1959 - Oxo
The winner
OXO never won again. Injury prevented an attempt to defend his crown in 1959-60 and he raced just two times that season (including finishing unplaced in the King George VI Chase at Kempton). He returned to Aintree in the autumn of 1960 for his comeback race, the Becher Chase and despite a dreadful mistake at the first fence he ran well and was just beaten into third place in a close finish. The rest of his 1960-61 season however was disappointing despite a couple of placed efforts at Lingfield and Leicester. He lined up in the 1961 National but was never a factor and he was pulled up before second Bechers. Two weeks later he suffered a similar fate in the Scottish Grand National at Bogside. He raced just one more time, at Huntingdon in October 1961 when he pulled up in a small race. It was clear the old spark had gone and he was retired to the hunting field.
Leading Fancies
The 1958 hero, MR WHAT headed the market at 6-1 although he was without a win in four starts since his heroics the previous year. After a spin over hurdles in the autumn he had finished third and fourth in two of Irelands premier chases, the Thyestes and Leopardstown respectively. Next in the betting at 8-1 and making his Aintree debut was the Willie Stephenson trained OXO who was in good heart having won at Lingfield and Kempton this season. Another Aintree debutant SLIPPERY SERPENT was sent off at 9-1. Trained in Ireland he had won four consecutive races in the winter, three small races at Naas and then the Thyestes before he had fallen in the Leopardstown Chase. The evergreen WYNDBURGH started at 10-1, second in 1957 and a distant third in 1958 he had won a valuable chase at Warwick beating 1956 National hero ESB (who, this year was being aimed at the slightly easier option of the Topham Trophy) and he was expected to put up another solid performance. Another debutant DONE UP had won the Hurst Park National Trial although none of his seven rivals that day opposed him in the National. For many though, the class horse (or in this case mare) in the field was the 1957 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner KERSTIN. An attempt to repeat the feat this year ended in failure when, unsuited by the heavy going she unseated her rider. Without a win since her victory in an admittedly substandard Gold Cup she had only gone down by a short head to Taxidermist in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. Surprisingly friendless at 25-1 it was appeared that the heavy burden of twelve stone was putting potential supporters off as had been the case with the last Gold Cup winner to try the National, Mont Tremblant back in 1953.
GRAND NATIONAL HANDICAP CHASE (sponsored by Irish Hospital Sweepstakes) (55 entries) 4 1/2 miles, £13,646 to the winner, £1,648 to the second, £824 to the third & £412 to the fourth
1 3-2230U KERSTIN 9, 12-0 (C.Bewicke) S.Hayhurst
2 21-0234 MR WHAT 9, 11-9 (T J Taaffe - IRE) T.Taaffe
3 1-42121 DONE UP 9, 11-3 (H.Price) F T Winter
5 /03F02 JOHN JACQUES 10, 11-0 (N.Crump) J.Haine*
6 -004112 OXO 8, 10-12 (W.Stephenson) M.Scudamore
7 -240312 WYNDBURGH 9, 10-12 (J.Oliver) T.Brookshaw
8 31111F SLIPPERY SERPENT 8, 10-11 (T W Dreaper - IRE) P.Taaffe
9 4F0002 MAINSTOWN 9, 10-10 (Wight) M.Batchelor
10 34F304 CANNOBIE LEE 8, 10-10 (H.Nicholson) D.Nicholson
11 -131400 TIBERETTA 11, 10-9 (E.Courage) A.Oughton
12 130-002 MR GAY 12, 10-9 (P.Thrale) D.Ancil
13 F144F0 DONDROSA 7, 10-11* (A F Taylor) Mr C B Taylor
14 -P4220P GLORIOUS TWELFTH 10, 10-7 (R.Renton) G.Slack
15 P-424P0 GREEN DRILL 9, 10-6 (C.Bewicke) G.Milburn
17 040301 IRISH COFFEE 9, 10-5 (J A Hale - IRE) C.Finnegan
18 U-2F122 ETERNAL 8, 10-4 (F.Palmer) P.Major
19 3-03F30 VIGOR 11, 10-5* (R.Turnell) W.Rees
20 2F/3-002 PINTAIL 10, 10-4 (J.Bissill) B.Wilkinson
21 2P1241 OSCAR WILDE 9, 10-4 (W.Wightman) R E Jenkins
22 13-0F44 SURPRISE PACKET 10, 10-5* (R.Richards) G.Scott
23 -FF0P11 VALIANT SPARK 10, 10-3 (E.Champneys) J.Lehane
24 0-0111F SOLTOWN 7, 10-3 (T J Taaffe - IRE) W.Brennan*
26 00F044 KILBALLYOWN 12, 10-2 (P.Norris - IRE) E.McKenzie
27 F0-4F02 RICHARDSTOWN 11, 10-1 (R.Neville - IRE) F.Carroll
28 44UF40 STOP LIST 10, 10-1 (J.Bowness) T.Shone
29 3-41F11 TURMOIL 9, 10-1 (A S Kilpatrick) J.Hudson
30 1143B2 NIC ATKINS 8, 10-1 (P.Murphy - IRE) F.Shortt
31 110P02 SUN DAWN III 10, 10-0 (T.Hudson) J.Power
32 4-4P201 BELSIZE II 10, 10-0 (W G Boomer - IRE) Mr G.Rooney
33 014034 EAGLE LODGE 10, 10-0 (M.Feakes) J A Bullock
34 0U00-03 SOUTHERNTOWN 13, 10-0 (P.Doherty) P.Cowley
35 00400F ROYAL TOURNAMENT 9, 10-0 (W.Wightman) R.Morrow
36 -0P4204 THE CROFTER 11, 10-0 (W D Francis) S.Mellor
37 43B000 HENRY PURCELL 12, 10-0 (E C Smith) A C Keen
* H.East down to ride John Jacques in the racecard
* G W Robinson downto ride Soltown in the racecard
Non Runners : 4 TOP TWENTY (H.Beasley), 16 ARMORIAL III (T.Foran), 25 PIPPYKIN (R.Akehurst)
S P : 6-1 Mr What, 8-1 OXO, 9-1 Slippery Serpent, 10-1 Wyndburgh, 100-7 Done Up, 20-1 Nic Atkins, Tiberetta & Turmoil, 22-1 Green Drill, 25-1 Kerstin & Soltown, 28-1 Belsize II, Mr Gay & Oscar Wilde, 33-1 Glorious Twelfth, Irish Coffee, John Jacques & Killballyown, 40-1 Mainstown & Valiant Spark, 45-1 Cannobie Lee & Eagle Lodge, 50-1 Eternal, 66-1 Dondrosa, Richardstown, Stop List & Vigor, 100-1 Henry Purcell, Pintail, Royal Tournament, Southerntown, Sundawn III, Surprise Packet & The Crofter.
Aintree debutants
Belsize II, Dondrosa*, Done Up*, Eternal, Henry Purcell*, Kerstin*, Mainstown, Mr Gay*, Oscar Wilde, Oxo, Pintail*, Royal Tournament*, Slippery Serpent*, Soltown*, Sundawn III*, Vigor*
Winners at Aintree
John Jacques - Topham Trophy (1956)
Mr What - Grand National (1958)
Tiberetta - Becher Chase (1957), Grand Sefton Chase (1958)
Wyndburgh - Grand Sefton Chase (1957)
Result
1st OXO - M.Scudamore
2nd WYNDBURGH - T.Brookshaw
3rd MR WHAT - T.Taaffe
4th TIBERETTA - A.Oughton
Only four finished
Time : 9 minutes 37.4/5 seconds.
Distances : 1 1/2-8-20
Owned by J E Bigg.
Trained by Willie Stephenson in Royston
1960 - Merryman II
The winner
Merryman II proved he was an above average National winner (in my opinion after Jay Trump he was the best of the decade) the following season with victory in the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on his seasonal debut. He then ran another superb race at Aintree when partnered by Derek Ancil he survived a kick at the start from rival Jimuru and was looking all over the winner on the second circuit before he failed to repel one final challenge from Nicolaus Silver. Still, first and second in successive Nationals isn`t bad. In 1962 on heavy going that was not to his liking he was never looking happy under Dave Dick (three Nationals - three different riders) and toiled home a distant thirteenth. He was retired to the hunting field where he died suddenly in 1966.
Leading Fancies
Following the growing number of voices alleging that the race was "cruel" home secretary R.A.B Butler came to Aintree as a guest of Mrs Topham to inspect the fences for himself. He appeared relatively impressed. However, the meeting did not start well as far as horse welfare was concerned with two fatalities in the Topham Trophy (one of whom was the favourite Suirvale) and one in the Mildmay Chase the following day. There was a feeling however, that with a smaller than usual field of twenty six they would create less of a hazard. Certainly Aintree and the National was under the microscope as for the first time the BBC cameras had been allowed into Aintree to film the race, introducing the race to a whole new audience of once a year armchair racegoers. Favourite on the basis of his victory in the 1959 Foxhunters was MERRYMAN II although he was without a win all season and had fallen over the Mildmay fences in December. Next in the betting was Aintree perennial WYNDBURGH who had performed such heroics for Tim Brookshaw when finishing second for a second time in 1959, having lost both his irons. Ironically with Brookshaw injured it was Michael Scudamore, who had ridden the winner Oxo that day who took the ride. TEAM SPIRIT was the hope of Ireland with three victories to his credit this season including the Hurst Park Grand National Trial over four miles and the Mildmay Memorial at Sandown. The form horse in the field was Aintree debutant DANDY SCOT a winner of all four completed starts including the Coventry Chase at Kempton. There was also support for Grand Sefton third CANNOBIE LEE and BADANLOCH, a winner of small races at Haydock and Wolverhampton before he had finished ahead of MERRYMAN II at Manchester.
GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE (49 entries), £13,134 to the winner, £1,586 to the second, £793 to the third & £396 to the fourth
2 -020000 MR WHAT 10, 12-4 (D.Morgan - Ireland) - A.Freeman
4 0-22124 WYNDBURGH 10, 11-11 (J.Oliver) - M.Scudamore
5 1-111f1 DANDY SCOT 10, 11-7 (H R Price) - F.Winter
7 311003 HOLLY BANK 13, 10-12 (S.Brookshaw) - Mr P Brookshaw
8 13-3f03 MERRYMAN II 9, 10-12 (N.Crump) - G.Scott
9 123211 TEAM SPIRIT 8, 10-12 (D L Moore - Ireland) - G W Robinson
10 00404f IRISH COFFEE 10, 10-11 (McCartan Jnr - Ireland) - Mr W St G Burke*
11 -0112u2 BADANLOCH 9, 10-9 (G R Owen) - S.Mellor
12 -4bp200 CLANYON 12, 10-8 (Johns-Powell) - R E Jenkins
13 323334 CANNOBIE LEE 9, 10-7 (H.Nicholson) - D.Nicholson
14 23f140 KNOXTOWN 10, 10-5 (J.Brogan - ireland) - Mr E P Harty
15 ff0pbp SKIPPER JACK 8, 10-4 (B.Marshall) - D O'Donovan
16 -020314 PENDLE LADY 10, 10-4 (A.Watson) - M.Towers
17 440000 JONJO 10, 10-4* (J.Osborne - Ireland) - P.Taaffe
18 -003420 GREEN DRILL 10, 10-3 (C.Bewicke) - G.Milburn
19 fpf-u3f SABARIA 9, 10-3* (R.Turnell) - M.Roberts
20 303032 UNCLE WHISKERS 8, 10-1 (McCartan Jnr - Ireland) - C.Finnegan
22 420041 CLEAR PROFIT 10, 10-1 (R.Newton) - B.Wilkinson
23 f01414 CLOVER BUD 10, 10-1 (G.Llewellin) - T.Taaffe
24 120401 ARLES 8, 10-1 (H K Jones) - A.Moule*
25 /p2 SKATEALONG 12, 10-0 (H T Jones) - R.Harrison*
26 100404 EAGLE LODGE 11, 10-1* (M.Feakes) - W.Rees
28 f00004 BELSIZE II 11, 10-0 (W.Boomer - Ireland) - P.Shortt
29 f04ff0 LOTORAY 10, 10-6* (J.Edmunds) - M.Batchelor
30 4-200u1 TEA FIEND 11, 10-0 (G R Owen) - P G Madden
31 132f32 ALIFORM 8, 10-0 (F.Cundell) - T W Biddlecombe
Non Runners : 1 KERSTIN (S.Hayhurst), 3 POLAR FLIGHT (D V Dick)
6 DONDROSA (Mr C B Taylor), 21 GOLDEN DROP (-)
27 POLISHED STEEL (J.Fitzgerald)
* C.Finnegan down to ride Irish Coffee & Mr W St G Burke to ride Uncle Whiskers in the racecard
* J.Power down to ride Arles in the racecard
* G.Slack down to ride Skatealong in the racecard
SP : 13-2 MERRYMAN II, 8-1 Wynburgh, 9-1 Team Spirit, 10-1 Dandy Scot, 100-9 Cannobie Lee, 100-7 Badanloch, 18-1 mr What, 20-1 Clear Profit, Clover Bud, 33-1 Green Drill, Tea Fiend, 40-1 Pendle Lady, 45-1 Aliform, Arles, Eagle Lodge, Knoxtown, 50-1 Clanyon, Holly Bank, Jonjo, Uncle Whiskers, 66-1 Belsize II, Irish Coffee, Lotoray, Sabaria, Skatealong, Skipper Jack
Aintree debutants
Aliform* , Arles, Clear Profit, Clover Bud, Dandy Scot*, Holly Bank*, Irish Coffee, Jonjo, Knoxtown*, Lotoray*, Sabaria, Skatealong*, Skipper Jack*, Team Spirit
Winners at Aintree
EAGLE LODGE- 1959 Molyneux Chase
MERRYMAN II - 1959 Foxhunters
MR WHAT- 1958 Grand National
WYNBURGH - 1957 Grand Sefton
Result
1st MERRYMAN II - Gerry Scott
2nd BADENLOCH - Stan Mellor
3rd CLEAR PROFIT - B.Wilkinson
4th TEA FIEND - P G Madden
5th SABARIA - M.Roberts
6th GREEN DRILL - G.Milburn
7th ARLES - Mr A Moule
8th SKATEALONG - R R Harrison
Time: 9 minutes, 26 1/5 seconds. Distances : Fifteen lengths & twelve lengths
Owned by Mrs Winifred Wallace. Trained by Neville Crump at Middleham
1961 - Nicolaus Silver
The winner
NICOLAUS SILVER showed that he was an above average National winner when he became the first to add the Grand Sefton Chase in the same year. That autumn triumph proved to be his swansong. As a top of the ground specialist he was unlucky not to have conditions to his liking in the next two Nationals where he finished unplaced in both 1962 and 1963 (when equipped with blinkers). He last ran over hurdles in the autumn of 1963.
Leading Fancies
Unveiled this year were the new style "sloped" fences. Whilst there had been some minor modifications over the years, most notably some tinkerings with the landing side at Bechers these in comparison were major improvements. There were just two fallers in the Topham (where nine of the thirteen runners had completed the course) and the changes were warmly received. Incidentally Bechers had accounted for all but two of the fallers in both the Topham and Foxhunters. 1961 is also famous for the participation of two horses from the Soviet Union. Three horses Epigraf, RELJEF and GRIFEL had been sent from behind the depths of the Iron Curtain to take part in the National. Unfortunately their brightest propsect, three times Velka Pardubicka winner Epigraf sustained a slight setback and was unable to run so it was left to the 1960 Velka Pardubicka winner GRIFEL and runner up RELJEF to fly the flag for the Soviets. It has to be said that compared to the British and Irish runners, they looked a little on the scrawny side and burdened with automatic top weight of twelve stone (neither had a prep race in the UK) their chances seemed very remote indeed. It was a strong lineup. Heading the market was the Irish trained JONJO, a faller at Valentines the year before he had won the valuable Leopardstown Chase on his last start. He had also won over the National fences at the Autumn meeting when landing the Molyneux Chase by ten lengths. Next in the betting was last years hero MERRYMAN II, restricted to just two starts this year he had won the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on his seasonal debut before finishing unplaced in the Great Yorkshire Chase. Regular partner Gerry Scott was injured so Derek Ancil took the ride. Another Irish challenger HUNTER`S BREEZE was in fine form having won four chases in the winter including the Thyestes Chase whilst there was strong support for SIRACUSA who had won at Manchester and Wetherby, O`MALLEY POINT who had finished fourth in the King George VI Chase and finished ahead of MERRYMAN II in the Great Yorkshire and SCOTTISH FLIGHT II who had won a small race at Lingfield and finished fourth in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.
The Grand National Steeplechase (Sponsored by Schweppes), (74 entries) £8,270 to the winner, 2nd : £2,208, 3rd : £1,104, 4th : £552
1 2 RELJEF 7, 12-0 (USSR) B.Ponomarenko
2 1 GRIFEL 8, 12-0 (USSR) V.Prakhov
3 f031-10 MERRYMAN II 10, 11-12 (N.Crump) D.Ancil
4 020034 MR WHAT 11, 11-9 (D J Morgan - IRE) D V Dick
5 0-3p323 OXO 10, 11-8 (W.Stephenson) M.Scudamore
6 1f3202 WYNDBURGH 11, 11-5 (J.Oliver) T.Brookshaw
7 3-p3pp3 TAXIDERMIST 9, 11-4 (F T Walwyn) Mr J Lawrence
8 144231 O`MALLEY POINT 10, 11-4 (W A Stephenson) P A Farrell
9 321400 KILMORE 11, 11-0 (H Price) F.Winter
10 b1111f HUNTER`S BREEZE 10, 10-13 (Bryce-Smith - IRE) F.Carroll
11 f00040 IMPOSANT 9, 10-13 (J O`Donoghue) Mr R Couetil
12 -010033 TEAM SPIRIT 9, 10-13 (D L Moore - IRE) G W Robinson
13 413412 FLOATER 8, 10-11 (T F Rimell) E P Harty
14 2-13221 BADENLOCH 10, 10-11 (G R Owen) S.Mellor
15 200000 FRESH WINDS 10, 10-10 (W.Whiston) R.Edwards
16 044440 BRIAN OGUE 10, 10-10 (F.Pullen) J.Guest
17 0p0240 CLOVER BUD 11, 10-10 (G.LLewellin) D.Mould
18 000000 DOUBLE CREST 9, 10-7 (T W Dreaper - IRE) A.Irvine*
19 12-4231 BANTRY BAY 10, 10-7 (H.Dufosse) Sir W Pigott-Brown
20 -221301 JONJO 11, 10-7 (J W Osborne - IRE) P.Taaffe
21 -fpf022 IRISH COFFEE 11, 10-6 (F D Farmer - IRE) J.Magee
22 0-04122 SCOTTISH FLIGHT II 9, 10-6 (P.Cazalet) W.Rees
23 042144 WILY ORIENTAL 9, 10-6 (C.Nesfield) P G Madden
24 2-00002 OSCAR WILDE 11, 10-4 (W.Wightman) R E Jenkins
25 2f4011 JIMURU 10, 10-4 (Lord Leigh) Mr J Leigh
26 400041 CARRASCO 9, 10-3 (B.Marshall) P.Pickford
27 0p-101p ERNEST 9, 10-1 (R.Renton) H J.East
29 2-23001 NICOLAUS SILVER 9, 10-1 (T F Rimell) H R Beasley
30 100f40 PENNY FEATHER 8, 10-1 (N.Hall) J.Lehane
31 -301201 SIRACUSA 8, 10-1 (R.Renton) B.Wilkinson
32 /u3f0f- SABARIA 10, 10-2 (R.Turnell) M.Roberts
33 -00323 KINGSTEL 9, 10-0 (J.Dennissoun) G.Slack
34 4-u1144 VIVANT 8, 10-6 (W.Stephenson) D.Nicholson*
35 4pp2u3 TEA FIEND 12, 10-0 (G R Owen) R R Harrison
36 130-004 APRIL QUEEN 10, 10-2 (H.Payne) A.Biddlecombe*
Non Runner : 28 Cannobie Lee (D.Nicholson)
* Mr M Haly-Hutchinson down to ride Double Crest in the racecard
* R J Hamey down to ride Vivant in the racecard
* Capt P Upton down to ride April Queen in the racecard
S P : 7-1 Jonjo, 8-1 Merryman II, 100-7 Hunter`s Breeze, Siracusa, 100-6 O`Malley Point, Scottish Flight II, 20-1 Badanloch, Mr What, Oxo, Team Spirit, 28-1 NICOLAUS SILVER, 33-1 Ernest, Jimuru, Kilmore, Wynburgh, 40-1 Bantry Bay, Carrasco, Taxidermist, Tea Fiend, Wily Oriental, 45-1 Oscar Wilde, 50-1 Clover Bud, Double Crest, Floater, Irish Coffee, Kingstel, Vivant, 66-1 Fresh Winds, Penny Feather, 100-1April Queen, Brian Ogue, Grifel, Imposant, Reljef, Sabaria
Aintree debutants
Bantry Bay, Brian Ogue*, Carrasco*, Double Crest, Floater*, Grifel*, Hunter`s Breeze*, Imposant*, Kingstel*, Nicolaus Silver, O`Malley Point, Penny Feather*, Reljef*, Taxidermist, Wily Oriental*
Winners at Aintree
APRIL QUEEN - 1960 Foxhunters
FRESH WINDS - 1960 Topham
ERNEST - 1960 Grand Sefton Chase
JONJO - 1960 Molyneux Chase
MERRYMAN II - 1959 Foxhunters, 1960 Grand National
MR WHAT - 1958 Grand National
OXO - 1959 Grand National
WYNBURGH - 1957 Grand Sefton Chase
Result
1st NICOLAUS SILVER - Bobby Beasley
2nd MERRYMAN II - Derek Ancil
3rd O`MALLEY POINT - Paddy Farrell
4th SCOTTISH FLIGHT II - Bill Rees
5th KILMORE - Fred Winter
6th WYNDBURGH - Tim Brookshaw
7th JONJO - Pat Taaffe
8th BADENLOCH - Stan Mellor
9th TEAM SPIRIT - Willie Robinson
10th SIRACUSA - B.Wilkinson
11th MR WHAT - Dave Dick
12th ERNEST - H J East
13th SABARIA - M.Roberts
14th IRISH COFFEE - J.Magee
Time : 9 minutes, 22 3/5 seconds. Distances : Five lengths and a neck
Owned by Mr C.Vaughan. Trained by Fred Rimell in Kinnersley, Worcestershire
Did You Know
The 1961 Grand National featured three past winners MR WHAT (1958), OXO (1958) and MERRYMAN II (1960) and two future winners KILMORE (1962) and TEAM SPIRIT (1964) .With five other runners with winning form over the National fences this was probably the best National field on record.
Nineteenth fence casualty FRESH WINDS was the last faller in the race. This is a record. In 1989 Smart Tar unseated Carl Llewellyn at the twentieth fence which is the only other time that the last faller in the National has happened before the field has reached Bechers second time. (Apart from 2001 but that was a freak year and doesn't count)
The 1961 Grand National was run on firm ground - they were tougher in those days - if that happened today we would have a race with five runners