
Racing on soft ground, the 1869 Grand National was definitely a test, and just eight of the 22 runners who started the race would be able to complete and finish. Leading them home was The Colonel, a horse who was winning the Grand National at the first attempt.
He would come home in front and take the race by three lengths, winning at odds of 13/1 on the day. Much of the reason for his price was down to the rider, George Stevens, who was a three-time winner of the contest, both horse and trainer were having their first-ever run in the race.
The Colonel would be associated with the Grand National again 12 months later, when he would come back to Aintree and record a second win in the contest, making him one of the few back-to-back winners we have in history. A bid to win the race three times in a row came in 1871, but he could only finish 6th on that occasion, with a huge weight on his back.
As mentioned, George Stevens was the winning rider and this year, he would take his Grand National tally to four, incredibly impressive. A year later, he would partner the same horse again to make it five in the race, but sadly, a year on from that, in 1871, he would die of a fractured skull, which happened when a horse threw him off at home. A five-time Grand National winner, Stevens will always be in the race’s history books.
Winning trainer was R. Roberts, and this was the first time he had ever sent a horse to the Grand National. On top of that, it would also be the only horse he ever sent to the race. He ran three times with two wins, leaving his trainer with a 66% strike race in one of the biggest races at the time.
Results
Result | Horse | Starting Price | Age | Handicap | Prize Money | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Colonel | 13/1 | 6 | 10-7 | £1760 | George Stevens | R Roberts |
2 | Hall Court | 66/1 | 10 | 10-12 | - | Capt Arthur Tempest | T Golby |
3 | Gardener | 66/1 | 7 | 10-7 | - | T Ryan | G Bloss |
4 | Alcibiade | 20/1 | 9 | 11-2 | - | Col George Knox | C Cornell |
5 | Q.C. | 20/1 | 5 | 10-9 | - | E Griffiths | H May |
6 | Despatch | 5/1 | 7 | 10-8 | - | George Ede | W Puttrell |
7 | Globule | 25/1 | 10 | 10-12 | - | George Holman | William Holman Snr |
8 | The Robber | 100/1 | 11 | 11-2 | - | W Jenkins | H Ellison |
Non Finishers
Horse | Fence | Reason | Starting Price | Age | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guy Of Warwick | 2 | Refused | Unknown | 5 | 10-00 | Hiram Crawshaw | Chris Green |
Orne | 1 | Brought Down | 50/1 | 5 | 11-2 | Walter White | T Wadlow |
Barbarian | Bechers Brook 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | Unknown | 6 | 10-10 | George Waddington | Unknown |
Fortunatus | LATE 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | 100/30 | 6 | 11-4 | Johnny Page | A Cowley |
Plum Cake | FNC AFT Bechers Brook 1ST CIR | Refused | 100/1 | 6 | 10-00 | G Spafford | A Yates |
Bishopton | 1 | Brought Down | Unknown | 7 | 10-4 | James Potter | Unknown |
Fan | 2 | Refused | 11/2 | 7 | 10-6 | A Thorpe | G Palmer |
Harcourt | LATE Canal Side 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | 40/1 | 8 | 10-10 | Capt L Harford | C Cornell |
Havelock | 1 | Brought Down | 33/1 | 8 | 11-00 | John Wheeler | W Jarvis |
Huntsman's Daughter | 2ND LAST | Fell | 40/1 | 9 | 10-8 | John Holman | William Holman Snr |
Knave Of Trumps | Bechers Brook 1ST CIR | Refused | 20/1 | 9 | 10-6 | Edwin Martin | T Golby |
Pearl Diver | Table Top Jump 1ST CIR | Fell | 14/1 | 9 | 12-7 | William Reeves | A Cowley |
Dick Turpin | FNC AFT Bechers Brook 1ST CIR | Refused | 40/1 | 10 | 10-00 | J Knott | W Saunders |
The Nun (2) | LATE 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | 25/1 | 9 | 11-9 | Tommy Pickernell | T Golby |