Wednesday 6 August 2008

Grand National Legends

The Grand National is a enormous British institution where each year the nation is trapped up in Grand National Betting as a once in a year opportunity to have a bet on a horse race where anything is possible. Each year a single story emerges that confines the imagination of the Public. The Grand National has lots of such stories throughout the years that touch the nation.

One of the most well-known of these stories was when Aldaniti won the Grand National in 1981. In 1979, Bob Champion, the jockey of Aldaniti, was informed he had cancer and only months to live, not only that but the horse also was almost retired because of leg trouble. In 1983, Jenny Pitman became the most popular women in the racing game by becoming the first women to train a winner of the Grand National with Corbiere. Jenny had a second victory in 1995 with Royal Athlete and also trained the winner of the void race in 1993.


The late Captain Tim Forster, who received an OBE in the 1999 New Year's Honours List, saddled three Grand National Winners. His first success came in 1972 with Well to Do. Forster, not renowned for his optimism declared to run with 15 minutes to spare as he was uncertain whether to risk the horse at Aintree.


The Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien successful with jump and flat horses had great success in the 1950s with three successive Winners of the Grand National - Early Mist (1953), Royal Tan (1954) and Quare Times (1955).

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