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Tiger Roll

admin March 24, 2026

Owned by Gigginstown House Stud, under the auspices of Michael O’Leary, and trained by Gordon Elliot, Tiger Roll, who won back-to-back renewals of the Grand National in 2018 and 2019, had the distinction of being the first horse to do so since the legendary Red Rum in 1974. On the first occasion, off a handicap mark of 150 and carrying 10st 13lb, he was driven six lengths clear by jockey Davy Russell, but was ultimately all out to hold the rallying Pleasant Company by an ever-diminishing head. On the second, off a revised handicap mark of 159 and saddled with 11 st 5lb, he recovered from stumbles at the fifth- and fourth-last fences to justify favouritism with something in hand, passing the post two-and-threequarter lengths of his nearest pursuer, Magic Of Light.

Indeed, of the latter performance, British Horseracing Authority (BHA) handicapper Martin Greenwood said, “I have never seen a horse in my memory travel so strongly in the Grand National. He [Tiger Roll] was still on the bridle at the last fence.” However, Tiger Roll would be denied the opportunity of an unprecedented hat-trick in the Grand National because, in 2020, the race was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and, in 2021, O’Leary took exception to his revised handicap mark. O’Leary said that a 7lb rise in the weights compared with 2019 was “patently unfair” and “injustified”, later adding that Greenwood had an “idiotic opinion”, and Tiger Roll never ran in the Grand National again.

Tiger Roll was officially retired from racing on March 16, 2022, having tried, and narrowly failed, to win the Glenfarclas Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for the fourth time, having previously been victorious in 2018, 2019 and 2021. He retired with an enviable record, having won 13 of his 43 races over hurdles and fences, including the Triumph Hurdle and the National Hunt Chase at the Cheletnham Festival. Elliott said, “Tiger has been the horse of a lifetime and he’ll have a brilliant retirement now with Gigginstown and Michael. He’s been with us nine years and he’ll be impossible to replace”.

Corach Rambler

admin March 24, 2026

Having won the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for the second year running, Corach Rambler was able to line up for the 2023 Grand National off an unchanged handicapped and, as arguably the best-handicapped horse in the field, was sent off 8/1 favourite. The market support proved justified because, having lead over the final fence, the nine-year-old soon went clear and, although idling in the closing stages, passed the post two-and-a-quarter lengths of his nearest pursuer, Vanillier.

In so doing, Corach Rambler became a second Grand National winner for both his jockey, Derek Fox – who rode him in all 18 races under National Hunt Rules – and his trainer, Lucinda Russell, after One For Arthur in 2017. Not for the first time in his career, Fox had made a swift return from injury to ride in the National, having damaged his collarbone in a fall from Rowdy Rustler in a handicap chase at Wetherby just a week beforehand and passed a fitness test on the morning of the race.

Following a creditable third, behind Galopin Des Champs, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Corach Rambler lined up, off a handicap mark 13lb higher than the previous year, for the 2024 Grand National. He was again well-fancied, but stumbled and unseated rider at the first fence, before being knocked over, when running loose, at the second. He ran just once more, in the Grade 1 Punchestown Gold Cup two weeks later, but was never going well or jumping with fluency and was tailed off when pulled up before two out. He was retired, as a 10-year-old shortly afterwards, with Russell saying, “. Corach Rambler will always be a special horse for us, we owe him so much.”

A winner of one of his five point-to-point starts, Corach Rambler also won two of his three starts over hurdles, but it was as a steeplechaser, over regulation fences, that he made his name. After two wins in novices’ limited handicap chases, he was sent off favourite for the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot in February 2022, but unseated Fox five fences from home, when making headway. On his next start, he won the Ultima Handicap Chase for the first time and went on to finish his steeplechasing career with a 5-15 record.

Neptune Collonges

admin March 11, 2026

Owned by John Hales and trained by Paul Nicholls, Neptune Collonges ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup four times, in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. On all four occasions, he finished behind one or other, or both, of his more illustrious stable companions, Kauto Star and Denman. However, on April 14, 2012, as an 11-year-old, he enjoyed his day in the sun when winning the Grand National.

By that stage, Neptune Collonges was racing off his lowest handicap mark since winning the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle as a five-year-old, but despite failing by just a neck to win the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park on his most recent outing, was nonetheless sent off at 33/1 in the Grand National proper. Ridden by Daryl Jacob, he made headway from mid-division early on the second circuit and was one of a leading group of eight turning for home. Only third passing the Elbow, halfway up the run-in, he passed the weakening Seabass inside the final 100 yards and bore down on the leader, Sunnyhillboy, getting up in the final stride to win by a nose. Third-placed Seabass, ridden by Katie Walsh, became, at the time, the highest-placed finisher to be ridden by a female jockey in the history of the Grand National.

Neptune Collonges became just the third grey to win the Grand National, after The Lamb (1868, 1871) and Nicolaus Silver (1961) and still has the distinction of being the narrowest-margin winner of the world-famous steeplechase. Nicholls later said of him, “…and what a story that was, winning the National as an 11-year-old, having made a winning debut over hurdles for us as a four-year-old at Chepstow in November 2005.” All told, Neptune Collonges won 16 of his 36 races under Rules, including 12 of his 28 steeplechases, and amassed £1.3 million in prize money. Prior to winning the National, his highest-profile victories had come in back-to-back renewals of the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup in 2007 and 2008.

Neptune Collonges was immediately retired by Hales, who said, “He’ll never race again, that’s it.” He was transferred to Hales’ stable in Shifnal, Shropshire and when Hales died in January 2025, aged 85, led his funeral procession.

Red Marauder

admin March 11, 2026

On April 7, 2001, Red Marauder won arguably the most attritional renewal in the history of the Grand National. With the going at Aintree turned heavy, verging on unraceable, after torrential rain, 40 horses went to post, but just two completed the course without mishap. A further two were eventually remounted to complete the course in their own time, such that there were officially four finishers, separated by a distance, a distance and a distance. The winning time, 11 minutes and 0.1 seconds, was the slowest since Zoedone beat the smallest Grand National field in history, in 11 minutes and 39.0 seconds, back in 1883.

A total of 33 horses departed the race on the first circuit, including eight at once at the Canal Turn, as the result of a pile-up caused by the riderless Paddy’s Return. Of the seven that remained heading out into the country for the second time, Blowing Wind unseated rider at the first open ditch, where Papillon and Brave Highlander refused and Unsinkable Boxer was pulled up. Carl Llewellyn, the jockey on the leader, Beau, had been struggling with both reins on one side since a blunder at the first fence on the second circuit and was duly unseated at the next fence.

Thus, the two remaining horses, Red Marauder, trained by Norman Mason and ridden by Richard Guest, and Smarty, trained by Mark Pitman and ridden by Timmy Murphy, had the race to themselves over the final 10 fences. Red Marauder led until four from home, where he blundered, but regained the lead two out and ploughed through what journalist Alastair Down described as a “muddy morass” much better than his exhausted rival, who was virtually pulled up on the run-in.

Aware of the situation, Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh remounted Blowing Wind and Papillon to finish a distant third and fourth, respectively. McCoy said later, “You know there’s 55 grand for the owner who comes third. I’d kind of be failing in my job if I didn’t try and get that money for them.”

Reflecting on his victory on the 33/1 chance, Guest said, “”I’ve never run in worse conditions. I was in two minds whether we should be out there. He [Red Marauder] nearly went down five times.”

Minella Times

admin March 11, 2026

Owned by John McManus and trained by Henry de Bromhead, Minella Times was retired, as a 10-year-old, in February 2023, having suffered a setback in his preparation for his third attempt in the Grand National on April 15. However, by that stage, he had already etched his name into the annals of Aintree history by becoming the first Grand National winner to be ridden by a female jockey, namely Rachel Blackmore.

Two years previously, on April 10, 2021, he was sent off at 11/1 fourth-favourite to make history under Blackmore and did so in taking style, making steady headway early on the second circuit, taking the lead turning for home and staying on well on the run-in to beat stable companion Balko Des Flos by six-and-a-half lengths. Reflecting on the latest of a string of historic achievements, the pioneering jockey said, “You need so much to go right and things went right for me today. I feel so incredibly lucky. It is unbelievable, I’m just so thrilled.”

After failing to complete the course on his first two starts of 2021/22, Minella Times returned to Aintree for the 2022 Grand National. Ridden once again by Blackmore, he was sent off at 9/1 third favourite, despite racing off a 15lb higher mark than in 2020, but was brought down at Valentine’s Brook on the first circuit. Eight days after the National, he finished a remote third to Melon in a conditions chase at Cork but on, his return to action in 2022/23, was pulled up, at long odds, over hurdles at Punchestown and in a cross country chase at Cheltenham.

After five non-completions in the final six starts of his career, Minella Times’ retirement was arguably a blessing in disguise. Either way, McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry confirmed the emergence of a shoulder problem, which effectively forced connections to call time on his career. De Bromhead said, “We were hoping to have another crack at the Grand National with Minella Times, but unfortunately he’s suffered a setback, so he’s going to miss the race and we’ve decided to give him a well-earned retirement.