1989 Grand National label owned by the son in law of Little Polveir's trainer, Toby Balding 1989 Grand National The 1989 Grand National (officially known as the Seagram Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 143rd renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 8 April 1989. The race was won in a time of 10 minutes 6.9 seconds and by a distance of 7 lengths by Irish 12-year-old Little Polveir, ridden by jockey Jimmy Frost. West Tip was second and The Thinker finished third. Fourteen of the 40 runners completed the course. The
1999 Grand National attracted the attention of punters. Her 10/1 starting price also had a lot to do with her being partnered by champion jockey Tony McCoy, which countered the three negatives of the horse being a seven-year-old, French-trained, and a mare (no horse of her age, sex or nationality had won the race for over 40 years). She was travelling well, at the rear of a leading group of 12 runners when she fell heavily and fatally at Becher's Brook on the second circuit. Other popular fancies in the market were 1998 Scottish National winner Baronet, 1997 and 1998 Grand National runner-up