The 1847 Grand National Steeplechase was the ninth official annual running of a Handicap Steeple-chase horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on 3 March 1847 and attracted a then record field of twenty-six runners. It was won by Mathew, ridden by Denny Wynne in the colours of County Cork landowner, John Courtenay. This was the first time the race was officially named The Grand National Steeplechase, having previously been run under the title, Grand Liverpool Steeplechase.
Contemporary newspaper reporters stated that the race was run over the same course as the previous year, although some additional fences, which had appeared between Becher's Brook and the Canal Turn the previous year had been removed.
Start – Just beyond the Lane by the stands. Fence 1 [19 on the second circuit] Deep drain and bank. Fence 2 [20] Bank. Fence 3 [21] Post, rail ditch on take off side and drop. Fence 4 [22] Post and rails with ditch and drop. Fence 5 [23]Becher's Brook Post and rail bounded by broad ditch. Fence 6 [24] Hedge and bank with drain. Fence 7 [25] Quickset hedge. Fence 8 [26] A double fence of post and rails with thick thorn fence beyond with a rivulet between. Fence 9 [27] Brook with timber before it and a 90 degree turn beyond. Fence 10 [28] Strong hedge and drop with brook on take off side. Fence 11 [29] Bank and ditch. Fence 12 [30] Hedge and dyke. Fence 13 [31] Bar into Mess Bridge Lane. Fence 14 [32] Bar out of Mess Bridge Lane. Fence 15 Six Foot High Gorsed Hurdle at the distance chair, also known as the Made fence. Fence 16 Artificial fence and piece of water 15 feet wide and 3 feet deep. Fence 17 Bank and Ditch at the lane. Fence 32 Hurdle. Fence 33 Hurdle.
Although the course remained the same, the makeup of the actual fences, and the terrain of the fields between them changed year on year at this time. The starting lane was in the area now known as Melling Road, A second set of rails had been removed from Becher's Brook since the previous year's running while the fences between it and the Canal Turn had changed greatly since last year. Neither the Canal Turn nor Valentine's Brook had been named yet and were fences nine and ten in this year's race. The Table jump, which was believed to have been a Punchestown styled bank appears to have been removed from the area now known as Anchor Bridge Lane and replaced with a rail into and out of it, which at this time was called Mess Bridge Lane. The Chair was known at this time as the Made Fence or Gorsed Hurdle while the Water Jump was described as the Artificial Brook. The Fence previously known as the Sunken Lane, which today is Melling Road, had the entry element of it removed this year, leaving just a bank and ditch to jump out of, while the number of hurdles on the second circuit run in was reduced from three to two.
Leading Contenders
The Roarer was the 5/1 favourite on the day was known for winning the 1845 Bibury Stakes in the colours of Mr S Quartermaine before passing on to Lord Strathmore and then the Hon. Robert Lawley. Much of his price came from being the mount of popular jockey, Jem Mason as well as reports of having performed well in private trials. Most commentators did not share the public's belief in the horse and advised that horses backed on the basis of private trails, often prove a failure in an actual chase.
St Leger was a six year old brown gelding at 10/1, owned by J. E. Murphy of Breemount in County Meath and had won at Carrickmacross, Newry and Lucan, in the latter beating Switcher, who had finished third in the previous year's National. Tom Olliver was the most experienced rider in the race, having never missed a Grand Liverpool since the first official running in 1839, which increased the Irish entries popularity.
Culverthorpe had recently won in Paris and was partnered by another Aintree regular, Horatio Powell, resulting in a starting price of 10/1
Mathew Wasn't well known to English racegoers, though his rider, Denny Wynne had impressed when making his Aintree debut the previous year. Most of his notable races in Ireland over fences had resulted in his being placed rather than winning, often being beaten by Brunette. He was freely available at 10/1 until a mesmerist, on stage in Liverpool on the eve of the race, predicted he would win while she was in a trancelike state as part of her act. This, coupled with a welter of Irish money, saw his price slashed to 4/1 favourite on the morning of the race, though the enthusiasm for his chances cooled again in the final hour before the race and resulted in his price drifting back out to 11/1
Saucepan was a 12/1 shot who became popular for a surprise victory over Brunette in Ireland in the Rock Stakes at Cashel in the previous October, having not won any significant race prior to that. Again his price may have been helped by the partnership of one of the more famous jockeys in the race, William McDonough.
Jerry was also a 12/1 shot from Bradley's stable in Hednesford and a namesake of the 1840 winner, with whom he has sometimes been mistaken in later histories of the race. He came to the attention of backers after winning at Leamington in the weeks prior to the National and was to be ridden by his trainer.
Pioneer was another at 12/1 on the back of his victory in the race last year.
Clinker was rather surprisingly backed at 12/1 despite being virtually unknown to race commentators.
Brunette had come from Ireland with a fearsome reputation as the best horse from that land, making her a strong favourite in the days leading up to the race. However, as Irish racegoers began arriving in Liverpool, they began betting heavily against the mare, leading bookmakers to allow her price to drift out to 20/1 by the time of the race.
The Race
There are many contemporary reports from reporters on the course who witnessed the race but with a large field of twenty-eight runners, an inability to see clearly events taking place beyond the racecourse proper and, as one reporter noted, the reluctance of many of the Irish jockeys who failed to complete the course to accurately report their fate in case it suggested an inferiority to their Saxon {English} counterparts many of their descriptions of what happened to those outside the first four to finish are in conflict. The race report below is based on the most likely outcome where a majority of reporters agreed.
Red Lancer was already effectively out of the race by the time the early leader, Grenade was jostled at the third fence and lost his place. Valeria was badly baulked in the melee and fell while Marengo followed at the next fence where Ballybar and Quicksilver refused. Jerry led at Becher's first time but continued straight instead of turning left towards the Canal and was hampered. Cumberland Lassie led the runners along the Canal side of the course until striking the rail in front of Mess Bridge Lane where his rider was almost unseated, before the horse crashed into a gate and fell.
The loose Marengo led the field to the Water jump where there was a fear he might swerve and hamper the leaders, but he stayed on course to lead Jerry over the fence, followed by Tramp, Clinker, St Leger, Pioneer, Culverthorpe, The Roarer, Avoca, The False Heir, Mathew, St Ruth and Brunette with these remaining the main contenders for most of the second circuit. St Ruth fell at the fist fence on the second circuit while Jerry's chance was lost when he over reached at the penultimate fence on the Canal side, narrowly avoiding falling, but left badly hindered. St Leger now appeared to the crowd to be on his way to victory until challenged and overhauled in the final strides by Mathew. Pioneer, Culverthorpe and Brunette were the only other official finishers, while Grenade, Cavendish, Pluralist, Tramp, Latitat, Young Lottery and Avoca all passed the post, having given up the chase at the final hurdle.
Cure-All, Discount, Proceed, Profligate, Little Tommy, a horse by Tom Brown, Sam Slick, Railroad, Christopher North, Ragman, Forest Boy and Nimble Harry were withdrawn.[3][4]
Aftermath
The win has gone down in history as being a hugely popular one among the Irish, bearing in mind that this was at the height of the Great Famine in the country. In truth the Irish press largely ignored the race in those days and it was only the wealthy friends of Mr John Courtenay in and around the County Cork area who benefited from the victory. In actuality Courtenay was considered among the most ruthless of the landowners who were, at this time forcibly evicting their tenants for being unable to meet their rent and as a result the rank and file Irishmen had placed their support with another Irish entrant Brunette. In the event, it was only this huge body of support from across the Irish sea, and one large wager in particular that saw her start at all as she was not considered in a fit state to race at all.[5] Later histories of the race state that she was tailed off for most of the race[6] but contemporary reports place her heavily involved in the front rank and her being recorded as a finisher support the contemporary accounts.[7]
Much of the early history of the Grand National was told many years after the events and often from memory with the result that the winner, Mathew appears on the winners board at Aintree carrying the modern spelling of Matthew. The sixth horse The False Heir is often recorded as a non finisher while the favourite The Roarer, along with Young Lottery are not recorded as having taken part at all. As a result, many modern books and websites state six finishers in a field of twenty-six runners instead of the seven from twenty-eight recorded by the press of the time.
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Mathew 