On This Day In (Racing) History

March 29

This day in 1992 saw a family one-two in the Premio Pisa in Italy as Gianfranco Dettori rode the winner, chased home by his son Frankie.
 
Mar 29
1901
Grudon wins Grand National after butter is placed in his hooves to stop snow balling in his feet. Apologies for saying it was 1902 in another post DG.

1935
Grand National won by 2 Furlongs;owner trainer Noel and jockey Frank with Reynoldstown. He won again in1936 ridden by Fulke Walwyn.

1947
Caughoo wins GN at 100/1 from Lough Conn.
First GN to be run on a Saturday at the request of Prime Minister Clement Atlee.
Run in the fog, the jockey on Lough Conn was ademant he was never passed and that Eddie Dempsey had somehow hid in the fog and rejoined the race.
Photos prove Caughoo jumped Bechers Brook twice but both jockeys were arrested in a Dublin pub in the 1960s for fighting.

1958
Mr What became the last Irish trained GN winner until 1975.
He never won again in 33 starts.
 
Mar 30 1963

Ayala wins Grand National for Teasie Weasie Raymond, Keith Piggott and Pat Buckley defeating Carrickbeg and Lord Oaksey who "got tired before his horse" as he related on "Mince Pies For Starters", a wonderful autobiography.
Gregory Peck attended to watch his Owen Sedge finish 7th.
 
Mar 31 1973

The classic Grand National encounter between Red Rum and Crisp.L'Escargot third.
As good as racing gets!

Mar 31 1979

Rubstic the first Scottish trained winner of GN for John Leadbetter and Maurice Barnes.
I was not too impressed as I backed runner up Zongalero. Cheltenham Gold Cup winner
Alverton died on falling at Bechers Brook 2nd time
 
April 1

This day in 1978 photo finish equipment was used for the first time in the Grand National with the first 5 covered by 3 lengths. Lucius won.
 
April 1 1991
The Racing Post ran a story that Desert Orchid was to go showjumping with Harvey Smith for the day it was.
(When Clive Smith gave the "Harvey Smith" sign to P Nicholls to send Kauto Star to train as a dressage horse he lacked that same sense of humour!)
 
April 2

On this day in 1977, Red Rum attained legendary status with a record third win in the Grand National, beating Churchtown Boy by 12 lengths.
 
Churchtown Boy had won The Topham Trophy 2 days earlier on heavy going.
25 lengths the margin as I remember. Eyecatcher third for second year ridden by Brian Fletcher.

Cracking Templegate Hurdle when Night Nurse and Monksfield dead heated, NN giving Monkie 5 lbs.
 
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March 3

On this day in 1993, the Grand National was declared void after the bulk of the field failed to realise a second false start had occurred. The race ended in heartbreak for jockey John White who crossed the line first on Jenny Pitman's Esha Ness only to realise what had happened.
 
edgt said:
Churchtown Boy had won The Topham Trophy 2 days earlier on heavy going.
25 lengths the margin as I remember. Eyecatcher third for second year ridden by Brian Fletcher.

Cracking Templegate Hurdle when Night Nurse and Monksfield dead heated, NN giving Monkie 5 lbs.
Click to expand...

Having the replay of that templegate, I hope they have evidence of the photo, cos its just about impossible to see how they could have dead heated. The camera angle appears to favour the near side, and monksfield appears ahead by "a head" maybe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X2Ai77voXE

Sorry for introducing discussion.
 
April 4 1981
That most famous of all Grand Nationals as Aldaniti ridden by Cancer survivor Bob Champion made for a fairytale result from Spartan Missile ridden by 52 yo John Thorne, his breeder/owner/trainer. An amazing race captured wonderfully in the film "Champions"

April 4 1992
Days before a General Election Party Politics wins for Mrs Thompson?( Cheveley Park Stud), Nick Gaselee and Carl Llewellyn, the luckiest of all GN jockeys. Getting the ride on PP after regular jockey Anthony Adams was injured, he repeated his luck on Earth Summit on Tom Jenk's injury in 98. Owners interview post race was surreal as PP was purchased by husband as a gift to his wife who revealed that they were really flat race people who had little interest in NH!
 
edgt said:
April 3 1993
THAT RIDE by Graham Bradley on Morley Street in Aintree Hurdle to win from Granville Again and Flown, overshadowed by GN fiasco.
Click to expand...

I was given the responsibility of opening a betting shop in North London that morning.I had the Friday off and had my max on Cab on Target who absolutely hacked up.There was an awful lot of drink consumed,an episode with a divorced woman in her 40's and finally made it home at a ridiculous hour.
Made it into work just after 12 to a very frosty reception.
 
April 5

On this day in 1975, L'Escargot denied the mighty Red Rum by 15 lengths in the Grand National at Aintree.
 
L'Escargot won in front of probably the smallest attendance ever for a National. The first thing done by the new owner, property developer Bob Davies, had been to triple admission prices.

He became the only horse apart from Golden Miller in the 1930s to win both the National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and he was the last repeat winner of the Gold Cup in 1970 and 1971 until Best Mate came along just over 30 years later.

"Over the last fence L'Escargot does soar, as he glides to the post the crowd starts to roar, for L'Escargot, Tom Carberry and trainer Dan Moore, just Golden Miller won Cup and National before".

Except they didn't.
 
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The very first GN that I saw on tv. T Carberry became a big hero of mine as he had won four of first five races I watched on tv. Gold Cup on Ten Up, 3 mile Hurdle and Irish Grand National on Brown Lad and now L'Escargot.

Grey sang the full ballad the last line of which is quoted above one boozy night in The Beehive Bar in Cheltenham. A self written piece, he wrote it in Tin Pan Alley style in honour of the fact that Raymond Guest was American Ambassador to Ireland. With the catchy title "I'll Take You Home Again L'Escargot When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" I do hope Grey that you will put up the full lyric, a verse for every Grand National jump!
 
April 7

On this day in 1979 Steve Cauthen rode for the first time in UK at Salisbury, winning on Marquee Universal his first ride. Tap On Wood finished 4th in 2000 Gns trial.

In 1990 Mr Frisk wins the fastest Grand National ever on a track modified after the 1989 race. Chris Grant runner up again on Durham Edition.
 
April 8

On this day in 1897 The Lady Dudley Cup was run for the first time.
The most prestigious Point to Point race run in Britain, it has a book written about it.
Not too many p2ps can say that.

On this day in 1967 Foinavon won Grand National at 100/1.
The famous melee at fence 23 caused by loose horse Popham Downs led to chaos that followed. Luckily commentator ML O Hehir spotted the change in Foinavon's racing colours pre race as jockeys emerged from weigh room and so was able to identify him.

On this day in 1991 Willie Shoemaker was paralysed following a car crash in California.
The winningmost jockey of his era, it was sad to see him wheel chair bound at Breeders Cup 97 having seen him at his full powers at The Curragh Derby Day 1979 riding 3 winners and finishing 3rd on 66/1 shot Bohemian Grove in Irish Derby.
I got his autograph that day wherever I put it.
 
April 9

On this day in 1988 Brendan Powell and Rhyme `N' Reason performed wonders to survive a blunder at Becher's and win the National.
 
The first horse to win Irish GN/ GN double was he not?

On this day in 1983 Corbiere won GN from Greasepaint and Yer Man to be the first GN winner trained by a woman, Jenny Pitman.

April 9 1985 John Francome retired from race riding after a fall from The Reject,who proceeded to kick JF in the backside after the fall!

April 9 1990 24yr old flat jockey David Parnell was killed in a car crash.
Son of R F ( Buster) Parnell he was stable jockey to Kevin Prendergast at the time having been second jockey to D K Weld previously. A hige loss to racing at the time. RIP.
 
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