Throughout its long and distinguished history, the John Smith’s Grand National has attracted overseas interest. The first success for an American owner came in 1923. Sergeant Murphy had been bought by John Sanford, a carpet trader, and given to his son, Stephen, who was then at Cambridge University.
Having come fourth (after being remounted) in the 1922 renewal, the 13-year-old Sergeant Murphy turned out the following year to win by three lengths at odds of 100/6.
Sergeant Murphy fi nished fi fth the following year, one place behind Sanford’s other entry, Drifter, and in 1925 the veteran chaser came 10th. Sanford was still seeking the double, running Mount Etna (fell) and Bright’s Boy (third) in 1926.
The winner, Jack Horner, had been bought by well-known American polo player Charles Schwartz for £4,000 only two weeks before. Easter Hero’s fall when in the lead caused mayhem in 1928, but he started the 9/1 favourite 12 months later. Owned by the American millionaire Jock (Hay) Whitney, the nine-year-old had just won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and was carrying top weight of 12st 7lb. He led for most of the race, jumping at a terrifi c pace, but a spread plate slowed him down and 100/1 outsider Gregalach went ahead between the last two fences, leaving Easter Hero to be the gallant runner-up.
American interest in the National reached new heights in 1930 when Whitney, Sanford and Dick Mellon were respectively represented by Sir Lindsay (third), Sandy Hook (knocked over) and Glangesia (fourth). Easter Hero tried again in 1931 and started 5/1 favourite, but the 11-year-old was knocked out of the race at Becher’s Brook.
In 1933, American sewing-machine millionaire F Ambrose Clark sold the seven-year-old Kellsboro’ Jack to his wife for £1 on the advice of trainer Ivor Anthony in the hope that a new owner would bring more luck. Starting at 25/1, Kellsboro’ Jack won by three lengths, with 1932 Maryland Hunt Cup winner Trouble Maker finishing 15th.
America’s third National win came in 1938 via Battleship, owned like Trouble Maker by Marion du Pont Scott, wife of Hollywood star Randolph Scott. The 11-year-old entire Battleship stood at just 15.2 hands, but had won the American Grand National in 1934 before being sent to England to be trained by Reg Hobbs. At Aintree he was ridden by the 17-year-old Bruce Hobbs, the youngest victorious rider. An American flavour returned in 1963 with the seventh home Owen’s Sedge being owned by Gregory Peck, the film actor.
American owners were back in the winner’s circle in 1964 with the 18/1 chance Team Spirit, who was owned by Ronald B Woodard, John K Goodman and Gamble North.
The following year the prize crossed the Atlantic again, thanks to the Pennsylvanian-bred Jay Trump, who had twice won the Maryland Hunt Cup for Mary Stephenson, and was ridden by American amateur Tommy Crompton Smith.
This run of success continued with Highland Wedding in 1969, co-owned by Thomas H McCoy Jnr and Canadian Charles Burn, while The Beeches, who finished fourth, was owned by Paul Mellon. American-owned horses have continued to make their mark, providing winners in Raymond Guest’s L’Escargot in 1975, Redmond C Stewart’s dual Maryland Hunt Cup winner Ben Nevis (ridden by American amateur Charlie Fenwick) in 1980, Lois Duffey’s Mr Frisk in 1990, and most recently Betty Moran’s Papillon in 2000.
Crisp, the courageous Australian gelding, led his field a merry dance in 1973, and went clear, only to be beaten on the line by Red Rum who was to become the Grand National’s finest hero. The Japanese jockey Tsuyoshi Tanaka was a first fence faller on The Committee in 1995.
Earlier in the 1990s, the participation of Spanish amateur Jose Simo (13th on Gallic Prince in 1990) evoked memories of his compatriot the Duke of Alburquerque. The Duke, born in 1918, completed (one week after breaking his collarbone) in eighth place on Nereo in 1974, but was better known for his failures. His first appearance in the Grand National in 1952 resulted in a fall, as did three further attempts, in 1963, 1965 and 1976, in the course of which he became a regular guest at local hospitals.
Two pulled-ups, in 1966 and 1973, were a relief to onlookers, and in 1977 he was declared medically unfit to ride in the race by the Jockey Club. Horses trained in Hungary, the former Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic and Norway have all run in previous John Smith’s Grand Nationals, although none of the raiders has ever completed the course. Their record is:1868 Buszke Hungary pulled up;1931 Gyi Lovam Czechoslovakia fell, remounted, fell;1961 Reljef USSR fell, Grifel USSR pulled up;1986 Essex Czechoslovakia pulled up; 1987 Valencio Czechoslovakia fell; 1991 Fraze Czechoslovakia pulled up; 1993 Quirinus Czech Republic flagged down 1st circuit race void; 1994 Quirinus Czech Republic unseated rider; 2000 Trinitro Norway fell.
Former Russian premier Georgi Malenkov was the guest of Aintree’s owner, Mrs Mirabel Topham, in 1956 and five years later the Russians sent over National challengers Grifel and Reljef. Grifel’s jockey Vladimir Prakhov was pulled out of the saddle by the reins at Becher’s, re-mounting before he pulled up at the water. Reljef parted company with Boris Ponomarenko at Valentine’s Brook.
Gyi Lovam, the first Czechoslovakian challenger in 1931, came to grief at Becher’s, was remounted but fell again four fences later. The Czech-trained Essex, Fraze and Quirinus all carried automatic top-weight but failed to complete: the hard-pulling Essex showed
prominently for a while in 1986 but Fraze was tailed off when pulled up in 1991 and the Velka Pardubicka winner Quirinus was a long way behind when he had to be pulled up after a circuit in the void race of 1993. The 2000 renewal saw the first Norwegian trained
runner in the shape of Trinitro, but he got no further than the first fence where he fell.
