A total of 12 runners would take part in the 1878 Grand National, and leading the runners home to win the race was Shifnal.
He would win the race by a distance of two lengths and was returned with a starting price on the day of 100/15.
For Shifnal, it was a case of third time lucky, after previously running in the race on two other occasions. He would come 3rd in 1876, a really good effort, but could only finish 9th in 1877, a year before this success.
The race was run on good to soft ground, and with a little less weight on his back, plus the advantage of jumping around Aintree twice before, Shifnal was able to come home in front.
Shifnal would return to the race two years later, in 1880, but wasn’t able to complete the course and was pulled up.
The horse was trained by John Nightingall, a man who was having his first Grand National win at the time in what was his ninth bid to win the race. He would go on to have further success, winning the race with Ilex in 1890.
John Jones was the winning rider, a man who would only have one Aintree Grand National success in his career, but he was an excellent pilot who was able to navigate the tricky course. From a total of 10 rides, he was able to complete the course nine times, which is impressive.
He would finish second in the race on two occasions, including a year later in 1879, when he rode Jackal.
Results
Result | Horse | Starting Price | Age | Handicap | Prize Money | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shifnal | 100/15 | 9 | 10-12 | £1665 | John Jones | John Nightingall |
2 | Martha (2) | 20/1 | 7 | 10-9 | - | Tommy Beasley | Henry Linde |
3 | Pride Of Kildare | 6/1 | 7 | 11-7 | - | Garrett Moore | J H Moore |
4 | Jackal | 12/1 | 10 | 10-11 | - | James Jewitt | James Jewitt |
5 | Miss Lizzie | 25/1 | 5 | 10-7 | - | William Hunt | J Cannon |
Non Finishers
Horse | Fence | Reason | Starting Price | Age | Handicap | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Curator | LATE 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | Unknown | 5 | 10-5 | E P Wilson | James Jewitt |
His Lordship | 1 | Brought Down | 9/2 | 5 | 10-7 | Robert I’Anson Jr | Robert I’Anson Jr |
Boyne Water | LATE 2ND CIR | Pulled Up | 5/1 | 6 | 10-12 | Jimmy Adams | S Harding |
Northfleet | 1 | Fell | 100/7 | 6 | 10-3 | C Lawrence | C Lawrence |
Verity | 1 | Refused | Unknown | 7 | 10-10 | W Gregory | W Clay |
The Bear | 1 | Brought Down | 100/8 | 5 | 10-4 | Richard Marsh | Richard Marsh |
Tattoo | 1 | Fell | 33/1 | 6 | 10-3 | W D Canavan | Unknown |