Owned by the late Trevor Hemmings and trained by Willie Mullins, Hedgehunter made his Grand National debut, as an eight-year-old, in 2004, when he was ridden by David Casey. Saddled with 10st 12lb and sent off at 11/1, behind 10/1 co-favourites Bindaree, Clan Royal, Joss Naylor and Juracon II, he was a close third when falling at the final fence.
Hedgehunter returned to Aintree for the 2005 Grand National, in which Ruby Walsh replaced Casey, who had ridden him to victory in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on his previous start. Off a handicap mark 3lb higher than the previous year, he was sent off clear 7/1 favourite to redeem himself and justified his lofty market position with something in hand.
Hedgehunter did give his supporters one slightly anxious moment when Walsh briefly lost an iron at the fence before Becher’s Brook on that second circuit. That problem, though, was nothing compared to those faced by 9/1 second-favourite Clan Royal, ridden by Tony McCoy, whose breast girth broke early in the race and was eventually carried out when a loose horse ran down Becher’s Brook on the second circuit, when six lengths in the lead.
Gifted the lead, Walsh made the best of his way home and, although one of 10 horses still in with a realistic chance of winning approaching the second-last fence, Hedgehunter never really looked like being beaten. He led by four lengths over the final fence and on the run-in drew further and further clear, passing the post 14 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, 40/1 chance Royal Auclair, with 66/1 chance Simply Gifted a head behind in third place.
Hedgehunter also ran in the Grand National again in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 2006, just over three weeks after finishing a close second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he humped top weight of 11st 12lb into second place, six lengths behind the winner, Numbersixvalverde. Hedgehunter carried the same welter again in 2007 and 2008, but was well beaten on both occasions. He was retired after running in the Grand National for the fifth time, at which point Mullins said, “He has been a very special horse, and provided me with the highlight of my training career by winning the National.”