Galvin Grand National Wins
Galvin has never won the Grand National.
Their best finish to date was in 2024 where they came 4th. They were ridden by Sam Ewing and trained by Gordon Elliott.
A multiple-graded winner, and a horse that has run some great races at the very highest level of racing, Galvin is one of the leading names in the Gordon Elliott yard. Foaled in 2014, the horse has gone through the grades and really taken to staying chase races.
As part of his career, he’s run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, as well as running in a completely different test, the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, showing his versatility but also his ability to stay on long trips.
Full Results
| Year | Result | Prize Money | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | £52,700 | 11-2 | Sam Ewing | Gordon Elliott |
| 2023 | Fence 1 - Unseated Rider | - | 11-11 | Davy Russell | Gordon Elliott |
Galvin’s Early Years
Galvin began his racing career with a bang and won his first five starts. The first two of those were both national hunt flat races, winning his debut in July 2018 by seven and a half lengths and following it up with a win on his second start by 16 lengths.
Hurdling would come next, and he’d keep up his impressive start with a win on debut at Perth, followed by a win on his second start at Navan and third start at Ayr. In March 2019, the horse would run in the Grade One Ballymore Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, running a good race to finish sixth, but that would ultimately be the end of his unbeaten run.
After that run, he would finish the season off by finishing second in a very strong novice hurdle at Ayr and would then turn to chasing the following season.
Chasing didn’t quite go to plan for the horse initially, he would fall on debut and not win during his first season over fences. He did run well on occasions, though, including finishing second in a novice handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
As a second-season novice, the penny would finally drop, and the horse won four in a row between July and October 2020 before a winter break. Those included a Grade Three novice chase, and when the horse returned after his break, he would head to the Cheltenham Festival, and bag the biggest win of his career to date, landing the National Hunt Chase, a 3m6f test, showing for the first time, a genuine love of stamina testing distances.
Galvin’s Big Race Wins
In the early part of his career, Galvin picked up a lot of wins, but none of those came in good races, he would have to wait until he went novice chasing, and his second season of that, before he would win at a good level.
His first win would be a Grade Three success at Tipperary, winning in good style by just over three lengths. In March 2021, he would win again in a big contest, a Grade Two event this time, the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, a race for novice chase runners, which Galvin still was at the end of his second season.
He may have only won by one and a half lengths that day, but it was a very good race, he stayed very strongly in the contest and put himself into the Gold Cup picture for the following season with that win.
On return to racing, he would win a Grade One event on his seasonal reappearance, something that saw his Gold Cup odds shorten dramatically. He won the Grade One Savills Chase at Leopardstown, beaten A Plus Tard, who would eventually go on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. That’s where we saw Galvin next, but he could only finish fourth.
His most recent big race win came at the start of the following season, returning from a break to win a Grade Three chase at Punchestown in October 2022 and doing it well by five and a half lengths.
While he didn’t win at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, the horse did once again show his staying ability. This time it was in the 3m6f Cross Country Chase, a race trainer Gordon Elliott had previously used for his Grand National contenders, and Galvin would finish second in this race behind stablemate Delta Work.
2023 Grand National
Galvin’s Grand National debut came in 2023, and given his runs over long trips prior and his ability to jump fences well, he looks like the type that is tailor-made for the test that Aintree brings. However that was not to be in 2023. The race for Galvin started and finished within a matter of yards. He unseated Davy Russell at the very first fence along with a few other horses.
2024 Grand National
Returning for another shot, less weights and more confidence after the 2023 fiasco at the first. Long odds at 40/1 was inevitable based on his 2023 – 2024 season so far; not placing in the top three for any of his races.
A much better, almost text book attempt at the race, no mistakes, kept with the pack. The steadier pace this year and space afforded due to the lower field of 34 riders will likely have played a positive part for Galvin. At the third last fence, Galvin had a surge and this would have certainly pricked up his punters ears, however Delta Work and I Am Maximus had that extra strength and drive to leave him behind. He had an excellent race. Looking at his previous form we do wonder if perhaps he has passed his stronger days.