1968 - Red Alligator
The Winner
Red Alligator finished unplaced in the Scottish National on his next start. Lightly campaigned the following year he narrowly failed to win the Haydock Park Grand National Trial before starting favourite for the National. He never got into the race and was behind when he unseated at the nineteenth. He did win three times during 1969-70 but again at Aintree failed to shine and he was struggling in last place when he unseated at the eleventh fence. He did not race again but his name lives on in Bishop Auckland as a pub was named after him and it is still there.
Leading Fancies
Somehow Aintree survived. The County and City Councils now struggled with the thorny question of what to do with Aintree and Mrs Topham just about kept the racecourse going. With minimum investment, the racecourse looked tired and jaded, deserted and unloved for three hundred and sixty two days of the year (sixty four if you included the first two days of the Spring meeting). There was however another bumper entry for this, the fourth "Last Grand National" and there was another large turn out of forty five including seven runners from Ireland. Heading the market were three horses who could all claim to have been desperately unlucky twelve months earlier, DIFFERENT CLASS, RUTHERFORDS and RED ALLIGATOR as all three had been prominent when the carnage at the twenty third fence began. Owned by Hollywood star Gregory Peck, DIFFERENT CLASS had started the season with two disappointing efforts but had then won a competitive amateur riders race at Sandown followed by a bloodless win in the two runner Coventry Chase where he beat National rival SOME SLIPPER. RUTHERFORDS was without a win all season but had run credibly in the Great Yorkshire Chase, leading when brought down at the twenty third in 1967 he had been able to continue finishing down the field whilst RED ALLIGATOR had run on to finish third. Convinced he would have won that day, young Brian Fletcher, at twenty three one of the youngest riders in the race was hoping for better luck this year. Other fancied riders included a glut of Aintree newcomers all with winning form in their recent races, MOIDORES TOKEN was unbeaten in three starts this season, FRENCH KILT had won his last three starts as had leading Irish fancy (in what was a pretty weak challenge from the emerald isle this year), Thyestes Chase winner GREAT LARK. The lightly raced MASTER OF ART and REGAL JOHN, who had won the Whitbread Trial at Ascot, considered to be the best form in the race also came in for much support. There was considerable media interest in the antics of the "Galloping Grandfather",Tim Durant, now in his sixty eighth year and having his third consecutive ride in the race. This year his partner was the Irish trained HIGHLANDIE, who had been off the course for seven months before his prep race when he had finished a useful second to another Irish entrant VALOUIS in a small race at Navan in the beginning of March. And what of FOINAVON ? In four races this term, he had only managed to beat one horse. Running in different colours and sporting bright orange blinkers it was perhaps only his status as a previous National winner that prevented him from starting amongst the 100-1 outsiders. 66-1 seemed a little optimistic. Lightning couldn`t strike twice.....could it ?
THE GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE (102 entries) £16,048 to the winner, 2nd : £4,938, 3rd : £2,469, 4th : £1,234
1 -11334 WHAT A MYTH 11, 12-0 (H R Price) P.Kellaway
2 -0p1411 DIFFERENT CLASS 8, 11-5 (P.Cazalet) D.Mould
3 -0f0 HIGHLAND WEDDING 11, 11-0 (G.Balding) O.McNally
4 121303 RONDETTO 12, 10-12 (R.Turnell) J.King
5 100114 BASSNET 9, 10-12 (A.Kilpatrick) D.Nicholson
6 -210022 SAN ANGELO 8, 10-10 (E.Courage) W.Rees
7 10p221 FORT ORD 8, 10-9 (R.Wilson) T.Norman
8 -220212 VULTRIX 10, 10-8 (F.Cundell) T W Biddlecombe
9 043-342 PHEMIUS 10, 10-8 (N.Crump) G.Scott
10 330004 QUITTE OU DOUBLE L 8, 10-8 (J O`Donoghue)
Mr J Ciechanowski
11 1000-01 REGAL JOHN 10, 10-8 (H R Price) J.Gifford
12 4f-0143 FORECASTLE 10, 10-8* (N.Crump) Mr W McLernon
13 u11-111 MOIDORES TOKEN 11, 10-8* (J.Oliver) B.Brogan
14 0-2321 RUTHERFORDS 8, 10-6 (N.Crump) P.Buckley
15 00-0111 GREAT LARK 9, 10-6 (W T O`Grady - IRE) T.Carberry
16 03u402 MASTER MASCUS 9, 10-6* (D.Thom) Mr J Lawrence
17 4p0103 THE FOSSA 11, 10-4 (T F Rimell) R.Edwards
18 022-001 REYNARDS HEIR 8, 10-4 (T L Crawford - IRE) T.Kinane
19 1420-31 MASTER OF ART 8, 10-2 (H R Price) Mr B Hanbury
20 01-404p FOINAVON 10, 10-5* (J H Kempton) P.Harvey
21 b102f2 GO-PONTINENTAL 8, 10-0 (J E Sutcliffe) M C Gifford
22 2f-1340 RED ALLIGATOR 9, 10-0 (D.Smith) B.Fletcher
23 f101p4 RONALDS BOY 11, 10-0 (C B Harty - IRE) J Harty
25 213020 ROSS FOUR 7, 10-0 (A.Kilpatrick) P.Jones
26 003140 CHAMPION PRINCE 9, 10-12* (G.Harwood) Mr A Wates
27 1f-1444 FORT KNIGHT 9, 10-0 (P.Ransom) R.Reid
28 ff1-00f MIXED FRENCH 9, 10-0 (R.Hobson) G.Holmes
29 23u331 CHU-TEH 9, 10-0 (K.Cundell) Mr N Gaselee
30 21004u KIRTLE-LAD 9, 10-0 (W A Stephenson) J.Enright
31 4f4111 FRENCH KILT 8, 10-0 (F.Cundell) S.Mellor
33 201240 MANIFEST 10, 10-0 (F T Winter) R.PItman
34 23-01 POLARIS MISSILE 9, 10-0 (M J Thorne) Mr N Thorne
35 21-0042 HIGHLANDIE 10, 10-12* (T.Bamber - IRE) Mr T Durant
36 0-04420 GAME PURSTON 10, 10-0 (J.Yeomans) D.Cartwright
37 200203 PRINCEFUL 10, 10-4* (T F Rimell) J.Leech
38 0-rp02 QUINTIN BAY 12, 10-0 (A.Brabazon - IRE) G W Robinson*
39 103322 BEECHAM 9, 10-0 (D.Barons) Mr B R Davies
40 p3002f SOME SLIPPER 11, 10-0 (B.Trafford) R.Atkins
41 0300-p0 CHAMORETTA 8, 10-1* (E.Courage) D.Elsworth
42 f33041 VALOUIS 9, 10-1* (J J Prendergast - IRE) Mr EPrendergast
43 2210-32 VALBUS 10, 10-0 (T.Shepherd) R.Langley
44 3ff1f-0 DUN WIDDY 12, 10-2* (R A Lockhart-Smith) Mr A Moore
45 p-11p00 WILLING SLAVE 8, 10-2* (M.James) M B James
46 00200-0 PORTATION 10, 10-0 (D.Ellison) G.Cramp
47 300-040 STEEL BRIDGE 10, 10-0 (D.Auld - IRE) E P Harty
* J.Cullen down in racecard to ride Quintin Bay
S.P : 17-2 Different Class, 100-9 Rutherfords, 100-7 French Kilt, Master of Art, RED ALLIGATOR & Regal John, 100-6 Great Lark & Moidores Token, 18-1 Bassnet & Highland Wedding, 25-1 Go Pontinental & San Angelo, 28-1 Reynards Heir, The Fossa, Vultrix & What A Myth, 33-1 Chu-Teh & Rondetto, 35-1 Fort Ord, 40-1 Fort Knight & Valouis, 50-1 Forecastle, Kirtle-Lad & Phemius, 66-1 Champion Prince, Foinavon, Manifest, Master Mascus, Polaris Missile, Princeful, Quintin Bay, Quitte ou Double L & Some Slippper, 100-1 Beecham, Chamoretta, Dun Widdy, Game Purston, Highlandie, Mixed French, Portation, Quinton Bay, Ronalds Boy Ross Four, Steel Bridge & Vulbus
Aintree Debutants
Beecham*, Chamoretta*, Champion Prince*, Chu-Teh*, Fort Knight*, French Kilt*, Great Lark*, Manifest*, Master Mascus*, Master of Art*, MIxed French*, Quitte ou Double L*, Regal John*, Reynard`s Heir*, Ross Sea*, San Angelo*, Valbus*, Willing Slave*
Winners at Aintree
FOINAVON - 1967 Grand National
THE FOSSA - 1965 Grand Sefton Chase
VALOUIS - 1965 Molyneux Chase
Result
1st RED ALLIGATOR - Brian Fletcher
2nd MOIDORE`S TOKEN - Barry Brogan
3rd DIFFERENT CLASS - David Mould
4th RUTHERFORDS - Pat Buckley
5th THE FOSSA - Roy Edwards
6th VALBUS - Robin Langley
7th HIGHLAND WEDDING - O. McNally
8th REYNARDS HEIR - T.KInane
9th PRINCEFUL - J.Leech
10th STEEL BRIDGE - Eddie Harty
11th MANIFEST - Richard Pitman
12th SAN ANGELO - Bill Rees
13th SOME SLIPPER - Ron Atkins
14th FRENCH KILT - Stan Mellor
15th HIGHLANDIE - Mr Tim Durant (remounted)
16th DUN WIDDY - Mr A P Moore
17th QUINTIN BAY - Willie Robinson
Time : 9 minutes, 28 4/5 seconds. Distances : 20 lengths and a neck
Owned by John Manners.
Trained by Denys Smith at Bishop Auckland, County Durham
1969 - Highland Wedding
The winner
HIGHLAND WEDDING next ran in the inaugural running of the Midlands National at Uttoxeter which at the time was run in May. Throwing his chances away with a mistake at the twenty first fence he was eventually pulled up. Falling on his next start at Ascot in December he was retired to his owners in Canada.
Leading Fancies
As the wrangling over Aintrees future continued the public, perhaps were growing tired of the off course arguments and there was a considerably smaller field this year of thirty, a sign perhaps that patience was wearing a little thin as we approached the fifth "Last Grand National". Favourite was last years winner RED ALLIGATOR, a position he held clearly on the basis of his very impressive win twelve months ago as he had shown little in three starts this season, HIGHLAND WEDDING on the other hand was on a four timer. He jumped (he had finished the National in 1966 and 1968) and we knew he stayed as he had just won his third Eider Chase at Newcaste. Regular rider Owen McNally was sidelined so popular Irishman Eddie Harty took the ride. He was enjoying a good meeting having steered HIGHLAND WEDDINGS stable companion Dozo to victory in the Topham Trophy. Champion jockey Terry Biddlecombe was on board FEARLESS FRED, the winner of the WD & HO Wills Trial Chase at Haydock (the forerunner to the Red Square Vodka Chase). BASSNET was also popular in the market despite having failed to get past the first circuit in two previous attempts at the National. He had won the valuable Coventry Chase at Kempton on his last start before Aintree. Whilst British Movietone and Pathe had been broadcasting in colour since 1962, 1969 marked the first year that the BBC beemed colour pictures on television adding a new dimension to the great race.
THE GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE (97 entries) £17,849 to the winner, £5,417 to the second, £2,621 to the third & £1,310 to the fourth
2 112103 ARCTURUS 8, 11-4 (N.Crump) P.Buckley
3 113f12 FEARLESS FRED 7, 11-3 (T F Rimell) T W Biddlecombe
4 010-032 RED ALLIGATOR 10, 10-13 (D.Smith) B.Fletcher
5 30p441 BASSNET 10, 10-12 (H R Price) J.Gifford
6 00-330p KELLSBORO WOOD 9, 10-10 (D.Ancil) A.Turnell
7 0-44023 KILBURN 11, 10-9 (Ireland) T.Carberry
8 4111-40 LIMETRA 11, 10-9 (H.Lane) P.Broderick
9 11332f HOVE 8, 10-9 (F.Carr) D.Nicholson
10 2-12030 TEROSSIAN 9, 11-3* (H R Price) Mr P Sloan
11 p14f02 MOIDORES TOKEN 12, 10-9* (K.Oliver) B.Brogan
12 010020 RONDETTO 13, 10-6 (R.Turnell) J.King
13 143300 TUDOR FORT 9, 10-4 (G.Fairburn) J.Haldane
14 403111 HIGHLAND WEDDING 12, 10-4 (G B Balding) E.Harty
15 13210p PECCARD 8, 10-4* (H R Price) Mr G Sloan
16 331211 THE BEECHES 9, 10-1 (R.Turnell) W.Rees
17 033303 THE INVENTOR 8, 10-0 (E.Cousins) T.Hyde *
18 122241 FORT SUN 8, 10-4* (Ireland) J.Crowley
19 /up3 CASTLE FALLS 12, 10-4* (W.Hall) S.Hayhurst
20 413322 THE FOSSA 12, 10-9* (F T Walwyn) Capt A Parker-Bowles
21 10-212f VILLAY 11,10-13* (L.Scott) Mr D Scott
23 211303 MISS HUNTER 8, 10-0 (Ireland) P.McLoughlin *
25 1-1f TAM KISS 10, 10-13* (H.Thomson-Jones) Mr J Hindley
26 01041f ROSINVER BAY 9, 10-5* (Ireland) P.Taaffe
27 034-032 JUAN 13, 10-9* (P.Wills) Mr P Wills
28 00p022 LIMEBURNER 8, 10-0 (R.Turnell) J.Buckingham
29 411-041 FURORE II 8, 10-0 (A.Kilpatrick) M C Gifford
30 0330p1 FLOSUEBARB 9, 10-0 (J.Hooton) J.Guest
31 01f013 GAME PURSTON 11, 10-0 (M.McCourt) S.Mellor *
32 001fp0 BALLINABOINTRA 10, 10-1* (R.Armytage) P.Kellaway
33 032101 STEEL BRIDGE 11, 10-0 (Lockhart-Smith) R.Pitman
* B R Davies in racecard to ride The Inventor
* F.Shortt in racecacard to ride Miss Hunter
* D.Atkins in racecard to ride Game Purston
Non Runner : 22. FERRY BOAT (P.McLaughlin)
S P : 13-2 Red Alligator, 15-2 Fearless Fred, 100-9 HIGHLAND WEDDING, 100-8 Bassnet, 100-6 Arcturus, Hove, Moidores Token, The Beeches, 20-1 Furore II, 22-1 Kilburn, 25-1 Rondetto, 28-1 Fort Sun, 33-1 Game Purston, The Fossa, The Inventor, 50-1 LImetra, Miss Hunter, Peccard, Rosinver Bay, Steel Bridge, Tam Kiss, Terrosian, Tudor Fort, 66-1 Castle Falls, Kellsboro Wood, Limeburner, 100-1 Ballinabointra, Flosuebarb, Juan, Villay.
Aintree Debutants
Arcturus*, Fearless Fred*, Flosuebarb, Fort Sun*, Furore II*, Hove*, Limeburner, Miss Hunter, Peccard*, Rosinver Bay*, Terossian*, The Inventor, Tudor Fort*, Villay
Winners at Aintree
JUAN - 1968 Foxhunters
RED ALLIGATOR - 1968 Grand National
THE FOSSA - 1965 Grand Sefton Chase
Result
1st HIGHLAND WEDDING - E.Harty
2nd STEEL BRIDGE - R.Pitman
3rd RONDETTO - Jeff King
4th THE BEECHES - Bill Rees
5th BASSNET - Josh Gifford
6th ARCTURUS - Pat Buckley
7th FORT SUN - J.Crowley
8th KELLSBORO WOOD - A.Turnell
9th FURORE II - Macer Gifford
10th MISS HUNTER - F.Shortt
11th THE FOSSA - Capt A. Parker-Bowles
12th LIMEBURNER - J.Buckingham
13th CASTLE FALLS - S.Hayhurst
14th LIMETRA - Paddy Broderick
Time : 9 minutes, 30 4/5 seconds. Distances : 12 lengths and 1 length
Owned by Thomas McCoy Junior. Trained by Toby Balding at Weyhill, Hampshire
1970 - Gay Trip
The winner
Gay Trip famously joined the likes of Poethlyn, Russian Hero and Early Mist by falling at the first fence the year following his National victory. He continued to be campaigned in the highest class and won a second Mackeson Gold Cup in 1971. He returned to Aintree in 1972 and ran a superb race to finish second to Well to Do although there were many at Aintree that day including trainer Fred Rimell who believed that had regular rider Terry Biddlecombe not steered such a wide course in the closing stages he would have won. Later that summer he raced twice at Auteuil in Paris although he pulled up in the Grand Steeplechase de Paris. He made one final return to Aintree in the one-off October meeting in 1972 where he was soundly beaten by the Queen Mothers Inch Arran in the BP Chase. He never raced again. I rate Gay Trip as one of the best National winners of the post war era and his trainer paid him the greatest compliment when he said he was the best of his four National winners.
Leading Fancies
Having seen the number of runners reach the dizzying heights of forty seven during the previous decade it was somewhat surprising to see just twenty eight line up for the first National of the decade. However, if the field lacked quantity it was more than made up by quality with three horses DOZO, FRENCH EXCUSE and TWO SPRINGS vying for favouritsm. DOZO was the only one of the three with experience over the big Aintree fences having triumphed in the previous years Topham Trophy and was representing last years winning combination of trainer Toby Balding and jockey Eddie Harty. He had been trained all season with the race in mind. FRENCH EXCUSE had won the Welsh National in a dour slog and had three other wins to his credit this season including victory over Two Springs in the Haydock Park Grand National Trial. All three victories had come on ground much softer than he would experience in the National. TWO SPRINGS was sent off favourite although he had managed only one win all season at Windsor and had been beaten by several of his market rivals. The class horse of the race was French Excuses` stable companion GAY TRIP. A noted two and half mile specialist he had won the Mackeson Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November and had only narrowly missed a big race double when finishing second in the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup at the same course a month later. He had raced in the highest company thereafter finishing fourth in the King George VI Chase and sixth in the Gold Cup on his latest start. With regular jockey Terry Biddlecombe sidelined through injury he was partnered by forty year old Pat Taaffe, the oldest professional rider in the race who had won the race fifteen years earlier on Quare Times in 1955. Of the remainder, the 1968 hero RED ALLIGATOR was in fine heart having won three times at Haydock, Kelso and Newcastle and the Irish mare PERSIAN HELEN was having her nineteenth race of the season.
GRAND NATIONAL HANDICAP CHASE (77 entries), 4 1/2 miles £14,804 10s to the winner, £4,486 to the second, £2,193 to the third & £1,046 10s to the fourth
2 124000 GAY TRIP 8, 11-5 (T F Rimell) P.Taaffe
3 341001 BOWGEENO 10, 10-13 (R.Turnell) J.Haine
4 212140 RED ALLIGATOR 11, 10-12 (D.Smith) B.Fletcher
5 301031 SPECIFY 8, 10-7 (D E Weeden) J.Cook
6 231024 TWO SPRINGS 8, 10-7 (G R Owen) R.Edwards
7 PP-2420 BATTLEDORE 9, 10-5 (W A Stephenson) T.S Murphy
8 201-100 RONDETTO 14, 10-5 (R.Turnell) J.King
9 /0-00P4 FORT ORD 10, 10-5 (R.Wilson) A.Turnell
10 110202 PERMIT 7, 10-3 (N.Crump) P.Buckley
11 431311 FRENCH EXCUSE 8, 10-2 (T F Rimell) K B White
13 1F020F THE OTTER 9, 10-1 (R H Dening) T M Jones
15 4U0030 ALL GLORY 9, 10-0 (J A C Edwards) A L T Moore
16 1223F0 ASSAD 10, 10-1* (G.Harwood) J.Gifford
17 3P1U0P THE BEECHES 10, 10-0 (R C Armytage) S.Mellor
19 244F02 DOZO 9, 10-4* (G B Balding) E.Harty
20 144402 THE FOSSA 13, 10-0 (F T Walwyn) G W Robinson
21 PB0-2PP GAME PURSTON 12, 11-5* (G B Balding) Mr M C Lloyd
22 102200 GINGER NUT 8, 10-0 (W D Francis) J.Bourke
23 004220 MISS HUNTER 9, 10-0 (D.Auld - IRE) F.Shortt
24 3-040P3 NO JUSTICE 9, 10-0 (A S Neaves) J.Guest
25 2FP302 ON THE MOVE 8, 10-1* (D J A Dartnall) G.Dartnall
26 /1P-F41 PERRY HILL 11, 10-0 (H R Price) P.Kellaway
27 P00003 PERSIAN HELEN 7, 10-0 (M A O`Toole - IRE) D T Hughes
28 P00232 PRIDE OF KENTUCKY 8, 10-0 (E R Courage) J.Buckingham
29 0U1403 QUEEN`S GUIDE 9, 10-0 (W Wade) Mr G Wade
30 21F2UF RACOON 8, 10-3* (F T Walwyn) D.Mould
31 42144F VILLAY 12, 10-0 (L G Scott) Mr D Scott
32 00-1230 VULTURE 8, 10-0 (T W Dreaper - IRE) S.Barker
S.P : 13-2 Two Springs, 100-8 Dozo &French Excuse, 13-1 Pride of Kentucky & Red Alligator, 100-7 Specify, 15-1 GAY TRIP & Vulture, 20-1 The Otter, 22-1 Bowgeeno, Rondetto & The Beeches, 25-1 Battledore, 28-1 Assad, Ginger Nut & Perry Hill, 33-1 Miss Hunter & Racoon, 35-1 Permit 7 Persian Helen, 40-1 Queens Guide, 50-1 All Glory, Fort Ord, No Justice & The Fossa, 100-1 Game Purston, On the Move & Villay
Aintree debutants (18)
Assad*, All Glory*, Battledore, Bowgeeno, French Excuse*, Gay Trip, Ginger Nut*. No Justice*, On the Move*, Permit, Perry Hill*, Persian Helen*,Racoon*, Queens Guide*, Specify, The Otter, Two Springs, Vulture
Winners at Aintree
Dozo - Topham Trophy (1969)
Red Alligator - Grand National (1968)
The Fossa - Grand Sefton (1965)
Result
1st GAY TRIP - Pat Taaffe
2nd VULTURE - Sean Barker
3rd MISS HUNTER - Frank Shortt
4th DOZO - Eddie Harty
5th GINGER NUT - Jimmy Bourke
6th PRIDE OF KENTUCKY J.Buckingham
7th ASSAD - Josh Gifford
Time : 9 minutes 38 seconds
Distances : 20-1/2-2 1/2-1-8
Owned by Mr A J Chambers
Trained by Fred Rimell at Kinnersley Worcestershire