Owned by Lois Duffey, trained by Kim Bailey and ridden by amateur Marcus Armytage, Mr Frisk won the 1990 Grand National in a time of 8 minutes and 47.80 seconds, smashing the previous record set by Red Rum in 1973 and posting the first sub-nine-minute National. The winter of 1989/90 was one of the driester and warmest on record, such that by the time April 7, 1990 rolled around, in the absence of a watering system, the going at Aintree was officially described as ‘firm’. Nowadays, the Grand National is run over a distance a furlong-and-a-half shorter than it was in 1990, but the course is judiciously watered, when required, to provide going on the softer side of good, so it is conceivable that the course record may never be broken.
Mr Frisk warned up for the Grand National with a creditable fourth, under Armytage, in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Challenge Cup. An exuberant jumper, he was in his element on the sun-baked ground at Aintree and sent off at 16/1 to make a winning Grand National debut. He was ridden prominently, but the complexion of the race changed when Uncle Merlin, who had made most of the running, blundered and unseated Hywel Davies at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit.
Left in the lead sooner than expected, Armytage refused to panic and, although challenged by the well-fancied Durham Edition from the final fence, did not reach for his whip until the famous Elbow, halfway up the run-in. When he did, Mr Frisk responded to his urgings and held on well to beat Durham Edition by three-quarters of a length, a little more comfortably than the winning distance might suggest.
Three weeks after his Grand National triumph, Mr Frisk was sent off favourite for the Whitbread Gold Cup (now the bet365 Gold Cup) at Sandown Park. He jumped well and made all the running, beating the luckless Durham Edition eight lengths into second place. In so doing, he became the first and, so far, only horse to win both races in the same season. Mr Frisk returned to Aintree for the 1991 Grand National but, on unfavourable rain-softened ground, was tailed off when pulled up after Becher’s Brook on the second circuit.