Biggest Priced Grand National Winners

Ahead of this weekend’s Grand National at Aintree, we’re taking a look at the biggest priced winners of horse racing’s biggest prize with five 100/1 winners in history.

The Grand National, held every year at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, is a National Hunt race over an official distance of 4 miles and 2.5 furlongs with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps.

With a prize fund of £1 million, the Grand National is the most valuable jump race in Europe and first took place in 1839. The handicap steeplechase is scheduled to begin at 5:15pm this Saturday, April 15.

Mon Mome (100/1) – 2009

Mon Mome won the 2009 Grand National, ridden by Liam Treadwell and trained by Venetia Williams. He won by 12-lengths at odds of 100/1 and participated in the race on three occasions.

He finished tenth in 2008 and parted company with jockey Aidan Coleman in 2010 at the 26th fence, and also finished third in the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Many were surprised by his starting price after going off as favourite in the Welsh Grand National just four months earlier, finishing eighth.

Biggest Priced Grand National Winners | Five 100/1 Winners At Aintree — Mon Mome, 2009

Foinavon (100/1) – 1967

Irish racehorse Foinavon won the Grand National in 1967 at 100/1 odds after the rest of the field fell, refused or were hampered or brought down in a melee at the 23rd fence – which was officially named after Foinavon in 1984.

John Buckingham, who had never ridden in the Grand National before, was named jockey just three days before the race. Foinavon’s trainer John Kempton had planned to ride the horse but couldn’t make the weight.

Neither Kempton nor owner Cyril Watkins were in attendance at Aintree that day as Kempton had gone to Worcester to ride another one of his horses.

Foinavon defended his title a year later in 1968 but was brought down at the 16th fence.

Caughoo (100/1) – 1947

Eight-year-old Caughoo won the 1947 Grand National at 100/1 odds, ridden by Eddie Dempsey and trained by Herbert McDowell for owner John McDowell who had bought the horse for £50.

57 horses ran in the race – the largest field since 1929 when 66 participated, and all returned safely to the stables.

The win was not without controversy however, as Daniel McCann, jockey on runner-up Lough Conn accused Eddie Dempsey of cheating by taking a shortcut in the fog. Blows were exchanged between the pair post-race before it was settled in court.

Gregalach (100/1) – 1929

Gregalach won in 1929 by beating Easter Hero over six lengths in the biggest field ever seen at the Grand National with 66 runners.

Ridden by jockey Robert Everett and trained by Tom Leader for owner Margaret Gemmell, Gregalach’s triumph marked the second straight year where a horse with 100/1 odds won (see Tipperary Tim in 1928 below).

The aftermath drew much criticism from the media due to the sheer volume of entries and some claimed that the conditions of the race encouraged poor horses to be entered and that the framing of the weights was unfair.

Aintree responded by increasing the minimum entry age from five to six years in 1930, but no changes were made to the handicap until 1960.

Tipperary Tim (100/1) – 1928

Tipperary Tim won the Grand National in 1928 as a 100/1 outsider, which was run in foggy conditions and very heavy going. A pile-up occurred at the Canal Turn jump which reduced the field to just seven horses.

Other falls and incidents left Tipperary Tim and 33/1 shot Billy Barton as the only runners heading towards the last fence, which Billy Barton struck and fell.

The race led to controversy amongst the media who claimed a Grand National should not be won merely by avoiding accident. The ditch at Canal Turn was removed the following year in 1929.

Amateur jockey Bill Dutton, a solicitor from Chester, left the profession to pursue horse-riding and his wildest dreams came true. He later recalled that a friend told him before the race: “you’ll only win if all the others fall”.

Biggest Priced Grand National Winners | Five 100/1 Winners At Aintree

Joe Lyons