
The 1849 Grand National saw a total of 24 runners go to post, and with conditions bad, just six of them managed to complete and finish. Going on the day was officially described as heavy and soft in places, which made an already tough task even harder for those taking part.
Leading the runner home was Peter Simple, who would win at the age of 11 and with an SP of 20/1, not amongst the leading fancies in the race. This would be the first time that Peter Simple had run in the race. However, he would go on to have a long Grand National career.
He would run five times in the race, all in consecutive years, starting with this one. He would record another win, too, winning the race in 1853 for Tom Olliver. When here in 1850 trying to defend his crown, he would pull up in the race and fail to complete the course, which also happened in 1851 and 1852 as well, before he would win again.
Tommy Cunningham was both the winning rider and winning trainer on this occasion. He would train a handful of horses, and also ride them too for part of his career, and on this occasion, he made the right choice to ride.
In terms of his training career, this was the first of five horses he trained for the Grand National, and he won at the very first attempt. He would have three rides in the race, all on horses that he trained, and this would be the only time he won.
Not only that, but it would be the only time he actually completed a course with any of his runners, whether he rode them or not.
There was some controversy at the start of the race, with a false start taking place, though no one who was part of the false start actually heard the starter calling them back due to the noise of the crowd. Remarkably, despite the starter signalling for a false start, the race was allowed to continue, and afterwards, the result was made official.
Peter Simple was one of the runners who got out early and benefitted from the false start. He led at the start of the race and was never headed, running out an all-the-way winner. At the time, things were overlooked, but you can only imagine the kind of publicity this would get if it were to ever happen in the modern era.
Results
Result | Horse | Starting Price | Age | Handicap | Prize Money | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peter Simple (2) | 20/1 | 11 | 11-00 | £825 | Tommy Cunningham | Tommy Cunningham |
2 | The Knight Of Gwynne | 8/1 | 10 | 10-7 | - | Capt G D’Arcy | Capt G D’Arcy |
3 | Prince George | 4/1 | Unknown | 10-10 | - | Tom Olliver | T Mason |
4 | Alfred | 12/1 | 5 | 10-6 | - | Denny Wynne | Denny Wynne |
5 | Chandler | Unknown | 13 | 12-2 | - | Capt Josey Little | Tom Eskrett |
6 | British Yeoman | 12/1 | 9 | 11-4 | - | William Bevill | Unknown |
Non Finishers
Horse | Fence | Reason | Starting Price | Age | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coriander | 3RD FNC 2ND CIR | Fell | Unknown | Unknown | 10-6 | James Daly | Unknown |
Equinox | 3RD FNC 2ND CIR | Fell | Unknown | Unknown | 9-12 | W Maloney | Unknown |
Kilfane | 4 | Fell | Unknown | Unknown | 11-00 | J Neale | T Harrison |
Proceed | Sunken Lane | Refused | 7/1 | Unknown | 11-11 | Capt William Peel | Unknown |
Sparta | 4 | Brought Down | Unknown | Unknown | 8-12 | Christopher Wakefield | Unknown |
The Victim | 2 FNCS AFT Valentines Brook 2ND CIR | Fell | Unknown | Unknown | 10-11 | William Taylor | Unknown |
Wolverhampton (1) | 4TH FNC 2ND CIR | Fell | 12/1 | Unknown | 11-5 | Bartholomew Bretherton | Bartholomew Bretherton |
Mulligan | Anchor Bridge Crossing 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | Unknown | 5 | 11-2 | William Ford | L Keegan |
The Iron Duke | Table Top Jump 1ST CIR | Pulled Up | Unknown | 5 | 11-00 | Terry Abbot | Denny Wynne |
Tipperary Boy (1) | EARLY 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | Unknown | 5 | 10-9 | G Darby | Unknown |
Arab Robber | MID Canal Side 2ND CIR | Fell | Unknown | 6 | 11-2 | W Phillips | Denny Wynne |
Napoleon | EARLY 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | 50/1 | 6 | 10-8 | William Archer | Unknown |
Khondooz | Bechers Brook 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | Unknown | 9 | 9-10 | H Rackley | Unknown |
The Curate | 4TH FNC 2ND CIR | Fell | 7/1 | 9 | 11-11 | Horatio Powell | Unknown |
Sir John (1) | EARLY 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | Unknown | 11 | 10-10 | V Sharkey | V Sharkey |
Jerry (2) | 3RD FNC 2ND CIR | Brought Down | Unknown | 15 | 10-4 | J S Walker | Unknown |
Chatham | 3RD FNC 2ND CIR | Fell | 20/1 | 10 | 10-6 | John Frisby | Unknown |
Ballybar | 3RD FNC 2ND CIR | Brought Down | Unknown | 9 | 9-12 | H Bradley | Unknown |