It's Grand National Day

Today will see the 161st running of the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree. Held over three days in April, with the Grand National race itself at 4.15pm on the final day of the meeting, Saturday, the John Smith's Grand National delivers an atmosphere and a unique sense of occasion like no other British sporting event. This is the 161st running of the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree – but did you know the history?

The late 1800's saw the greatest of all horses to run in The Grand National, the duel winner Manifesto. A bay with a white star on his forehead by Man of War (by Ben Battle by Rataplan) out of Vae Victus by King Victory, was a tough well proportioned and powerful horse which was just as well as he Jointly holds the record for the highest weight carried by a wining horse that of 12st 7 lbs. He also holds the record weight for a placed horse of 12st 13 lbs. Manifesto also hold the record for the most number of runs in the race, he ran 8 times in the race.

Soon after the turn of the century it was a horse called Moifaa was the remarkable winner in 1904 when a ship brining him to the race from New Zealand was lost and the horse had to swim ashore, 50 miles it was said, to an island, he was later recovered and when on not only to run in the race but to win the race.

The outbreak of the Great War was not to stop the race and it was held at the racecourse at Gatwick now the site of one of London's busiest Airports. The 1920's saw the introduction of Radio to the race when in 1927 the B.B.C. brought the race to it's biggest ever audience to date when Sprig was to be the victor. The Second World War was to see the only interruption of the race. The race was not run between 1941 and 1945 and the course at this time was used for military purposes. In 1946 as soon as the military were gone the operation was put into place for that year's race and on the 5th of April Lovely Cottage won the 1946 race. The following year 1947 was to see the race run for the first time on a Saturday, at the request of the Prime Minister Clement Attlee, who was said to have suggested the move would be "in the interests of British industry". Caughoo was the winner that day.

1960 was the year when the B.B.C. was to show the race "live" on Television for the first time. Merryman II won that year and the B.B.C. have been doing a great job ever since.
1967 saw the biggest price winner; Foinavon won the race after he was the only horse to jump a very small fence in the race. There was a great pile up at the fence and this horse ridden by John Buckingham when on to score at odds of 100/1. The fence was later named after the horse.

In the 1974 Grand National, Red Rum was now the top weight with 12st to carry but he won again. He was to wait another three years to taste victory again in 1977 when he became the only three times winner of the race. Between his wins he came second twice. First in 1975 to L'escargot and then in 1976 to Rag Trade. 1977 was also another landmark year as it was to see the first ever female jockey in the race, Charlotte Brew may not be a well known name in racing today but back in 1977 she was the person all the commentators wanted to interview as she has the title as being the first Woman to ride in the Grand National.

The 1981 Grand National saw a previously crocked horse making his big race entry named Aldaniti and a jockey who had recently recovered from cancer Bob Champion win the race this caused tears of joy to a whole nation of race lovers. 1983 was another landmark year when the first ever woman trainer won the race when Corbiere put Jenny Pitmans name on the role of honours. In 1992 was another memorable winner. There was to be a general election in the UK and by coincidence this year saw a giant of a horse called Party Politics win.

The following year 1993 was again to be a landmark year as the race had to be declared void after a second false start was not heard by half of the jockeys who went on to complete a full circuit of the track. The horse that finished first that day was Esha Ness now known as the horse that won the National that never was.

The 150th running of the race in 1997 was another bizarre story when a bomb scare meant that the course had to be evacuated and the race postponed until the Monday, to allow the course to be searched. The winner on this famous occasion was Lord Gyllene.

So there you have a brief history of the worlds greatest Steeplechase - albeit I can never watch it since I hate watching horses being forced to jump!! This list for this year – although some may pull out before the race - are (and there are a good few with dance connections):

Hedgehunter / Hi Cloy / Knowhere / Mr. Pointment / Turko
Madison Du Berlais / Simon Iron Man / Fundamentalist
Butler’s Cabin / Slim Pickings / Chelsea Harbour / Vodka Bleu
L’Ami / Snowy Morning Bewleys Berry Contraband
Mckelvey / Joaaci / Point Barrow / Cornish Rebel / D’Argent
No Full / Baily Breeze / Bob Hall / Cloudy Lane / King Johns Castle
Mon Mome / Cornish Sett / Naunton Brook / Tumbling Dice
Backbeat / Comply or Die / Idle Talk / Kelami / Milan / Deux Mille
Nadover / Black Apalachi / Philson Run / Dun Doire / Ardaghe