In the 186-year history of the Grand National, just five winners have been returned at treble-digit odds and the most recent of them was Mon Mome, trained by Venetia Williams and ridden by Liam Treadwell, in 2009. However, unlike some of the out-and-out no-hopers, such as Tipperary Tim (1928) and Foinavon (1967), who fully deserved to be sent off at 100/1 and were the beneficiaries of calamitous accidents, Mon Mome had form in the book that suggested his starting price was overly-generous.
Sixth in what is now the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, eighth in the Grand National and ninth in the Scottish Grand National in 2008, Mon Mome had won at Cheltenham on his second start back that autumn, as the result of which he was sent off favourite for the Welsh Grand National over Christmas. He failed to trouble the judge in that prestigious contest, as he did in the Grand National Trial at Haydock and the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter, and was unconsidered as a Grand National prospect.
Nevertheless, despite what was, at the time, a career-high mark of 148, there was no fluke about his second attempt over the National fences. Held up early, he made steady headway towards the end of the first circuit, worked his way into contention approaching the second-last fence and led narrowly over the final fence. The 2008 winner, Comply Or Die, who was conceding 6lb, was marginally quicker away from the final obstacle, but Mon Mome soon re-took the lead and, with Treadwell (who was having his first ride in the National) riding like a man possessed, drew right away on the run-in to win by 12 lengths. Comply Or Die held second, 1¼ lengths ahead of My Will, with State Of Play fourth, a further 4½ lengths away.
“How can you ever expect that?” said Williams afterwards, adding, “It’s the race that everyone wants to win. That’s known all over the world, but you always assume that it’s out of reach.” Mon Mome ran in the Grand National twice more, falling five from home behind Don’t Push It in 2010 and being pulled up at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit behind Neptune Collonges in 2011.