2012 Grand National by Ginger McCain, the father of Ballabriggs' trainer Donald McCain, Jr. Among the early favourites for the race – alongside Ballabriggs – were Junior (trained by 2008's winning trainer David Pipe), Synchronised (the winner of the Lexus Chase on 28 December 2011 and later the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup), Weird Al (winner in the October 2011 Charlie Hall Chase), and Midnight Chase (first in the Cotswold Chase on 4 February 2012). Synchronised was attempting to become the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to win both the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year. Handicap weights were
1991 Grand National complete the course for the first time. He also lined up for a fifth and final time in the void race of 1993 and retired from racing in 1994 spending his days opening fetes and local events before dying in 2011 at the age of 30. Garrison Savannah came to Aintree bidding to be only the second horse ever, and the first for over half a century to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year. In partnership of Mark Pitman, son of trainer Jenny Pitman, the pair were well placed throughout and turned for home