National Hunt racing (won 3 times (1973, 1974, 1977), runner up twice (1975, 1976)); Mr Frisk (1990) (the last winner to date to be ridden by an amateur jockey and still holds the record for the fastest time); Aldaniti (1981) (ridden by Bob Champion shortly after he had recovered from cancer. His story was made into a film); and Foinavon (1967) (won at odds of 100/1 after a mêlée at the 23rd fence resulted in the majority of the field falling or refusing. Foinavon was far enough behind at that point to avoid the confusion and ran on to win by 20 lengths.
1927 Grand National 1927 Grand National The 1927 Grand National was the 86th renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 25 March 1927. The race was won by Sprig, the 8/1 favourite ridden by jockey Ted Leader. Leader's father, Tom, trained the winner. It was Sprig's third attempt at winning the National — his owner, Mary Partridge, having kept him in training in memory of her son who died in World War I. At Becher's Brook on the first circuit, Marsin and Lissett III fell and Silver Somme — a popular fancy