1973 Grand National

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1973 Grand National
Grand National
Location Aintree
Date31 March 1973
Winning horse Flag of England.svg Red Rum
Starting price 9/1 JF
Jockey Flag of England.svg Brian Fletcher
Trainer Flag of England.svg Ginger McCain
Owner Flag of England.svg Noel Le Mare
Conditions Good to Firm
  1972
1974  
External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg The 1973 Grand National in full (BBC)

The 1973 Grand National was the 127th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at the Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 31 March 1973. [1]

Contents

The race is best remembered for being the first of Red Rum's three Grand National wins; Red Rum also broke the record set by Reynoldstown in 1935, and in doing so staged a spectacular comeback to beat Crisp on the run-in after having trailed by 15 lengths at the final fence. [1]

Just a furlong to run now, 200 yards now for Crisp, and Red Rum is still closing on him! Crisp is getting very tired, and Red Rum is pounding after him. Red Rum is the one who's finishing the strongest. He's going to get up! Red Rum is going to win the National. At the line Red Rum has just snatched it from Crisp!

Commentator Peter O'Sullevan describes the climax of the 1973 National

Before the off, Red Rum was 9/1 joint-favourite with Crisp to win the race. [2] However, by the time the runners had reached The Chair the Australian chaser Crisp, who was carrying the top weight of 12 stone, had already built up a significant lead and appeared unstoppable. [1] For much of the initial stages, Crisp's closest challenger was Bill Shoemark on Grey Sombrero, but he fell at The chair, giving Crisp an even greater lead which had grown to 20 lengths by the end of the first circuit. [3]

Crisp's jockey Richard Pitman later recalled that at Becher's Brook on the second circuit, fallen jockey David Nicholson shouted at him: "Richard, you're 33 lengths clear, kick on and you'll win!" At the same time, he heard the Tannoy commentator Michael O'Hehir declare: "And Red Rum is coming out of the pack, Brian Fletcher is kicking him hard!" [4]

At the 30th and final fence, Crisp was still 15 lengths ahead of Red Rum, ridden by Fletcher and given 10 stone 5 lb by the handicapper. However, Crisp was beginning to tire badly on the 494-yard run-in, carrying 23 lb more than his nearest rival. Red Rum made up considerable ground, and two strides from the finishing post he pipped Crisp by a mere three-quarters of a length in a record time of nine minutes, 1.9 seconds (a record which would stand until 1990). [1]

The third horse, L'Escargot, who would win the National two years later, was 25 lengths adrift at the finish. [5]

There was one equine fatality during the race when Grey Sombrero fell at The chair whilst leading the pursuit of Crisp. He suffered a broken leg and was euthanised, becoming the first fatal casualty of the Grand National since Racoon in 1970. Grey Sombrero is one of three horses to have been fatally injured while jumping The chair in the Grand National (the others were Land Lark in 1975 and Kintai in 1979).

1973 is often considered among the greatest Grand Nationals of all time, and the dramatic final-stretch battle between the two greats Crisp and Red Rum has also been described as one of the greatest sporting moments. [5]

Finishing order

PositionName Jockey AgeHandicap (st-lb) SP Distance
01 Red Rum Brian Fletcher 810-59/1¾ Length
02 Crisp Richard Pitman 1012-09/125 Lengths
03 L'Escargot Tommy Carberry 1012-011/1
04Spanish Steps Philip Blacker 1011-1316/1
05Rouge AutumnKen White910-040/1
06Hurricane Rock Bob Champion 910-0100/1
07Proud Tarquin John Oaksey 1010-1122/1
08ProphecyBob Davies1010-320/1
09Endless FollyJoe Guest1110-0100/1
10Black SecretSean Barker911-222/1
11Petruchio's SonDavid Mould1010-550/1
12The PookaArthur Moore1110-0100/1
13Great NoiseDavid Cartwright910-250/1
14Green Plover Mouse Morris 1310-0100/1
15Sunny LadBill Smith910-325/1
16Go-PontinentalJimmy McNaught1310-4100/1
17Mill DoorPeter Cullis1110-5100/1Last to finish

Non-finishers

FenceName Jockey AgeHandicap (st-lb)Starting priceFate
01RicheleauNeil Kernick910-050/1Fell
03AshvilleJeff King810-414/1Fell
06Beggar's WayTommy Kinane910-133/1Fell
06Culla HillNorton Brookes910-7100/1Fell
07Mr VimyJohnny Haine1010-2100/1Pulled Up
07Swan ShotMartin Blackshaw1010-0100/1Refused
08Nereo Duke of Alburquerque 710-366/1Pulled Up
09Highland Seal David Nicholson 1010-620/1Pulled Up
15CanharisPat Buckley810-116/1Brought Down
15Charley WinkingDerrick Scott810-0100/1Fell
15Glenkiln Jonjo O'Neill 1010-733/1Fell
15Grey SombreroBill Shoemark910-925/1Fell
15Proud PercyRichard Evans1010-0100/1Fell
19Fortune Bay IIGeorge Sloan910-366/1Fell
19Rough SilkTim Norman1010-066/1Pulled Up
21Tarquin BidJ Bracken910-0100/1Fell
22Beau ParcAndy Turnell1010-1100/1Pulled Up
26AstburyJimmy Bourke1010-250/1Pulled Up
27General SymonsPat Kiely1010-033/1Pulled Up
27Princess Camilla Ron Barry 810-416/1Refused
27RampsmanDavid Munro910-0100/1Pulled Up

[6] [7] [8]

Media coverage and aftermath

David Coleman presented the BBC's coverage in a special edition of Grandstand . Grandstand would also show the international rugby union match between Scotland and The President's XV from Murrayfield, along with a preview of the big heavyweight bout from San Diego between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton, that was shown later on BBC 1 in a Sportsnight special.

Unfortunately, Grey Sombrero, who had fallen at the 15th fence was badly injured and had to be euthanized.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "History". Grandnational.org.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  2. "BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | Grand National | Red Rum - a life in pictures". BBC News. 30 March 2001. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  3. "Grand National Runners 2021 (Full List of Horses & Riders)". Archived from the original on 12 February 2008.
  4. "The Independent | 404". The Independent. Archived from the original on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 Wood, Greg (3 April 2009). "The Joy of Six: great Grand National moments | Sport". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  6. "1972 & 1973 - The Grand National & Aintree 1970-79". Seventiesnationals.webs.com. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  7. The Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin, ISBN   0-7524-3547-7
  8. "Grand National Anorak |". freewebs.com. Retrieved 27 August 2014.