1878 Grand National: Results, Runners & Fallers

1878 Grand National Winner ShifnalA 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