2001 Grand National

The 2001 Grand National was a horse race that is considered one of the most famous runs of the renowned steeplechase. Red Marauder was the victor, ridden by Richard Guest.

Background

The 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease had led to the Cheltenham Festival being abandoned less than a month before the Grand National meeting. However, the meeting got the go-ahead from racing officials. On the day, the weather was atrocious, with high winds and a very muddy track. Nonetheless, the race went ahead.

The race

The heavy conditions contributed greatly to the horses that fell during the race; eight had already fallen by the third fence. One of the horses that fell in the opening stages, Paddy's Return, carried on as a loose horse and caused great pandemonium at the Canal Turn corner where he brought down seven horses. Nine horses were lost at the turn overall, these included Moral Support, one of the favourites, and future winner Amberleigh House.

The Chair, the large standside jump, claimed four horses including the race favourite Edmond. As the field left for the second circuit, only eight horses remained.

The leader of the race and top weight, Beau, unseated jockey Carl Llewelyn at the twentieth fence. This left only two horses, Red Marauder and Smarty. Two fences back, Tony McCoy remounted Blowing Wind and Ruby Walsh remounted 2000's winner Papillon, after they had both fallen at the nineteenth. McCoy later said, "I looked up at the big screen and saw there were only two horses still racing. I shouted to Ruby (Walsh), 'come on, lets get back up'". Blowing Wind and Papillon both continued the course to take third and fourth place respectively.

Going into the last few fences Smarty had a lead over Red Marauder. However by the second last, Guest on Red Marauder had drawn level with Smarty, and by the end won by a distance. A mud-covered Guest celebrated crossing the finish line in one of the slowest National winning times ever. It was the first time in over twenty years that just four horses finished.

Controversy

There were numerous reports in the press that the race should never have been run due to the horrendous conditions. Respected Racing Post journalist and lead presenter of Channel 4 Racing Alastair Down wrote "You can wash the mud off the jockeys' silks, but not the stain off the race", under the front page Racing Post headline 'Gutless, Witless and Utterly Reckless'.

However, the majority of racing leapt to its defence, as it was loose horses that caused most of the trouble. Despite 33 out of the 40 horses either falling or being brought down, all of the horses and jockeys were fine afterwards and no injuries were sustained.

Result

# Red Marauder- 33/1
# Smarty- 16/1
# Blowing Wind- 16/1
# Papillon- 14/1

All 40 ran.

References

*From BBC Sport- "all links last accessed 23 March 2007"
** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/grand_national/1265906.stm Race review]
** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/grand_national/1265852.stm See where the horses fell]
** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/grand_national/1260364.stm 2001 Grand National odds]
*Reference to Racing Post report [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72945176.html]