The 2023 Randox Grand National: facts, figures and replays

Watch the past 14 renewals of the Randox Grand National in our guide to the big race at Aintree on April 15.

When and where can I watch it?: 5:15pm, Saturday April 15, live in HD on Racing TV, Sky Channel 424

What Grade?: Grade Three (Handicap)

Where?: Aintree racecourse

What Distance?: 4m 2½f

How Many Fences?: 30

How much Prize Money?: £1 million (£500,000 to the winner; the second to receive £200,000, the third £100,000, the fourth £65,000, the fifth £40,000, the sixth £30,000, the seventh £20,000, the eighth £15,000, the ninth £10,000 and the tenth £5,000)

Age restrictions and race conditions: for seven-year-olds which, prior to March 28, have started in a steeple chase during the current season, and have been placed first, second, third or fourth in a steeple chase with an official distance description of 'two miles seven and a half furlongs' or more, at any time during the horse's career. Horses must be also allotted a rating of 125 or more by the BHA Handicapper. To qualify, horses must have run at least six times in steeplechases.

The Canal Turn is one of Aintree's famous landmarks (PA)

Modifications: In recent years the Grand National fences have been modified and race shortened, from 4m 4f. The handicapper has also tended to compress the weights - helping the highest-rated contenders. Prize-money has also increased. Many of the longstanding trends/statistics are no longer credible.

Runners: There is a maximum field size of 40 due to safety restrictions. The most runners came in 1929, when 66 went to post. In 1883, only 10 runners contested the race - the lowest on record.

The going: The going has either been "Good" or "Good to Soft" in 18 of the past 20 runnings. The exceptions were "Soft" (2016) and "Heavy" two years later. Watering nowadays prevents firm ground.

Female jockeys: Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win in 2021 aboard Minella Times. The best placing by a female jockey before her had been Katie Walsh, when third on Seabass in 2012.

Biggest shocks: There have been five 100-1 winners: Mon Mome (2009), Foinavon (1967), Caughoo (1947), Gregalach (1929) and Tipperrary Tim (1928).

Greys: Three different greys have won the National four times – The Lamb (1868 and 1871), Nicolaus Silver (1961) and Neptune Collonges (2012). Coko Beach, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Vanillier and Eva's Oskar are greys entered on Saturday.

Mares: Thirteen have won, but none since Nickel Coin in 1951. Darrens Hope is th eonly mare left in Saturday's renewal, but isn't sure to make the cut.

Reserves: A system of four reserves began in 2000, with 13 taking part (none won). The system has now been scrapped. Read why.

Oldest winning jockey: The oldest jockey to have won is amateur Dick saunders, 48, on Grittar in 1982.

Youngest winning jockey: Bruce Hobbs was 17 when winning on battleship in 1938. He had also ridden in the 1937 renewal.

Leading owners: The colours of the late Trevor Hemmings, who died in October 2021, and Gigginstown House Stud could be carried to a record fourth win this year.

Most rides: Richard Johnson rode in the National a record 21 times. He was twice runner-up. The previous record holder was AP McCoy, who rode in 20.

Most common winning age: Nine-year-olds have won 46 of the 174 renewals, where the winner’s age was recorded. Winning ages in the past 32 runnings: seven-year-olds – one. Eight-year-olds (6). Nine-year-olds (8). Ten-year-olds (7). Eleven-year-olds (7). Twelve-year-olds (3). Thirteen or older – none. The oldest recorded winner of the Grand National was Peter Simple (1853) when he a 15-year-old. Five-year-olds won five times between 1865 and 1909 but never since. Since 2012, only seven-year-olds and upwards can take part.

Shortest-priced favourite: Golden Miller went off 2-1 in 1935, having won the previous year. He unseated his jockey at the eleventh fence. The shortest-priced winner has been Poethlyn (1919) at 11-4.

Smallest numbers of finishers: Two in 1928, when Tipperary Tim beat the remounted Billy Barton. Easter Hero impeded runners when falling at the Canal Turn. More recently, only four finished in 2001 after the loose Paddy’s took out many runners at the Canal Turn. Blowing Wind and Papillon, who exited at the 19th, were remounted. The remounting of horses was banned by the BHA in 2009.

Fastest time: Mr Frisk won in 8min 47.8sec in 1990 when the race was over 4m 4f. These days it is over 2f shorter.

First-Time Success: Six jockeys this century won the race on their first attempt. They were: Derek Fox (One For Arthur - 2017), David Mullins (Rule The World - 2016), Ryan Mania (Auroras Encore - 2013), Liam Treadwell (Mon Mome -2009), Niall Madden (Numbersixvalverde – 2006) and Ruby Walsh (Papillon – 2000).

Winners trained by women: Four women have trained the winner: Jenny Pitman, Venetia Williams, Sue Smith and Lucinda Russell.

Weights carried by the last 22 winners: 10st 2lb-10st 7lb (6) 10st 8lb 10st1 3lb (9)-11st-11st 5lb (4) 11st 6lb-11st 10lb (2).

Most runners in a race: Three-time winning Grand National trainer Gordon Elliott saddled 11 of the 40 runners in 2019. His Tiger Roll took the spoils.

Big-Priced Winners: There have been three winning favourites (joint) in the past 14 years with Comply Or Die (7-1 joint favourite) in 2008; Don't Push It (10-1 joint-favourite) in 2010 and Tiger Roll last year (4-1 fav). In the meantime, there have been winners at 100-1, 66-1, twice at 33-1, twice at 25-1 and twice at 14-1.

Weight: Of the past 24 winners, eight have won the Grand National carrying 11st or more. Horses weighted in this manner have won six of the last 14 renewals.

He provided connections with a true fairytale when giving Sam Waley-Cohen, son of owner Robert, a famous victory on what was his last ever ride as an amateur jockey.

Waley-Cohen, 39, said: “It’s a dream. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve got to say thank you, as it’s my last ever ride, to my dad (Robert Waley-Cohen, owner), for unwavering belief and love. Over 23 years and never a cross word, never been anything but a dream. It’s been a love affair.

"To my wife, long-suffering, they aren’t all good days, there are bad days in this sport. “It’s a fairytale, a fantasy. There’s a lot of love and gratefulness. It’s getting on the right horses and getting the luck. You couldn’t make it up, could you?”

His SP of 50-1 hardly looked generous as he had just one chasing victory under his belt and a ninth-placed run in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival as his most recent piece of form. Oh, and the last seven-year-old to have won had been in 1940.

“At the weights launch [in February] he was about 16-1 or 20-1," trainer Emmet Mullins said. "I suppose his run at Cheltenham in the Ultima was a bit disappointing but it was a big, competitive field and he was in among the hustle and bustle of it.

“Sam came away from it happy, I was too and that’s when we decided that cheekpieces would be the little bit extra to get out of him.”

He added: “I didn’t know about the stat about seven-year-olds, I was unaware of it so I wasn’t concerned about it. There was never any reason to worry. He gallops and he jumps, what more do you want?”

Rachael Blackmore became the first woman to ride the winner of the most famous race in the world aboard the Henry de Bromhead-trained eight-year-old.

Jockey and trainer had combined for an incredible Cheltenham Festival the previous month (Blackmore won six races, including the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup) but this was something else.

The one sadness was that there was barely anybody there to watch because of the Covid pandemic.

When Minella Times was retired this year, Blackmore said: “I think that day did change my life. I didn’t realise the scope of the Grand National or the reach that the race has until afterwards, it really does hit different parts of the world that other races perhaps don’t.

“Outside the racing bubble, it hits a lot of people and when you’re walking in today and you’re seeing replays of all the old races playing in the background, it’s just an incredible race and it’s a privilege to be a part of its history now.

“He’s such a special horse for me and he gave me the best day in racing that I’ve had – and there’s a lot of hot competition for that! It was such an incredible day and you just have so much gratitude for the horse when they give you something like he did. It was an incredible day and to be able to do it in the colours of JP McManus and for Henry just made it even more special."

Reflecting on the race itself she said: “He was just such a fabulous jumper. He jumped so well from fence to fence. Obviously we got a lot of luck in the race and got a beautiful passage throughout, so luck was definitely on our side and you need that in a Grand National.

“He’s just such an intelligent horse and it was such an enjoyable race to ride in, aside from going over the line which took it to a whole different stratosphere.

“Actually riding in the race was electric and jockeys always say that just getting around in the National gives you a bit of a kick and it’s true, there’s something different about it. I already had that buzz from him, it’s an incredible feeling to get round, so to actually win the race was incredible.”

De Bromhead said: “He absolutely loved it at Aintree. He’d had a really good season coming up to it, having been placed in a couple of really competitive handicap chases and the McManuses were keen to go for the race. It was an amazing day and one of our best.

“Winning any of those big races is incredible, but the National was an amazing day in its own right and the fact that Rachael was the first woman to win the race made it even better. We were bang in the middle of Covid lockdown when we won, unfortunately, but the media attention was still massive.”

2020 - no race because of the global coronavirus pandemic

Tiger Roll was again dwarfed by many of his 39 rivals in the paddock and in the heat of battle, but the horse who measures 15.2 hands provided living proof that good things can come in small packages by becoming the first back-to-back National winner for 45 years.

Good things? Scratch that. Great things, which is the least he merits.

The little rat of the thing, as owner Michael O’Leary again referred to him as in the post-race press conference, was magnificent under Davy Russell in becoming the first dual winner since Red Rum.

He glided through the race and stumbled on a couple of occasions, but Davy Russell always had plenty of horse under him and the combination won by almost three lengths from Magic Of Light, with the 1lb "well-in" Rathvinden third.

The first three home were all Irish-trained, with Walk In The Mill, the Becher winner, best of the home team in fourth.

Winning trainer Gordon Elliott said: “Hopefully he will get the recognition he deserves and will go down as one of the greats. Michael has [O'Leary] got two statues in his house of War Of Attrition and Don Cossack, and hopefully he will get one.

“He wears his heart on his sleeve and takes a chance at everything in life. Everyone who knows me knows that I just get on with things and do them. As I’ve said, I would have been happy for any of them (his 11 runners) to win, but for Tiger it was a bit special.

“When you talk about legends, Tiger Roll has won at four Cheltenham Festivals and two Grand Nationals and that is a legend to me.”

Tiger Roll went on to win at Cheltenham for a fifth time but he never ran in another National.

Tiger Roll and Davy Russell held on to claim a dramatic victory.

Gordon Elliott's eight-year-old had landed his third Cheltenham Festival success in the Cross-Country Chase the previous month, to go with previous victories in the Triumph Hurdle and National Hunt Chase, and was among the market principals.

Russell cut a confident figure throughout on the 10-1 shot and cruised to the front in the home straight.

But just when he looked to have victory sewn up, the Willie Mullins-trained Pleasant Company, who had been ridden prominently and jumped boldly, came with a late rattle to almost join him on the line.

After a brief wait the judge confirmed Tiger Roll the narrow winner. Bless The Wings, the winner's stablemate was third, and Anibale Fly was fourth, as Irish runners dominated.

2017 - One For Arthur:

Lucinda Russell became the fourth female trainer to win the Grand National with One For Arthur, who stayed on powerfully under Derek Fox to win by 4½ lengths.

During the early stages of the race he was quite a way back in the field but he began to make progress on the final circuit and travelled really well into contention. He jumped the last narrowly in front and forged clear for a memorable success for his owners the "Two Golf Widows".

He beat into second Cause Of Causes, who had registered success in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival a month earlier. Blaklion was sent off the 8-1 favourite but could manage only fourth.

The win gave Derek Fox a victory in the race on his first attempt. He said: "I rode him for luck. I was very happy with the way he was travelling from the Canal Turn. I probably ended up in front sooner than I wanted. It is a long run-in and the roar of the crowd is a distraction so I kept him up to his work."

2016 - Rule The World:

The Last Samuri and the 2015 winner Many Cloud's were sent off the 8-1 joint favourites but it was a 25th winner for Ireland in the Grand National as Rule The World (33-1) took the honours for Mouse Morris.

He put in a superb round of jumping barring a mistake at the fourth last and he came with a storming run to win by six lengths.

In the process he became the first horse to win the Grand National having never previously been successful over fences since Voluptuary in 1884.

His trainer Mouse Morris said of the victory "He had two fractured pelvis' and I thought before that he was the best I'd ever had - he probably was. You have to wonder how good he'd have been with a proper arse on him. He's a class horse"

His young rider David Mullins, 19 at the time, was winning the race at his first attempt and also became the youngest rider to win the Grand National since Bruce Hobbs in 1938 aboard Battleship.

2015 - Many Clouds:

Many Clouds (25-1) became the first Hennessy Gold Cup winner to take the Grand National and carried the welter weight of 11st 9lb.

This was the highest winning weight since Red Rum was successful under 12st in 1974.

It also provided jockey Leighton Aspell with back-to-back victories in the race and he became the first to do so on different horses since Bryan Marshall in 1953 and 1954.

The victory ensured Owner Trevor Hemmings joined a select group of people to have owned three Grand National winners.

Trainer Oliver Sherwood could not hide his delight at the victory "He was foot perfect. I don't think he made a mistake. I thought it was a year too soon, and it was Trevor's decision.

“Many Clouds has been unbelievable all season. Confidence is important to him, but to this day I don't know what happened to him in the Gold Cup. Something wasn't right, but it happens to us all."

2014 - Pineau De Re:

Pineau De Re was a first runner in the race for Dr Richard Newland, the trainer and qualified doctor, and scored by five lengths under Leighton Aspell at 25-1.

The winner had been campaigned over hurdles for the majority of the season in order to protect what his trainer clearly thought was a good mark and the plan came together in spectacular fashion.

On the training performance, Newland said "Two out or three out we were getting excited. I was jumping up and down with my daughter. Leighton had a plan and delivered it superbly well. When something like this happens you think perhaps I should stop now because it just can't get better than this.

“He's a classy, classy horse, I've always thought that. He has the combination of stamina and a touch of speed and it was just a wonderful performance even though he made a few errors."

This was the first year that the Grand National boasted a prize fund of £1million.

2013 - Auroras Encore:

A shock winner of the race as unconsidered 66-1 chance Auroras Encore prevailed in the hands of Ryan Mania, who in turn became the first Scottish rider to win the race in 117 years.

It was a confident effort from the rider who was winning the race at the first attempt.

Auroras Encore travelled supremely well in behind the leaders and when asked to go and win his race at the last he galloped clear.

His delighted jockey said "Everything went right. Very rarely does a race work out to plan but he jumped very well, took the fences great. Crossing the Melling Road I thought we would be in the first three or four. I couldn't believe the way the front two stopped in front of me at the last."

Auroras Encore became the first winner to be trained in Yorkshire since Merryman II won the race in 1960.

His trainer Sue Smith became the third winning female trainer of the Grand National and said: "I would have been happy to be in the first four or five.

“The horse ran a fantastic race, Ryan gave him a fantastic ride and always had the horse where he wanted to be. Because he ran so well in the Scottish National we knew he would get the trip."

Neptune Collonges (33-1) prevailed after one of most thrilling renewals of the great race - only a nose separated him and Sunnyhillboy (16-1) in a pulsating finish.

The winner was behind early but gradually warmed to the task and got himself into contention on the second circuit and galloped resolutely to the line to lead on the post.

The grey was the first of his shade to win the race since Nicolaus Silver in 1961 and was retired immediately after by his owner John Hales.

Leading amateur rider Katie Walsh, whose mount Seabass finished third, became the highest-placed female rider in Grand National history.

The start of the race was overshadowed by two false starts and tainted by fatal injuries to Synchronised, the Gold Cup winner, and According To Pete. As a consequence, more modifications to the race followed, including the race distance and fences.

2011 - Ballabriggs:

The 2011 renewal was run in unseasonal warm conditions and due to limited watering capabilities they completed in a very fast time.

There was also a landmark moment as this was the first time in the Grand National that fences were omitted as the 20th and 22nd, which was due to be Becher's Brook on the second circuit.

Ballabriggs (14-1) led at the water jump and kept on for a landmark success.

Trainer Donald McCain was following in the footsteps of his father, Ginger, in saddling the winner of the race.

Ginger died five months later two days short of his 81st birthday.

Jockey Jason Maguire said: "After the last I felt like something was coming up behind me and my horse was going a bit low but McCain horses never know when to lie down and he gave everything. But he was very tired after the line."

2010 - Don't Push It:

A first Grand National victory for A P McCoy in the colours of his retaining owner J P McManus for trainer Jonjo O'Neill.

The race could not have gone better for McCoy aboard Don't Push It, who travelled supremely well and had an ideal passage the entire way round.

Having moved into second position at the second last he stayed on well and landing in front over the last to forge clear at the elbow.

McCoy was winning this on his 15th attempt and in doing so he landed a significant gamble with Don't Push It being bet from 20-1 into 10-1 joint favourite in the minutes leading up to the race.

The serial champion jockey said: "If you get enough goes at something and you keep going, once you're in there you've always got a chance. I'm delighted for JP [McManus, owner] as he's the best supporter this game has ever had and ever will have, and I'm very privileged to ride a Grand National winner in his colours."

This triumph led to him being crowned BBC Sports Personality Of The Year.

2009 - Mon Mome:

A monumental upset as Mon Mome became the fifth 100-1 winner - and the longest-priced winner since Foinavon in 1967.

He had finished 10th the previous year and, famously, Aidan Coleman rejected him to ride a better-fancied stablemate. His loss was Liam Treadwell’s gain.

Treadwell and Mon Mome scraped paint on the inside rail and gradually got close before jumping upsides at the last and being driven to the line. Treadwell was having his first ride in the race.

Trainer Venetia Williams was becoming the second female to train a winner of the race, having previously fallen in the race as a jockey on her only ride in it in 1988.

"How can you ever expect that in a race like this?”she said afterwards. “It was just unbelievable, the owner was watching the wrong horse for the first part of the race and she thought it was out the back.

“I'm so proud of the horse, I'm so proud of the jockey for giving him such a good ride. I'm so proud of everyone in the yard - I never get a chance to praise them and give them the credit they deserve."

2008 - Comply Or Die:

A memorable renewal for David Pipe, who emulated his father, Martin, in training the winner.

Comply Or Die was sent off the 7-1 joint favourite and became the first blinkered winner since Earth Summit in 1998 and only the second since L'Escargot in 1975.

He travelled and jumped supremely well and as the others fell away one by one Comply Or Die was still on the bridle coming to the last.

Timmy Murphy reached the elbow with a three-length advantage on him and he stayed on powerfully for a convincing victory.

A jubilant Murphy said "I'm delighted for David Pipe and my boss David Johnson, it's a race he's always wanted to win.

“You only have to think of the people who have not even got round, never mind those that have won. He did come up a bit at the first but he settled down after that.

“He came out of my hands at the last and when I got to the elbow I thought I would let him go. He picked up really well and went away."