1973 Grand National

Horse race at Aintree Racecourse January 2020 May 2014 1973 Grand National Grand National Aintree 31 March 1973 England Red Rum 9/1 JF England Brian Fletcher England Ginger McCain England Noel Le Mare Good to Firm 1972 1974 right 275px 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.http://www.grandnational.org.uk/history.php History Grandnational.org.uk 18 August 2014 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. 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 25% 1 right Before the off, Red Rum was 9/1 joint-favourite with Crisp to win the race.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2001/grand_national/1225397.stm BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | Grand National | Red Rum - a life in pictures BBC News 30 March 2001 18 August 2014 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. 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.http://www.grand-national-world.co.uk/gnw/the_race/tales/crisp.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080212094706/http://www.grand-national-world.co.uk/gnw/the_race/tales/crisp.html 12 February 2008 Grand National Runners 2021 (Full List of Horses & Riders) 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!"https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/racing-richard-pitman-ride-of-my-life-burns-bright-in-pitman-memory-593392.html https://web.archive.org/web/20100923143756/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/racing-richard-pitman-ride-of-my-life-burns-bright-in-pitman-memory-593392.html dead 23 September 2010 The Independent | 404 The Independent 27 August 2014 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). The third horse, L'Escargot, who would win the National two years later, was 25 lengths adrift at the finish.Wood Greg https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2009/apr/03/joy-of-six-grand-national The Joy of Six: great Grand National moments | Sport The Guardian 3 April 2009 18 August 2014 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. Finishing order PositionNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPDistance01Red RumBrian Fletcher810-59/1¾ Length02CrispRichard Pitman1012-09/125 Lengths03L'EscargotTommy Carberry1012-011/104Spanish StepsPhilip Blacker1011-1316/105Rouge AutumnKen White910-040/106Hurricane RockBob Champion910-0100/107Proud TarquinJohn Oaksey1010-1122/108ProphecyBob Davies1010-320/109Endless FollyJoe Guest1110-0100/110Black SecretSean Barker911-222/111Petruchio's SonDavid Mould1010-550/112The PookaArthur Moore1110-0100/113Great NoiseDavid Cartwright910-250/114Green PloverMouse Morris1310-0100/115Sunny LadBill Smith910-325/116Go-PontinentalJimmy McNaught1310-4100/117Mill DoorPeter Cullis1110-5100/1Last to finish Non-finishers FenceNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)Starting priceFate01RicheleauNeil Kernick910-050/1Fell03AshvilleJeff King810-414/1Fell06Beggar's WayTommy Kinane910-133/1Fell06Culla HillNorton Brookes910-7100/1Fell07Mr VimyJohnny Haine1010-2100/1Pulled Up07Swan ShotMartin Blackshaw1010-0100/1Refused08NereoDuke of Alburquerque710-366/1Pulled Up09Highland SealDavid Nicholson1010-620/1Pulled Up15CanharisPat Buckley810-116/1Brought Down15Charley WinkingDerrick Scott810-0100/1Fell15GlenkilnJonjo O'Neill1010-733/1Fell15Grey SombreroBill Shoemark910-925/1Fell15Proud PercyRichard Evans1010-0100/1Fell19Fortune Bay IIGeorge Sloan910-366/1Fell19Rough SilkTim Norman1010-066/1Pulled Up21Tarquin BidJ Bracken910-0100/1Fell22Beau ParcAndy Turnell1010-1100/1Pulled Up26AstburyJimmy Bourke1010-250/1Pulled Up27General SymonsPat Kiely1010-033/1Pulled Up27Princess CamillaRon Barry810-416/1Refused27RampsmanDavid Munro910-0100/1Pulled Up http://seventiesnationals.webs.com/19711972.htm 1972 & 1973 - The Grand National & Aintree 1970-79 Seventiesnationals.webs.com 18 August 2014 The Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin, 0-7524-3547-7 http://www.freewebs.com/grandnationalanorak/wheretheyfell.htm Grand National Anorak | freewebs.com 27 August 2014 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 1973 1973 Grand National Grand National Grand National