Merryman II Grand National Wins
- 1960 - ridden by Gerry Scott trained by Neville Franklin Crump
The winner of the 1960 Grand National was Merryman II, a horse who won the Grand National for the first time of asking and almost made it back-to-back wins a year later.
He would run in the race three times in total, completing the course on every occasion. A win in 1960 was followed by 2nd in 1961 and then 13th in 1962, his final attempt.
When he won the race, he became the first Scottish-bred winner. Despite that stat against him, he was very well-favoured by the public. Sent off as favourite on the day at odds of 13/2, he went against another stat because he was the first winning favourite in the race for 33 years.
Trainer Neville Crump would look after the horse, and he knew what it took to win the Grand National, having won the race twice before, in 1948 and 1952. This would be a third and final success for him as a trainer.
Regular Rider Survives Injury to Win Grand National
Plenty of drama surrounded the contest, and one of the main issues concerned Gerry Scott, Merryman II’s regular rider.
He’d got a connection with the horse and was desperate to ride such a fancied horse in a big race like the Grand National a year earlier, which would see him make his debut in this race.
But two weeks out, Scott would break his collarbone, which put his participation in doubt. While he wouldn’t have been at 100% on the day, he was deemed fit enough for the ride, took it, and was able to win.
When going out for the ride, Scott was wrapped in bandages from his neck down to his waist to help cover the injuries he had and give him a little cushioning if he was to hit the floor. The rules around jockey fitness back in 1960 were far more relaxed than the present day.
Winner of the First Televised Grand National
The year 1960 was a real milestone in the Grand National for reasons other than Merryman II. It was the first time that the race had been televised.
This greatly increased interest around the race, and while plenty of people would have seen highlights before, the novelty of watching the race live certainly increased the numbers watching and the interest around betting.
His success makes him the answer to a quiz question. If it ever comes up for you, remember that Merryman II was the winner of the first televised Grand National.
Merryman II’s Big Race Wins

In 1959, a year before his Grand National success, Merryman II would show everyone he could win a race of this nature.
He would win back-to-back big races, and not only that, but both have a history of providing Grand National winners, so they were great races to win as prep runs.
To begin, Merryman II would win the Foxhunters Chase at Aintree, a race which used the Grand National fences. This key experience would prove to be vital for Merryman II, giving him a taste of what it takes to jump around the course.
Then he would follow that up with another big win a month later, landing the Scottish Grand National. This staying test proved his stamina, so in the space of one month, Merryman II had shown both his ability to jump around Aintree racecourse and also his stamina for this race.
This was prime Grand National form, and 12 months later, he would go to Aintree and land the big one in style.
Full Results
Year | Result | Prize Money | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | 13 | - | 11-8 | David Dick | Neville Franklin Crump |
1961 | 2 | £2208 10s | 11-12 | Derek Ancil | Neville Franklin Crump |
1960 | 1 | £13134 10s | 10-12 | Gerry Scott | Neville Franklin Crump |