few weeks earlier. Years earlier, Richard Pitman, then-husband to Jenny and Mark's father, was caught even closer to the winning post by Red Rum, the Aintree specialist, when he partnered the gallant top weight Crisp in 1973. Mrs Pitman was awarded an OBE in the 1998 New Year's Honours List and in the same year fought a successful battle against cancer.

She has now retired from training as, for the time being, has her son Mark who carried on the family tradition for a while (he trained Smarty to finish second in 2001 when only four horses completed the course in terrible conditions, and sixth in 2004). Jenny Pitman was also one of the first batch of inductees to the Grand National Legends (the Hall of Fame-style initiative that was established in 2010), along with Red Rum and his trainer, Ginger McCain. Watch Corbiere win the 1983 Grand National ahead of Greasepaint: Devon Loch The 1956 National is remembered more for the defeat of Devon Loch than for the victory of ESB. Owned by Her Majesty The Queen Mother, Devon Loch had the race won when he inexplicably gave a half-leap just 50 yards from the finish, sprawling and almost unseating Dick Francis, the unfortunate jockey, and leaving the crowd stunned. Afterwards, The Queen Mother famously said "That's racing". Debate still rages as to why the incident happened - according to some reports, Devon Loch suffered a cramp in the hindquarters and this caused the collapse.

However, other reports claim that a shadow thrown by the water jump (which horses only jump on the first circuit of the Aintree course) may have confused Devon Loch into thinking another leap was required and - unsure as to whether he should or not - he half-jumped and collapsed. Reports that the horse had suffered a heart attack were dismissed, as Devon Loch recovered far too quickly for that to have been the case. Whatever the truth, the incident so puzzled Francis that he became a thriller writer, inventing mysteries himself and over the decades Francis learned to be as philosophical. As did his wife Mary who once said that had he won the Grand National there would have been no bestselling autobiography and no thrillers. "As I said in my autobiography, an ambulance came by and the driver said, ï¿½Jump in the back!ï¿½ I was never more pleased to get away from all the people who were rushing towards me. What happened? Iï¿½ve thought about it time and time again...I remember jumping the last fence and I could hear the crescendo of cheering building up in the stands. There were 500,000 people there that day. They were all cheering for the Queen Mother.

She was there and the Queen was there and Princess Margaret was there." Francis is quoted as saying. "I never thought about it at the time but I heard them cheering and I just rode to the finish. I was winning easily. I didnï¿½t have to pick up my stick or anything like that. Iï¿½ve looked at the newsreel time and again and as the horse approaches the water jump ï¿½ which this time round he didnï¿½t need to cross ï¿½ you can see him prick up his ears and gallop past it. As he pricked up its ears ï¿½ Christ! ï¿½ his hindquarters refused to act and down he went on to his belly. How I didnï¿½t fall off him I donï¿½t know." Devon Loch is a metaphor now used in modern day sports and otherwise to explain the sudden, last-minute failure of teams or a sportsman to complete an expected victory, e.g. "United can only hope Arsenal do a Devon Loch." Dick Francis died of natural causes on 14 February 2010 at his Caribbean home in Grand Cayman, by which time he had written 40 international best-sellers.

Watch Devon Loch sprawl on the run-in to the 1956 Grand National, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and allowing ESB to claim an unlikely success: Devon Loch spread-eagled on the run-in at the 1956 Grand National Foinavon Foinavon sensationally won the 1967 National in bizarre circumstances. At the smallest fence on the second circuit, the 23rd, the riderless Popham Down cut right across the course causing a pile-up that almost brought the entire field to a standstill. John Buckingham, Foinavon's jockey, was able to steer his mount wide of the melee and thus won on the 100/1 outsider. The Aintree executive named the fence in honour of the horse - fence 7 or 23 (depending on the circuit), at 4ft 6in, one of the smallest jumps on the course, is situated between the more daunting Becher's Brook and the Canal Turn. Foinavon has sometimes been likened to a slow plodding carthorse, but records show that his 1967 winning time was one of the fastest in this gruelling race.

Equally, this so called no-hoper had taken part in some top class races before attempting the Grand National and he had finished fourth in a King George and took part in a Gold Cup at Cheltenham, so perhaps his odds of 100/1 may have been a bit generous (although the Tote SP was 444/1). Nevertheless, his owner was so unenthusiastic about his chances that he was not even at Aintree for the great race. Buckingham said later that at the time he did not realise that they were the only pair to jump the fence at the first attempt but he just kept going. Although some 17 horses remounted and finished the race the distance Foinavon had "stolen" at the obstacle meant that he led over the final seven fences to go on to collect his prize, 15 lengths clear of the fast-closing favourite, Honey End, and Red Alligator, who went on to win in 1968. Foinavon did also run in the following year's Grand National but fell or was brought down at the water jump.

Foinavon was at one time owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster, whose colours were also carried by the much superior Arkle - both were named after Scottish mountains. She also owned Last Suspect who won the 1985 Grand National. Watch the 1967 Grand National, courtesy of British Pathï¿½ (scroll to around 1 minutes, 20 seconds to see all the drama unfold): The commentary of Michael O'Hehir of the carnage at the 23rd fence ranks among the most famous in the history of BBC televised sport and is often shown when BBC Sport puts together nostalgic montages of great sporting moments. O'Hehir received particular respect from his peers for the speed and unflustered coolness with which he identified Foinavon as the horse emerging from the mï¿½lï¿½e. O'Hehir later said in an interview that it was precisely the unfamiliarity of Foinavon's colours that made him so instantly recognisable during the race.

O'Hehir visited the weighing room before the race, as is the custom of many National commentators, to familiarise himself more clearly with the colours of the silks but found himself completely stumped when looking at the black with red and yellow braces being worn by John Buckingham. Eventually O'Hehir had to ask Buckingham who his mount was. A confused O'Hehir said that his racecard showed two-tone green quarters, as worn by the rider in the Cheltenham Gold Cup a few weeks earlier, but Buckingham explained that the owner felt green to be unlucky and so had registered new colours for the National. The "Iron" Duke of Alburquerque Beltrï¿½n Alfonso Osorio y Dï¿½ez de Rivera, known as the "Iron" Duke of Albuquerque (1918-1994), surely ranks as the worst jockey in horse-racing history. After receiving a film of the Grand National as a gift for his eighth birthday, the Duke became obsessed with it: "I said then that I would win that race one day," he later recalled. He nearly died trying.

This magnificently barking mad Spanish aristocrat and amateur jockey entered the Grand National seven times with impressively consistent results. Generally he would start with the others, gallop briefly and then wake up in the Royal Liverpool Infirmary (where apparently he always booked a private room when he rode in the race). Each year, Sir Peter O'Sullevan would gravely intone: "And the Duke of Albuquerque's gone". On his first attempt in 1952, he fell from his horse at the sixth fence, nearly broke his neck and woke up later in hospital with a cracked vertebra. His next try was in 1963, when he fell from his horse yet again, this time at the fourth fence. Undeterred, he returned in 1965 but again fell from his horse after it collapsed underneath him, breaking his leg. His ineptitude was so apparent that in 1963 bookies even offered odds of 66/1 - against him even finishing the race atop his horse! He returned in 1973 when his stirrup broke, although he clung on for eight fences before being sent into inevitable orbit.

In 1974, after having sixteen screws removed from a leg he had broken after falling in another race, he also fell while training for the Grand National and broke his collarbone. Nevertheless, he then competed in a plaster cast, this time actually managing to finish the race for the only time in his splendid career, but only in eighth (and last) place aboard Nereo: "I sat like a sack of potatoes and gave the horse no help" he said after the race. One anecdote from this race is that he barged into Ron Barry at the second Canal Turn; Barry said "What the f*** are you doing?" to which he replied: "My dear chap I haven't a clue...I've never got this far before!" In 1976, he sustained his most serious injuries after being trampled in a race by several other horses. He suffered seven broken ribs, several fractured vertebrae, a broken wrist and thigh, and a major concussion, and was in a coma for two days. After recovering he announced, at the age of 57, that he planned to race yet again. Race organisers wisely revoked his license "for his own safety".

Though the Iron Duke never won the Grand National, he certainly broke more bones than any other jockey in attempting to do so. Notable Dates In Grand National History 1837: THE DUKE wins the first Great Liverpool Steeplechase at Maghull, some three miles from the present site of Aintree racecourse. 1839: Aintree becomes the new home for the event, with LOTTERY carrying off the prize and Captain Martin Becher christening the now-famous brook as he crawls in for safety after a fall. 1847: MATTHEW records the first Irish-trained victory on the day the race is officially named the Grand National. 1887: GAMECOCK wins the National at 20-1 and follows up by winning the Champion Chase over the big fences the very next day. 1897: MANIFESTO, the 6-1 favourite, records the first of his two wins in the race. He ran eight times up to the age of 16, also finishing third three times and fourth once. 1907: Jockey Alf Newey brings EREMON home in front, despite riding without stirrups from the second fence.

1927: Ted Leader rides SPRIG to a popular victory in the first Grand National to be covered by a BBC radio commentary. 1928: On the day of the race, before it had begun, TIPPERARY TIM'S jockey William Dutton heard a friend call out to him: "Billy boy, you'll only win if all the others fall down!ï¿½. These words turned out to be true, as 41 of the 42 starters fell during the race. It was run during misty weather conditions with the going very heavy. As the field approached the Canal Turn on the first circuit, Easter Hero fell, causing a pile-up from which only seven horses emerged with seated jockeys. By the penultimate fence this number had reduced to three, with Great Span looking most likely to win ahead of Billy Barton and Tipperary Tim. Great Span's saddle then slipped, leaving Billy Barton in the lead until he too then fell. Although Billy Barton's jockey, Tommy Cullinan, managed to remount and complete the race, it was Tipperary Tim who came in first at odds of 100-1.

With only two riders completing the course, this remains a record for the fewest number of finishers. 1934: The legendary GOLDEN MILLER becomes the only horse ever to win the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season, carrying 12st 2lb to victory in record time. In the 1934 Grand National, Golden Miller set a new course record of 9 min 20.4s. That win was in the middle of five consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup victories 1947: CAUGHOO beats 56 opponents at a mist-shrouded Aintree and is then accused of only going round once. 1956: DEVON LOCH and jockey Dick Francis, looking certain to give The Queen Mother victory when clear on the run-in, suddenly sprawl flat on the ground yards from the winning post, allowing ESB to win. 1967: The year of the horrific pile-up at the 23rd. John Buckingham and complete outsider FOINAVON avoid the melee and gallop on to a 100-1 win.

1974: Grand National character the Duke of Alburquerque completes the course for the one and only time in numerous attempts on NEREO, despite breaking his collarbone only a week before the race. 1977: The incomparable RED RUM rewrites the record books with his historic third victory. 'Rummy' had five runs, with three wins and two seconds, from the age of eight to 12. 1979: RUBSTIC makes history by becoming the first Scottish-trained winner. His homecoming party was heralded by a piper leading him back to the hamlet of Denholm, Roxburghshire. 1981: ALDANITI, nursed back from career-threatening injury three times, wins a fairytale National ridden by Bob Champion, who fought, and beat, cancer. 1982: Dick Saunders, at the age of 48, becomes the oldest winning jockey on GRITTAR. Geraldine Rees becomes the first woman to complete the course, riding the leg-weary CHEERS. 1983: Years of doubt about the Grand National's future are ended when the Jockey Club, helped by public donations, buys the course.

CORBIERE's victory ensures Jenny Pitman goes into the history books as the first woman to train the winner. 1987: Jim Joel becomes the oldest winning owner at 92. He is on his way back from South Africa when MAORI VENTURE wins a thrilling race from The Tsarevich. 1993: The darkest day in the history of the National. There is chaos after a second false start as 30 out of the 39 jockeys began the race despite a false start being called, leading to a void result for the seven horses who finished. John White passes the post first on the Jenny Pitman-trained ESHA NESS, only to discover the race has been declared void. The 1993 Grand National - the race that never was. Racing commentator Sir Peter O'Sullevan described it as "the greatest disaster in the history of the Grand National" 1994: MIINNEHOMA, owned by comedian Freddie Starr, gives multiple champion trainer Martin Pipe his first National victory, and 51-year-old grandmother Rosemary Henderson completes the course on her own horse FIDDLERS PIKE, who finishes fifth.

1995: Jenny Pitman, the first lady of Aintree, gains her second success - two years after her first - with ROYAL ATHLETE. 1997: The National has to be postponed after two coded bomb threats were received from the IRA. The course was secured by police who then evacuated jockeys, race personnel, and local residents along with 60,000 spectators. Cars and coaches were locked in the course grounds, leaving some 20,000 people without their vehicles over the weekend. With limited accommodation available in the city, local residents opened their doors and took in many of those stranded. This prompted tabloid headlines such as "We'll fight them on the Becher's", in reference to Winston Churchill's famous war-time speech. The race was run 48 hours later on the Monday, with the meeting organisers offering 20,000 tickets with free admission. The rearranged race was won in spectacular style by 14/1 shot LORD GYLLENE.

A mass evacuation of Aintree racecourse took place on Saturday 5 April 1997 1999: Father-and-son trainer-jockey team Tommy and Paul Carberry combine to land a first Irish win for 24 years with BOBBYJO. 2000: Ted and 20-year-old Ruby Walsh emulate the feat of their compatriots 12 months previously as PAPILLON lands a gamble, backed from a morning 33-1 into 10-1 before taking the prize. 2001: RED MARAUDER and Smarty are the only horses to put in clear rounds in a race run in atrocious conditions, though all horses return unscathed. 2003: MONTY'S PASS lands a massive gamble, with owner Mike Fuller netting close to ï¿½1million from ante-post bets. The horse is backed from 40-1 into 16-1 and romps home. 2004: Ginger McCain, veteran trainer of Red Rum, enjoys an emotional victory as 12-year-old AMBERLEIGH HOUSE lands the spoils, having been third in 2003.

2005: HEDGEHUNTER becomes the first horse since Corbiere in 1983 to carry more than 11st to victory in the great race, romping clear in great style under Ruby Walsh to slam Royal Auclair by 14 lengths. John Smithï¿½s take over from Martell as the main sponsor. 2006: John Smith's launched the John Smith's People's Race which gave ten members of the public the chance to ride in a flat race at Aintree on Grand National day. In total, thirty members of the public took part in the event before it was discontinued in 2010. 2008: COMPLY OR DIE allows David Pipe to join his legendary father, Martin, in the record books as a National-winning trainer in just his second season. The race also carries record prize money of ï¿½800,000. 2009: MON MOME becomes the biggest-priced winner since Foinavon when powering home at 100-1 for trainer Venetia Williams and jockey Liam Treadwell, who was having his first ride in the race.

2010: DON'T PUSH IT, trained by Jonjo O'Neill and owned by legendary gambler JP McManus, provides perennial champion jockey Tony McCoy with his first success at the 15th attempt. McCoy went on to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award that year ï¿½ the first person from the world of horse racing to do so. The 2010 renewal was also the first horse race to be televised in HD in the UK. 2011: Another emotional victory as BALLABRIGGSï¿½ success on a sweltering day at Aintree allows Donald McCain to join his legendary father, Ginger, who trained both Red Rum and Amberleigh House, in the Grand National record books. 2012: One of the closest finishes in the raceï¿½s illustrious history sees NEPTUNE COLLOGNES beat Sunyhillboy by a nose, giving Paul Nicholls his first Grand National success. Katie Walsh achieves the highest finishing position by a lady jockey by claiming third place on Seabass, trained by her father Ted.

2013: Legendary showjumper Harvey Smith and his wife Sue send out 66-1 AURORAS ENCORE to cause a shock in a race in which only two of the forty runners fell on the first circuit. Fellow trainer Evan Williams has to settle for a place for the fifth time in as many years. 2014: Part time trainer, Dr Richard Newland, landed the first ever ï¿½1 million renewal of the race, courtesy of PINEAU DE RE. Williamï¿½s amazing run continued with Alvarado fourth for the Welsh handler. 2015: Incredibly, another place for Williams with Alvarado fourth again behind MANY CLOUDS, who made a mockery of the trends as an eight year old carrying 11st 9lbs to land another victory in the race for Trevor Hemmings. © Where To Bet Ltd 2004-16 (contact us: wheretobet@hotmail.com) RED RUM Red Rum is the only horse in the history of the Grand National Steeplechase to win the race three times, and to make that feat further astonishing, he ran in it two other times and was second.

When he was put up for sale in his country of birth both he, and his companion that day were sold for 400 guineas each at the sales in Dublin. It is a great coincidence that the first race that Red Rum raced in, was at, what was to become his favourite course, Liverpool. On this first occasion he dead headed with Curlicue for first place. This was the companion horse that he was with at the sales! . This was a two year old's selling race run at a distance of 5 furlongs. In total Red Rum ran at Liverpool seven times, he won four and came second in the other three. Red Rum bronze Born in 1965, Red Rum was bred by Martyn Molony at Rossenarra Stud in County Kilkenny, Ireland. He had a flat racing pedigree; his sire was Quorum, and his dam was Mared. In Red Rum's 10 year career he had twenty four different jockeys, Including Lester Piggott, he also had five trainers but in that career he managed to win 3 flat races, 3 hurdle races and also 21 Steeplechases.

He was also placed 37 times so he must have taken all the changes in his stride. His obvious love of racing held him in good stead and it is worth saying that he never actually fell in a race although he once unseated his rider and once slipped up - both events at Haydock. Red Rum's first race was a flat race on April 7, 1967, at the very track where the Grand National is held, Aintree. He had just been bought with a second horse, Curlicue, for 400 pounds. They raced together in their first race, the Thursby Plate at 5 furlongs, and came in a dead heat, tied for first! In his life, Red Rum ran at this track a total of seven races, won four of them and was second in the rest. Red Rum ran for more than ten years in 100 races over fences plus a few on the flat, winning three flat races, three hurdle races, and twenty one steeplechases. Plus, he was second thirty seven times. This is a 64% in the money percentage over ten years! This horse more than paid his way and was game to the last.

To make it more amazing, he had many owners, several trainers, and more than 20 different jockeys over the length of his career. His nickname was Rummie, and he had some foot problems (pedalostitis) that probably his best (and last) trainer Donald (Ginger) McCain treated by galloping him in the shallow surf of the sea. The salt water must have been good for his feet, and the sand toughened his tendons. Red Rum winning the Grand National The year of Rummies first win was 1973 and the account of his first win where he beat the big Australian horse Crisp, but needless to say that Rummy was 20 lengths or more adrift for most of the race and it was only his determination that kept him in the game and indeed allowed him to win his first National.

That day I'm sure that most of the talk would have been about the defeat of Crisp rather than the win of Red Rum but, 12 months later it was Red Rum who was carrying the 12st burden and despite that he went on to win successive nationals and the public started a love affair with this chaser the like of which, is only given to a few. When he started in his first Grand National in 1973, Rummie had had five wins and three seconds in his previous eight starts, so was co-favored with topweight Crisp, the Australian-bred trained by Fred Winter. During the race, Crisp got a clear, long lead when another horse fell at the Chair, but Red Rum gained slowly and by the end, beat Crisp by three quarters of a length. It was 25 lengths back to the next horse. In 1974, Rummie had won four races and been second three times coming up to the National. He was given top weight of 12 stone, 2 pounds (a stone is 14 pounds, so Rummie was carrying 170 pounds).

Red Rum was jumping perfectly at Aintree and was in front at Becher's Brook on the second time around. Then he misjudged the fifth to last fence, but recovered well. He galloped on determindly to beat L'Escargot by seven lengths to become the first horse since Reynoldstown (1935-6) to win the Grand National in successive years. The next month he went to Ayr and won the Scottish National, the first time the elusive double Aintree/Ayr Nationals had been achieved. The next year, he didn't do as well in his prep races, and in the 1975 Grand National, he jumped well and ran a game race, but didn't have enough gas left to hold off L'Escargot, and came in second. In prepping for the 1976 National, he had not come in better than third place in his last eight races. This year, they put 11 stones, 10 pounds on Rummie. He jumped clean, and ran well, but was again second in this one by only 2 lengths to winner Rag Trade.

Red Rum leading the Parade In both 1975 and 1976 despite putting up a good defence of his crown Rummie was beaten on both occasions into second place. In 1975 he met the twice Gold Cup winner L'Escargot and had to give him 11lbs however he was still in front at the last, but the ground was very soft that day and Rummie hated the ground so the combination of giving weight and the soft ground he had to yield to L'Escargot. In 1976 he took on another good horse Rag Trade and having to carry top weight for the third successive year He was unable to give him the 12lbs and although never gave up and closed in on him up the straight he was again to come second Red Rum was 12 years old in 1977 and was again entered in the great race. His season by now was mapped out to give him the best chance in the national.

Not many 12 year olds win the race and some of the racing pundits thought that this might have been a case of going to the well once too often but his trainer Ginger knew that the horse was in great form and was sure that the horse would not only give a good account of himself but, that he would Win ! and he was to be proved correct. He was still having to carry top weight this year but at least the top weight had gone down to 11st 8lbs. He'd been trained to peak on National day as usual, and this time he looked really good. The only worry was whether the ground would be too wet for him. It was not. Rummie jumped with his usual perfection, and when the favorite fell at Becher's Brook on the second time around, Rummie took off to build up a good lead. His jockey Tommy Stack kept increasing the pace, and only Churchtown Boy was keeping up. However, at the second to last fence, Churchtown Boy hit the fence and lost momentum, and Rummie won his third Grand National by 25 lengths, the first horse ever to win three Nationals! The crowd went crazy, surrounding the winner and shouting their praise.

In 1978 Rummie was entered in the following years National this at an age of fourteen was remarkable in it's self but an injury a short time before the race meant that he could not take part that year, however Ginger thought seriously that he would win if he had got him there. The following year at 15 he was entered again and was due to run until a few days before the race when he was again found to be lame and the connections had to finally come to terms that ' The Nations Favourite ' would not have another race and in 1979 he was retired. However he did go to Liverpool that day and lead the parade and so began his second life in which he was to be one of the biggest celebrities of his day and always attracted a crowd at any opening ceremony that he attended indeed he even was to make an appearance on the BBC Sorts personality of the year award. Red Rum returned to Aintree to celebrate his 30th birthday on May 3, 1995. He returned to Liverpool on many occasions to lead the parade right up until his death on October 18th 1995 at an age of 30.

He was humanely put down in his stall at McCain's stable on October 18 and buried that same day in a special grave next to the winning post at Aintree racetrack. Said his long time trainer, Ginger McCain, "I was very, very upset but I did what we planned years ago and managed to phone the clerk of the course at Aintree. Soon Rummy was on his last journey. Some time between 1:30 and 2:00 he was buried at the winning line on the Grand National course where he became a legend. The thought comforted me, to think of all those lovely horses racing over him to make glory days of their own." His place in the history of the Grand National and of the Liverpool course will never be forgot and his statue is to be found at the course. He was also given the honour of having his last resting place in one of his favourite places and today he lays buried with his head facing the winning post at the Aintree course.

A memorial is also there for visitors to see and for then to remember one of Aintree's greates BBC SPORT | Other Sport | Horse Racing | Grand National 2003 | Red Rum v Crisp: 30 years on Red Rum v Crisp: 30 years on Brian Fletcher and Red Rum just edge out Pitman and Crisp The 1973 Grand National was one of the most memorable races of the 20th Century. It marked the first victory of the legendary Red Rum and produced perhaps the most exciting finish Aintree has ever seen. Runaway leader Crisp jumped the last fence 15 lengths clear but the burden of carrying top weight for 4ï¿½ miles was too much. Red Rum, with 23lb less than his rival, ate into the lead and beat him on the line to win by three-quarters of a length. Two of the main protagonists tell the BBC Sport website of their memories of that unforgettable day 30 years ago. RICHARD PITMAN Crisp's jockey Now a BBC pundit Crisp was the Australian champion who had broken course records and started as joint favourite with Red Rum.

I soon knew that the Aintree fences would hold no terrors to him. At Becher's Brook, he just flew and galloped away. He led the field as no horse in living memory has done Pitman on Crisp At The Chair, our nearest pursuer Grey Sombrero fell and I was 25 lengths clear. It was quite an eerie feeling to go out into the countryside on our own. When we got to the Canal Turn, I just thought if his stamina lasts, he will win it. But between the last two fences, the petrol ran out - it was like a balloon being pricked. All of a sudden, his stride changed - his floppy ears dropped like a lop-eared rabbit.

Racing: Crisp memories of Aintree's best loser: Twenty years on, Red Rum's first National victim remains the moral victor as the field for Saturday's renewal starts to crystallise | The Independent Racing: Crisp memories of Aintree's best loser: Twenty years on, Red Rum's first National victim remains the moral victor as the field for Saturday's renewal starts to crystallise Monday 29 March 1993 23:02 BST Click to follow The Independent Online TWENTY years ago on Saturday, an eight-year-old gelding stabled behind a used-car showroom and trained on Southport beach achieved the victory that launched the greatest of all stories of the greatest of all steeplechases. Red Rum's defeat of Crisp began a sequence of extraordinary Grand National success. He won again in 1974, ran second in '75 and '76, and by the time of his record third triumph in 1977 he had already established unprecedented equine celebrity. But on 31 March, 1973, Red Rum arrived at his glorious moment amid divided feelings.

He had been heavily backed but only cold-hearted gamblers tossed their hats in the air; to others with an interest not solely financial, the real hero was the horse he had pursued relentlessly for half the race and caught in the dying strides. Crisp, a giant of 17 hands, dwarfed Red Rum not only physically. Here was an animal who had turned a Festival championship into a procession. Red Rum was a decent handicapper but not, apparently, in the same class. However, by National Hunt standards, Crisp was not a stayer but a sprinter: a two-mile specialist. Since 1970 he had beaten the best over that distance and smashed a string of course time records. In 1971, in the Two-Mile Champion Chase at Cheltenham, he trounced a high-class field by 25 lengths. Yet here he was at Aintree, being asked to race more than twice as far over the stiffest set of jumps in the country - and, if that were not enough, under top weight. And, unlike the canny Red Rum, Crisp's jumping style was fearless, brilliance on the edge of disaster; his participation alone was an act of daring.

The weights judged Crisp to be 23lb Red Rum's superior but the betting market could not separate them: they started 9-1 joint favourites. 'It is actually quite rare to get on a natural jumper but Crisp was certainly that, able to weigh up a fence and take it practically in a normal stride,' his jockey, Richard Pitman, recalls. 'Before Aintree, I thought about all the thrills I might experience in life but none could match the idea of riding Crisp in the National.' Crisp had been fifth in the Gold Cup the previous year, appearing not to last three and a quarter miles. To then try four and a half miles might seem illogical but racing theory has it that a sound jumper with a high cruising speed can burn off more ponderous rivals before staying power enters the equation. Much can depend, however, on riding tactics. 'We leaned first towards tucking him in behind, running in the slipstream of other horses in the way an athlete might,' Pitman says. 'But because of his instinct to quicken at a fence we decided that the risk of his jumping into trouble was too great.

'So we opted to make the running, but to conserve Crisp's energy by steadying the pace down. 'That was the theory. In practice he would clear one fence, catch sight of the next bugger and be off. You have to remember that a horse weighs something like half a ton. The only moment you can get a hard-pulling horse to hold back is in the stride with which he lands but once he is back into his running stride you cannot possibly be strong enough.' Approaching Becher's the first time, Crisp had Grey Sombrero on his outside but cleared the enormous drop with such a prodigious leap that he carried Pitman into a lead that was to grow beyond accurate calculation. 'Quite often, when a horse lands over Becher's, his head actually touches the ground as he tries to balance himself. Crisp flipped over the fence as if it were a hurdle and did not even nod. Crisp jumped so superbly that we gained lengths at every fence. At the Canal Turn, where the course swings to the left at 90 degrees, I felt we took the fence as well as anyone ever had.

People said that it was Crisp's last gallop that took him so far ahead but it was really his jumping.' The Chair, a five-foot six-inch wall of tightly-packed thorn preceded by a yawning ditch, established Crisp's supremacy. 'He took the top out of it but did not falter and as we drew away I heard a gasp from the grandstands as Grey Sombrero fell behind me, and I was left completely on my own.' 'Thereafter it was quite eerie. Usually, when you are riding in the National, there is noise all around you but as went off into the country again I was conscious of silence and stillness. The relics of the cavalry charge were everywhere; great holes in the fences, jockeys leaning against the rails, reflecting on their fate. But very little sound at all. 'Coming up to Becher's, I heard the voice of Michael O'Hehir over the tannoy relaying the commentary to the crowd. I remember hearing him say that Red Rum had come out of the pack and was chasing me.' On Red Rum, Brian Fletcher, a quiet northerner who had won on Red Alligator in 1968, had already reacted to the challenge.

'I realised when Grey Sombrero fell that I had to take much closer order,' Fletcher says. 'I was about third or fourth at the water and after the second in the back straight I kicked on to try to catch him.' At Becher's, Fletcher estimated Crisp to be 100 yards in front. Even at Valentine's Brook, with just six fences left, he was still a distant figure. 'At that point I thought I would be second. But I'd never been a person to give up hope and I persevered. I gave my fellow a crack going to the third from home and at the second last I was starting to close the gap.' The decisive moment was near. 'Crisp was perfect again at Becher's and the Canal,' Pitman says. 'Crossing the Anchor Bridge Road you know you have just two to go and I was still on my own. But then, after the second last, the feeling of power and strength that Crisp had been giving me suddenly evaporated. It happened in an instant, as if a plug had been pulled and all the petrol drained out. 'For the first time then I caught the sound of a pursuer.

I heard Red Rum's nostrils flapping, then the clear beat of his hooves on the firm ground.' Fletcher saw Crisp waver. 'His tail started to go round and that inspired me to dig deeper. I closed the gap with every stride and my only fear was that the post would come too soon. But at the Elbow, Crisp almost ran into the rails. He was a tired horse and he was rolling like a drunk.' Pitman gave Crisp several cracks with the stick. 'It was possibly a mistake: his legs had gone. When he felt Red Rum's presence he stiffened and tried to quicken, instinctively, but there was nothing left. Red Rum came alongside and beat us in the last couple of strides.' At that instant, Pitman hit the depths of despair but his mood quickly changed. 'The disappointment gave way to euphoria. Crisp had given me the most exhilarating race of my life and I was fully aware of what he had achieved in conceding so much weight yet failing so narrowly.

Not only had he attacked the most fearsome racecourse and conquered it, he had put up one of the finest of all Grand National performances.' (Photograph omitted) Desert Orchid to Red Rum: The ten greatest national hunt racehorses | Daily Mail Online Desert Orchid to Red Rum: The ten greatest national hunt racehorses By 'AP' McCOY, Champion Jockey and BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Updated: 18:16 EST, 22 October 2011 From an equine superstar who was plucky and liked to attack the field - to a horse that won three Grand Nationals and just love to run, 'AP' McCoy chooses his favourite national hunt racehorses 1. DESERT ORCHID Desert Orchid was an equine superstar and caught the public's imagination like no other racehorse. He was popular because he was plucky and liked to attack the field I don’t know if many horses can tell their left foot from their right but Dessie did. He had a much better race record running round right-handed tracks, perhaps because of his tendency to drift right when tiring.

Whatever the reasoning, Desert Orchid was an equine superstar and caught the public’s imagination like no other racehorse. When I worked in a stable yard as a teenager, Dessie was only just starting to become famous. He was popular because he was plucky and liked to attack the field. The grey colouring made him eye-catching too – he stood out from the rest. Dessie won most of the major events but he was most famous for winning the King George VI Chase four times, as well as the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1989. Desert Orchid always looked like a winner. I would have loved to have ridden him. 2. ARKLE Arkle won lots of races and would often be carrying two or three stone more than his rivals. Despite this, he still won 27 of his 34 major outings An animal getting fan mail? It sounds unlikely but Arkle was that horse. It used to arrive at the stables by the sackful, simply addressed to ‘The Champion’ or ‘Himself’. When a horse starts winning races, he is handicapped with extra weight. Arkle won lots of races and would often be carrying two or three stone more than his rivals.

Despite this, he still won 27 of his 34 major outings. He won both the Leopardstown Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in a row, as well as the King George VI and two Hennessy Gold Cups. Arkle was pretty much unbeatable in 1965 and might have had a longer career, had it not been for a freak injury the following year. I appreciate what Arkle did because weight has always been an issue for me. At 5ft 10in, I’m taller than the average jockey. I have to work hard to keep it in check, eating the right food, exercising and taking hot baths. 3. GOLDEN MILLER Golden Miller won five Gold Cups in a row. No other horse has achieved that before, or since. He also took the Grand National in 1934 and set a new course record This horse had a great start in life, coming into the ownership of Dorothy Paget, the eccentric millionairess. Paget (pictured above leading Golden Miller) was larger than life and spent huge amounts of money on her horses. She once berated her trainer for only winning five out of six races in a day.

Golden Miller won five Gold Cups in a row. No other horse has achieved that before, or since. He also took the Grand National in 1934 and set a new course record. I’ve never seen footage of Golden Miller in action but the statistics speak for themselves. He had a fearsome reputation. 4. RED RUM That race (1973's Grand National) is said to be one of the greatest ever, with Red Rum coming from way behind, in a dramatic neck-and-neck finish with Crisp Red Rum was bought for just 400 guineas – then went on to win three Grand Nationals. It took me 15 attempts to win my first National! I finally managed it in 2010, riding Don’t Push It. I never saw Red Rum jump in the flesh because he won the first of those three victories in 1973, the year before I was born. That race is said to be one of the greatest ever, with Red Rum coming from way behind, in a dramatic neck-and-neck finish with Crisp. He won it again the next year – then there was the sensational comeback victory in 1977.

Rummie had a couple of dozen different jockeys and five trainers. He just loved to run and it’s appropriate he is buried at the finishing post at Aintree Racecourse, the home of the National. 5. KAUTO STAR Kauto Star is the first horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, lose it the following year, then win it back again. He is a legendary National Hunt horse and has a racing CV second to none The best horse I’ve ridden against, or watched, in my entire racing career. I was really thrilled when I finally had the chance to ride him myself, in the King George VI Chase earlier this year. He had won the 2009 race by a record-breaking 36 lengths, so he was heavily fancied. There was a lot of hype about the horse going for an unprecedented fifth victory in the event but we crossed the line third. I was bitterly disappointed with that result but it doesn’t take away from Kauto Star’s great achievements in the past. He is the first horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, lose it the following year, then win it back again. Kauto is a legendary National Hunt horse and has a racing CV second to none.

6. BEST MATE Best Mate never fell at a fence and always finished in the top two. He had a relatively short career, before dying in tragic circumstances at Exeter in 2005. His death was front-page news Best Mate was a wonderful horse with a passion for Polo mints! He loved people too but didn’t like to be standing around for too long. Not surprising for a horse that won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in a row. I won the race on Mr Mulligan in 1997 but I can’t imagine what it must have felt like for Jim Culloty to ride Best Mate to victory on those three occasions. Best Mate never fell at a fence and always finished in the top two. He had a relatively short career, before dying in tragic circumstances at Exeter in 2005, and was such a well-loved horse that his death was front-page news. 7. ISTABRAQ Istabraq was very popular at the Cheltenham Festival because he was a fighter, with an amazing turn of speed at the critical moment Very few obstacles caused Istabraq problems – so it actually took a national emergency to stop this horse jumping to even greater success.

Istabraq was very popular at the Cheltenham Festival because he was a fighter, with an amazing turn of speed at the critical moment. He might have gone on to win the Champion Hurdle there four times in a row, had it not been for the 2001 festival being cancelled because of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. 8. DAWN RUN Dawn Run was the most successful mare in the history of National Hunt racing. She was the only horse that won both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup When Dawn Run won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1986 it was like the Irish winning the World Cup! Jockey Jonjo O’Neill brought Dawn Run from way behind to win by less than a length from Wayward Lad, finishing the course in a record time. The whole place went wild – people invaded the winners’ enclosure and there was pandemonium. Dawn Run was the most successful mare in the history of National Hunt racing. She was the only horse that won both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. 9.

L'ESCARGOT L'Escargot was a much-loved chestnut that won both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National. Many people will remember him as the horse that beat Red Rum to Grand National victory in 1975 L’Escargot was going to be christened ‘Let’s Go’ but the name was already being used. In the end, his owners decided on the French for snail, which now seems inappropriate, considering L’Escargot’s fantastic record. This was a much-loved chestnut that won both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National. Many people will remember L’Escargot as the horse that beat Red Rum to Grand National victory in 1975, having come third and second in the previous two races. He was usually ridden by Tommy Carberry, a jockey who seemed to have a special understanding of the horse. 10. BADSWORTH BOY Badsworth was a horse that really stood out when I was a kid. He was just about the best two-mile chaser the world has ever seen.

Like Best Mate he is famous for winning three championship races back to back It was a real family affair for Badsworth Boy because he was trained by all three members of the Michael Dickinson family. Badsworth was a horse that really stood out when I was a kid. He was just about the best two-mile chaser the world has ever seen. Like Best Mate he is famous for winning three championship races back to back. This time it was the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which he won at Cheltenham from 1983-85. In one of those races he finished 31 lengths ahead of second place. 'AP' McCOY PICTURE BYLINE: EMPICS Entertainment

Question: Which horse led the 1973 Grand National field for most of the race only to be beaten by 'Red Rum'?
Answer: 'CRISP'