Tipperary Tim

Tipperary Tim’s victory in the 1928 Grand National remains one of the most extraordinary tales in the race’s history, a win thanks to of sheer luck and perseverance against all the odds. Starting at 100/1, the ten-year-old wasn’t fancied at all, he was having his first attempt at the race and hadn’t shown much to think he would come out on top at Aintree.

This would be the first of back to back runners that would win the Grand National at odds of 100/1, two very unpredictable years.

Tipperary Tim was the rank outsider in a field of 42 runners, ridden by amateur jockey William Dutton, a solicitor by trade who was riding in his first National. Despite that, Tipperary Tim turned a race plagued by chaos into a moment of glory for the pair.

The 1928 Grand National unfolded under dreadful conditions, dense fog covered the course, and torrential rain turned the ground into a complete mess. The race probably shouldn’t have been run, such was the state of the weather at Aintree.

These factors contributed to a race of attrition, with horses falling or being pulled up at nearly every fence. By the time the field reached Canal Turn on the second circuit, only seven remained in the race.

Disaster struck again two fences from home, where Easter Hero, the 7/2 favourite, stumbled and unseated his rider, triggering a pile-up. This took out all but two horses, Tipperary Tim and Billy Barton.

Moments later, Billy Barton’s jockey, Tommy Cullinan, was thrown off just before the final jump, leaving Tipperary Tim as the sole survivor to cross the finish line. His official winning distance was recorded as distance, with Billy Barton remounting to take second.

Just two finishes, the lowest ever recorded, highlighted just what a tough test this day was, a race that went ahead, but I don’t think there would have been any complaints if it was cancelled.

A year later, Tipperary Tim would return to try and defend his crown, with conditions much better this time around. However, in this particular year, the horse would not be able to complete and unseated his rider at the 15^th fence.

Full Results