1840 Grand National: Results, Runners & Fallers

The 1840 Grand National was run on good ground, but despite the relatively decent conditions on the day, only three of the 13 runners managed to complete the course and finish.

Leading the runners home was Jerry, who returned with a starting price of 12/1, one of the fancied outsiders but not amongst the favourites. The horse would come away to win the race by four lengths, ahead of Arthur in second and Valentine in third, the only other two runners to finish.

Just like the years before, many of the press were highly critical of the race and the safety of those taking part.

This was heightened further when Tom Olliver fell, and given his condition after the fall, many nearby spectators thought he had died when they saw his condition afterwards. Luckily, he hadn’t, but this was just one of many early stories from the race that showed there was little regard for welfare in the early years, this was an incredibly dangerous race.

Jerry was having his one and only start in the Grand National when winning here, he would not return to defend his title at any point.

George Dockeray was the winning trainer, and he was a man who had an excellent Grand National record in the early years. If you discount the first three runs, classed as unofficial, then he would have three winners from the first four years of the contest.

He won in 1839 with Lottery, then won here with Jerry before taking the 1842 race with Gaylad. Ten years later, in 1852, Miss Mowbray would give him a fourth and final win in the Grand National.

With 11 runners in a 15-year spell, as the race began, Dockeray was one of the big early supporters of the Grand National and had a strong grip of the race in its infancy.

The winning rider on the day was Bartholomew Bretherton, who was having his second Grand National ride overall but first in an official race. This would be the only time he would win the race, which would come from a total of eight runs in his riding career.

Results

Non Finishers