Moifaa Grand National Wins
- 1904 - ridden by Arthur Birch trained by J Hickey
Moifaa is not your typical Grand National runner or winner, but he did manage to win the race in 1904. When doing so, he was the first non-British and Irish-bred winner of the race.
Of course, in more recent times, horse movement is common, but back in those days, horses very rarely moved around, and certainly not halfway around the world.
Bred in New Zealand, he made quite the move to get to British horse racing, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t recognised by his native racing authorities. In 2014, Moifaa was inducted retrospectively into the New Zealand horse racing hall of fame for his Grand National win.
He wasn’t really fancied in the market for his win, sent off with an SP of 25/1 for his first try of the race. But as the saying goes, the horse didn’t know his price. Of course, given his little experience in Europe, punters simply had nothing to go on with this runner. It was guesswork, hence his big SP.
The race saw tough conditions for the runners, and only nine were able to finish the course. But they didn’t stop Moifaa powering clear, relishing the test he faced, and winning by a distance of eight lengths. It was a strong National. Kirkland was in second, and he would win the 1905 contest.
The uniqueness of his win sent headlines around the globe, and while Moifaa isn’t one of the biggest names associated with the race, he needs to get credit for giving the race a spot in the news in countries that it wouldn’t normally reach during this era.
Full Results
| Year | Result | Prize Money | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | Fence - Fell | - | 11-12 | Bill Dollery | D Marsh |
| 1904 | 1 | £2000 | 10-7 | Arthur Birch | J Hickey |
Unique Myth of Shipwreck Adds Further to Tale of Moifaa
Some Grand National runners have additional stories attached, sometimes nothing to do with racing at all, and one of my favourites of all time is the story around Moifaa.
This has since been proven to be false, and while it’s confirmed that the incident did take place, it involved another horse, and not Moifaa.
It was reported that during his trip to Britain, Moifaa had survived a shipwreck accident. The boat carrying him had sunk to the floor just off the English coast, and the horse would swim to shore himself and get to safety.
It was some time before the myth was proven to be false, which, of course, only added to the legendary status around this horse after he won the Grand National.