Grand National Names Of Horses 2014

If you love a punt on the Grand National and you love the whole spectacle of the great race – as do many people around the world – the list below will be full of names you’ll recognise. They aren’t intended to be the best ever – just those horses that have really captured the imagination of the British public within living memory.

The Grand National is the longest race in the UK but it’s the difficulty of the fences that provide the real challenge to horse and rider. Just a mention of the fences Becher’s Brook, The Chair and the Canal Turn make a jockey’s blood run cold. Several horses fall at Becher’s Brook in the John Smith Grand National during Grand National Day at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. As the sixth and 22nd obstacle encountered on the way round Aintree, Becher’s Brook looks pretty innocuous when horses take off, but the landing is steep and jockeys must steer their mounts left-handed thereafter.

10. Devon Loch

Grand National Names Of Horses 2014 Season

Former Grand National winner Pineau De Re. Double Seven, who was third in 2014, and Cheltenham Festival winner Cause Of Causes also miss the cut. The top-rated horses (s) in the race will be allocated the top-weight 11-10 and then all the other Grand National runners in the race will be allocated their weight off this top-rated horse. Until Many Clouds, no horse carrying more than 11st 7lb had won since Red Rum ‘s 1977 third victory, (11st 8lb). But he’s back again for the 2014 Crabbies Grand National and things are looking a bit better this year. Although initially number 45 on the list after the weights were revealed, he has solidified his place after two rounds of withdrawals and will run off 10-07.

Everyone knows the Devon Loch story because he collapsed on all fours just yards from the line with the great race at his mercy in 1956 and with the late Dick Francis on board. The event was simply extra-ordinary and eye-opening. ESB was the lucky recipient of the victory courtesy of Devon Loch’s inexplicable sprawl.

9. Crisp

Horses

In the 1973 Grand National, Crisp made all the running with Richard Pitman aloft – only to be passed in the last stride by a fast-finishing Red Rum winning his inaugural Grand National.

8. Corbiere

Winner in 1983 to help Jenny Pitman (ex-wife of the afore-mentioned Richard) become the first female ever to win a National, a great horse, a great race and wonderful achievement. Jenny won the race again with Royal Athlete in 1995.

7. Party Politics

A giant of a horse (officially the biggest ever horse to win the race) Party Politics was the housewives’ choice in the election year of 1992, costing some bookies a fortune in the process.

6. Mon Mome

Grand National Names Of Horses 2014 Winter

2009 winner Mon Mome, ridden by Liam Treadwell whose teeth the BBC’s Clare Balding managed to insult in the post-race interview, serves a place on the list for winning at the massive price of 100-1 and for being trained by another woman, Venetia Williams – who become only the second female to train a winner.

5. Amberleigh House

The 2004 winner Amberleigh House deserves a special mention for two reasons. Firstly, he was trained by the late Ginger McCain, trainer years before of the legendary Red Rum. This was Ginger’s only other National winner, but he still has four wins to his name of course. The other reason is that Amberleigh House was that rare thing, an old winner aged twelve. No 12-year-old has won the National since.

4. Ballabriggs

Seven years later it was the turn of Ginger’s son Don McCain Junior to train the winner in the shape of Ballabriggs. Thankfully, Ginger lived to see his son emulate his own feats, just months before Ginger’s death.

Grand National Names Of Horses 2014 2019

3. Neptune Collonges

The 2012 winner Neptune Collonges, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Daryl Jacob deserves a special mention for being one of only very few greys to win a National (the last had been Nicolaus Silver in 1961, with only one ever before that) and for winning by the narrowest margin ever – just managing to catch the unlucky Sunnyhillboy on the line to win by the shortest recordable difference; “a nose”.

2. Aldaniti

Most people know the story of Aldaniti’s 1981 win with Bob Champion riding tanks to the film “Champions” which told the story of the jockey’s come-back from testicular cancer and the horse’s recovery from life-threatening injury; not a dry eye in the house!

1. Red Rum

There could only ever be one winner on this list and that’s the greatest Grand National horse ever, Red Rum, who is now buried underneath the winning post at Aintree. Red Rum won his first two Grand Nationals in 1973 and 74, setting a record time in the first and overcoming huge weight in the second. The following two years, again under top weight he finished second then came back to win his third and last National in 1977 – an unbelievable accomplishment.