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Noble Yeats

admin March 8, 2026

Owned by Robert Waley-Cohen, trained by Emmett Mullins in Bagenalstown, County Carlow and ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen, the son of the owner, Noble Yeats belied odds of 50/1 to win the 2022 Grand National. In so doing, he became the first seven-year-old to win the world-famous steeplechase since Bogskar won the last pre-World War II National in 1940 and the first winner to be ridden by an amateur jockey since Mr. Frisk, ridden by Marcus Armytage, in 1990. Noble Yeats was also still a novice steeplechaser, having recorded his first win over fences in a beginners’ chase at Galway in October 21, so became the first of his kind to prevail since Rule The World in 2016.

Indeed, Robert Waley-Cohen did not acquire Noble Yeats until late February and bought him specifically with the Grand National in mind. The Yeats gelding ran a satisfactory, if unspectacular, prepatory race for the National, under Sam Waley-Cohen, when ninth, beaten 20 lengths, in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Saddled with 10st 10lb and wearing first-time cheekpieces, Noble Yeats was patiently ridden at Aintree, but made headway to track the leaders at the Canal Turn on the second circuit. He disputed the lead two out, but was headed when less than fluent at the final fence and, thereafter, was involved in a ding-dong battle with the favourite, Any Second Now, all the way up the run-in. In receipt of 12lb, he finally bested that rival in the last half-furlong, staying on well to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths. The pair pulled 20 lengths clear of the third horse home, Delta Work, with Santini a close fourth, a further length-and-a-quarter behind.

Waley-Cohen was actually handed a nine-day suspension by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) for breaching whip rules in the closing stages. However, granted that he had already announced that Noble Yeats would be his last ever ride, the suspension proved to be of little consequence.

Corach Rambler

admin March 8, 2026

Owned by a seven-strong syndicate known as ‘The Ramblers’ and trained by Lucinda Russell in Milnathort, Kinross-shire, Corach Rambler justified favouritism in the 2023 Grand National in the hands of Derek Fox, winning by two-and-a-quarter kengths, despite idling in the closing stages. Prior to Aintree, Corach Rambler had done the same thing when just holding on to win the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, for the second year running, on March 14, 2023. Importantly, though, that victory came after the Grand National weights were officially announced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on February 21, such that he could contest the National off an unchanged handicap mark of 146, rather than a revised mark of 156.

Effectively 10lb ahead of the handicapper, Corach Rambler made steady headway from midfield after Valentine’s Brook, went third two out and led over the final fence. Shaken by Fox, he soon went clear and, although he downed tools to some extent close home, he was always doing enough to win. Three Irish-trained horses, Vanillier, Gaillard Du Mesnil and defending champion Noble Yeats filled the places.

After three unsuccessful starts in 2023/24 – one of which, to be fair, was a 13-length fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup – Corach Rambler returned to Aintree for the 2024 Grand National. Despite racing off a handicap mark 13lb higher than the previous year, he was sent off marginal third favourite, at 15/2, behind 7/1 joint-favourites I Am Maximus and Limerick Lace. Neither his handicap mark nor his starting price mattered much, though, because he stumbled and unseated Fox at the first fence and was knocked over at the second when running loose. After failing to finish in the Punchestown Gold Cup on May 1, 2024 when, according to Russell, “he never looked happy”, he was retired from racing two weeks later.

Rhyme ‘N’ Reason

admin March 5, 2026

Owned by Juliet Reed and trained by David Elsworth, Rhyme ‘N’ Reason won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse as a six-year-old and emerged from a spell in the doldrums to become a leading contender for the 1988 Grand National. In 1987/88, he won four of his eight starts prior to the National, including the Racing Post Chase at Kempton in February and fell four from home, when still in contention, in the 1988 Cheltenham Gold Cup, won by Charter Party.

Ridden by regular jockey Brendan Powell Snr and saddled with 11st 0lb, Rhyme ‘N’ Reason was sent off 10/1 joint-second favourite for the Grand National, alongside Lean Ar Aghaidh, whom he had beaten at Kempton, and behind only 17/2 favourite Sacred Path. It would be fair to say that his task was made easier when Sacred Path fell at the very first fence, but he would still go on to win under remarkable circumstances.

At Becher’s Brook on the first circuit, Rhyme ‘N’ Reason blundered, went down on his haunches on the landing side and was all but out of the race. Powell did well to stay in the saddle and, although relegated to last place, gave his mount time to recover. After crossing the Melling Road towards the end of the first circuit Rhyme ‘N’ Reason made steady headway and, five fences from home, was left in the lead when Little Polveir blundered and unseated rider. At the penultimate fence, he was headed by Durham Edition, trained by Arthur Stephenson and ridden by Chris Grant, but rallied on the run-in to win by four lengths. Monanore finished third, a further 15 lengths behind and West Tip fourth, eight lengths further back.

The memorable victory for Rhyme ‘N’ Reason was not without cost. He was subsequently diagnosed with a fractured hock, more than likely sustained during his Becher’s Brook mishap. In any event, he underwent surgery on the injury the following day and never raced again. Indeed, he required further life-saving surgery to remove a chip of bone from his hock later in 1988, but recovered to enjoy what his owner described as a “muddy retirement” at her Woodhaven Stud, near Newbury, Berkshire.

One For Arthur

admin March 5, 2026

Owned by Belinda McClung and Deborah Thomson, collectively known, for racing purposes as ‘Two Golf Widows’, trained by Lucinda Russell in Milnathort, Kinross-shire and ridden by Derek Fox, One For Arthur won the Grand National in 2017. In so doing, he became just the second horse trained in Scotland, after Rubstic in 1979, to win the world-famous steeplechase.

One For Arthur made a successful start to his 2016/17 campaign, winning at Kelso and Warwick either side of finishing a close fifth in the Becher Chase, over the Grand National fences, at Aintree. In the latter contest, he stayed on well from two out over a seemingly inadequate three-and-a-quarter miles and was going on at the finish, highlighting his claims as a bona fide Grand National contender. However, his progressive form did not go unnoticed by the handicapper, such that, when he lined up in the Grand National on April 8, 2017, he was 21lb higher in the weights than at the start of the season.

Sent off at 14/1 fifth favourite, One For Arthur was patiently ridden at Aintree, but made steady progress from the rear early on the second circuit, moved into contention at the second-last fence, where he had a minor coming together with favourite Blaklion. He jumped through to lead over the final fence and, although Cause of Causes, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by amateur Jamie Codd chased him all the way to the line, he was never making any real impression and One For Arthur passed the post four-and-a-half lengths to the good. Winnning trainer Russell said of him, “He has done us proud, done Scotland proud and done everyone at the yard proud.”

After his Grand National triumph, One For Arthur did not see a raceccourse again until the 2018/19 season, when he unseated rider on his first two starts before finishing sixth in 2019 Grand National, 26 lengths behind the winner, Tiger Roll. After three more unsuccessful starts, and a wind operation, he was due to run in the 2020 Grand National, but with that race cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he was retired from racing the following November.

Red Rum

admin March 5, 2026

The winner of the Grand National an unprecedented three times, in 1973, 1974 and 1977, is one of the most famous, if not the most famous, racehorses in British history. He was bought, for 6,000 guineas, by trainer Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain on behalf of owner Noel Le Mare after finishing fifth in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in 1972. McCain famously trained him, unconventionally, on the sands of Southport, which allowed to overcome pedal osteitis, a chronic hoof disease.

In 1973, when ridden by Brian Fletcher, Red Rum was considered the villain of the piece by some observers, despite being sent off joint-favourite and winning the National in a course record time. The other joint-favourite, Crisp, trained by Fred Winter and ridden by Richard Pitman, made most of the running and was still 10 lengths clear halfway up the run-in, but stopped to nothing in the closing stages, allowing Red Rum, who was receiving 23lb, to sweep by in the dying strides and win by three-quarters of the length.

In 1974, Red Rum, himself, was saddled with 12 stone, but was still sent off at 11/1 third favourite on his attempt to become the first horse since Reynoldstown, in 1936, to record back-to-back victories in the Grand National. He did so with something in hand, coming home seven lengths ahead of former dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner L’Escargot, to whom he was conceding 1lb. Two weeks later, Red Rum carried 11 st 13lb to victory in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr, thereby becoming the only horse to win both races in the same season.

Red Rum finished second in the Grand National for the next two years, behind L’Escargot in 1975 and Rag Trade in 1976. However, he returned to Aintree, as a 12-year-old, in 1977 when, in the hands of Tommy Stack – who had replaced Fletcher after he fell out with McCain – he came home in splendid isolation, 25 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, Churchtown Boy. As BBC commentator put it, “You’ve never heard a reception like it at Liverpool. Red Rum wins the Grand National.”