Grand National the run-in and, two strides from the finishing post, he pipped the tiring Crisp to win by three-quarters of a length in what is arguably the most memorable Grand National of all time. Red Rum finished in 9 minutes 1.9 seconds, taking 18.3 seconds off the previous record for the National which had been set in 1935 by Reynoldstown. His record was to stand for the next seventeen years. Two years before the 1981 Grand National, jockey Bob Champion had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and given only months to live by doctors. But by 1981 he had recovered and
1953 Grand National 1953 Grand National The 1953 Grand National was the 107th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 28 March 1953. The race was won by eight-year-old Early Mist at odds of 20/1. Early Mist was the first of trainer Vincent O'Brien's three consecutive Grand National victories, and his jockey, Bryan Marshall, would also go on to win a second successive National the following year on Royal Tan. Of the 31 that started, 5 finished. Mont Tremblant was 2nd, Irish Lizard was 3rd, Overshadow finished 4th and Senlac Hill was last