Shannon Lass

We don’t see too many mares winning the Grand National, and we also don’t see too many horses running once and winning once in the race. But Shannon Lass is one who completed both of those, a talented mare who mixed it up with the best boys and came out on top.

Going into the race in really good form, there was hope for Shannon Lass, but given she was a mare, not too many people gave her a serious chance of winning the race, and her starting price reflected that.

But she defied everyone who was against her. She was bold from the front, taking the race up and forcing the pace. She stayed better than her rivals on testing ground and jumped very well throughout.

That all led to her being clear in the final stages, winning by a comfortable margin. Given the manner of her performance, the way in which she took apart the field, and of course, the fact that she was a mare, she was very well received by those in attendance at Aintree.

It was another success for the same family that was involved with the 1901 race, too, as Shannon Lass was a half-sister to Grudon, who won the race a year earlier. The pair shared the same dam, who would no doubt have been in high demand for breeding after this result.

Not too many mares contest the Grand National, and very few win it, but Shannon Lass will go down as one to do exactly that.

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