Midlands Grand National
| Listed race | |
| Location |
Uttoxeter Racecourse, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1969 |
| Race type | Steeplechase |
| Sponsor | Betfred |
| Website | uttoxeter-racecourse.co.uk |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 4 miles 1 furlong 110 yards (6,739 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight |
Handicap Maximum: 11 st 12 lb |
| Purse |
£130,000 (2016) 1st: £73,757 |
| 2016 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Firebird Flyer | Milansbar | Cogry |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Goonyella | Raz De Maree | Woodford County |
| 2014 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Goulanes | Alpha Victor | West End Rocker |
| 2013 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Big Occasion | Rebeccas Choice | One In A Milan |
| 2012 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Master Overseer | Major Malarkey | Ballyfitz |
| 2011 | ||
 |
|
 |
| Minella Four Star | Ballyfitz | Synchronised |
| 2010-2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
| |
 |
 |
| Synchronised | L'aventure | Giles Cross |
| 2009 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Russian Trigger | Flintoff | Hold The Pin |
| 2008 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Himalayan Trail | Badgerlaw | The Dark Lord |
| 2007 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Baron Windrush | D'Argent | Newbay Prop |
| 2006 | ||
 |
 |
|
| G V A Ireland | Ossmoses | L'aventure |
| 2005 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Philson Run | Toulouse-Lautrec | Howdydoody |
| 2003 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Intelligent | Akarus | Jurancon II |
| 2002 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| The Bunny Boiler | Mini Sensation | Scotton Green |
| 2000-1990 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ||
 |
 |
|
| Ackzo | Flaked Oats | Scotton Green |
| 1999 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Young Kenny | Call It A Day | Hollybank Buck |
| 1998 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Miss Orchestra | Kamikaze | Another Excuse |
| 1997 | ||
.svg.png) |
 |
 |
| Seven Towers | Lord Gyllene | Sister Stephanie |
| 1996 | ||
| |
 |
 |
| Another Excuse | Feathered Gale | Moorcroft Boy |
| 1995 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Lucky Lane | Arthur's Minstrel | Scribbler |
| 1994 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Glenbrook D'Or | Its A Cracker | Callmecha |
| 1993 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Mister Ed | Into The Red | Do Be Brief |
| 1992 | ||
| |
 |
 |
| Laura's Beau | Mr Boston | Willsford |
| 1991 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Bonanza Boy | Rubika | Four Trix |
| 1990 | ||
| |
 |
 |
| Willsford | Pembrokeshire Lad | The Langholm Dyer |
The Midlands Grand National is a Listed National Hunt race in Great Britain. It is a handicap steeplechase and is run at Uttoxeter Racecourse in March, over a distance of 4 miles, 1 furlong and 110 yards.
History
The first race was run on 3 May 1969.[1] The race was initially run over 4m2f and was increased up to 4m4f in 1977. During this period it would have been, assuming accurate measurements, by 24 yards or approximately the length of a cricket pitch, the longest race in the NH calendar. In 1991 the distance was dropped to 4m, before being upped to 4m2f in 1993. It has been run at its present distance of 4m1f110yds yards since 2004.[2]
The 1977 winner Watafella finished third in the race but was promoted to first place after the first and second, No Scotch and Evander were disqualified after it was realised they failed to meet the conditions of the race, along with three other runners.[3]
The race was not covered on television in its early years but was shown by Channel 4 during the 1980s and up until 1998. The BBC took over coverage between 1998 and 2005 before the race returned to Channel 4, who continue to cover until this day.
Records
Most successful horse:
- no horse has won the race more than once
Leading jockey (2 wins):
- Ken White - Happy Spring (1969), Rip’s Lyric (1973)
- Derek Morris - Midnight Madness (1987), Mister Ed (1993)
- Brendan Powell - Another Excuse (1996), Young Kenny (1999)
- Norman Williamson - Lucky Lane (1995), The Bunny Boiler (2002)
Leading trainer (4 wins):
- David Pipe - Minella Four Star (2011), Master Overseer (2012), Big Occasion (2013), Goulanes (2014)
- Widest winning margin – Another Excuse (1996) – distance
- Narrowest winning margin – Fighting Chance (1974), Knock Hill (1988) – head
- Most runners – 22, in 1978, 1979 and 1981
- Fewest runners – 6, in 2000
Winners
- Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Happy Spring | 13 | 09-11 | Ken White | J Wright |
| 1970 | Two Springs | 8 | 10-06 | R Edwards | G Owen |
| 1971 | Grey Sombrero | 7 | 09-07 | Graham Thorner | David Gandolfo |
| 1972 | Proud Percy | 9 | 10-00 | G Faulkner | Arthur Stephenson |
| 1973 | Rip's Lyric | 8 | 10-06 | Ken White | W Whiston |
| 1974 | Fighting Chance | 6 | 09-08 | Bill Shoemark | Gay Kindersley |
| 1975 | Rag Trade | 9 | 10-10 | John Burke | Arthur Pitt |
| 1976 | Burrator | 7 | 10-01 | Mr J Decker | A Jarvis |
| 1977 | Watifella | 7 | 09-11 | Bryan Smart | Jenny Pitman |
| 1978 | Kick On | 11 | 10-08 | R Hyett | K Lewis |
| 1979 | Jimmy Miff | 7 | 09-10 | S Kemble | I Wardle |
| 1980 | Pacify | 10 | 10-00 | Steve Jobar | Stan Mellor |
| 1981 | Master Brutus | 9 | 10-02 | John Goulding | Caroline Mason |
| 1982 | Bridge Ash | 9 | 10-13 | Keith Johnson | J I Johnson |
| no race 1983[1] | |||||
| 1984 | Mr Mole | 9 | 10-00 | A Webb | John Webber |
| 1985 | Northern Bay | 9 | 11-10 | Philip Hobbs | T T Bill |
| 1986 | The Thinker | 8 | 11-06 | Ridley Lamb | Arthur Stephenson |
| 1987 | Midnight Madness | 9 | 09-13 | Derek Morris | Dai Bloomfield |
| 1988 | Knock Hill | 12 | 11-07 | George Mernagh | John Webber |
| 1989 | Gallic Prince | 10 | 10-01 | Peter Hobbs | Philip Hobbs |
| 1990 | Willsford | 7 | 11-00 | Mark Pitman | Jenny Pitman |
| 1991 | Bonanza Boy | 10 | 11-10 | Peter Scudamore | Martin Pipe |
| 1992 | Laura's Beau | 8 | 10-08 | Conor O'Dwyer | Francis Berry |
| 1993 | Mister Ed | 10 | 10-03 | Derek Morris | Roger Curtis |
| 1994 | Glenbrook d'Or | 10 | 10-00 | Brian Clifford | Jim Wilson |
| 1995 | Lucky Lane | 11 | 10-00 | Norman Williamson | Philip Hobbs |
| 1996 | Another Excuse | 8 | 10-00 | Brendan Powell, snr | Eugene O'Sullivan |
| 1997 | Seven Towers | 8 | 11-04 | Peter Niven | Mrs Mary Reveley |
| 1998 | Miss Orchestra | 7 | 09-09 | Barry Geraghty | Jessica Harrington |
| 1999 | Young Kenny | 8 | 11-06 | Brendan Powell, snr | Peter Beaumont |
| 2000 | Ackzo | 7 | 10-00 | Adrian Maguire | Ferdy Murphy |
| no race 2001[2] | |||||
| 2002 | The Bunny Boiler | 8 | 10-00 | Norman Williamson | Noel Meade |
| 2003 | Intelligent | 7 | 10-10 | Robbie Power | Jessica Harrington |
| no race 2004[3] | |||||
| 2005 | Philson Run | 9 | 10-02 | Paul Carberry | Nick Williams |
| 2006 | G V A Ireland | 8 | 10-03 | Ruby Walsh | Francis Flood |
| 2007 | Baron Windrush | 9 | 10-09 | Jason Maguire | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2008 | Himalayan Trail | 9 | 10-00 | Tjade Collier | Sue Smith |
| 2009 | Russian Trigger | 7 | 10-12 | Jack Doyle | Victor Dartnall |
| 2010 | Synchronised | 7 | 11-05 | Tony McCoy | Jonjo O'Neill |
| 2011 | Minella Four Star | 8 | 10-00 | Conor O'Farrell | David Pipe |
| 2012 | Master Overseer | 9 | 10-03 | Tom Scudamore | David Pipe |
| 2013 | Big Occasion | 6 | 09-07 | Mr Mikey Ennis | David Pipe |
| 2014 | Goulanes | 8 | 10-03 | Richard Johnson | David Pipe |
| 2015 | Goonyella | 8 | 10-12 | Jonnny Burke | Jim Dreaper |
| 2016 | Firebird Flyer | 9 | 11-05 | Adam Wedge | Evan Williams |
1 The 1983 running was cancelled due to a waterlogged track.
2 The 2001 running was cancelled due to a foot-and-mouth crisis.
3 The 2004 running was cancelled due to high winds.
See also
- Horseracing in Great Britain
- List of British National Hunt races
- Race Recordings 1991-2007
References
- ↑ "Stoke & Staffordshire - Radio Stoke - The Midlands Grand National". BBC. 2009-03-16. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
- ↑ "Midlands Grand National" (PDF). 2006-03-18. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
- ↑ "Big Race History: Midlands National". Betting.betfair.com. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
- Midlands National - BBC
- Midlands Grand National - 2006 Media Information
- WalesOnline - Leading bloodstock agent dies from cancer
- Racing Post: