We saw a shock in the 1995 Grand National, but in terms of the winning trainer, this was someone who knew all about the race. Jenny Pitman was the winning trainer, taking home her second Grand National title, and she also won ‘the race that never was’ in 1993, a race that was run, then void after due to a false start.
Back to this year, though, and the winner Royal Athlete was towards the bottom of the betting at 40/1 and not generally fancied. However, that didn’t stop him on the day, and not only did he win, but he did so in an impressive fashion, taking the race by seven lengths.
Results
| Result | Horse | Starting Price | Age | Handicap | Prize Money | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Athlete | 40/1 | 12 | 10-6 | £118,854 | Jason Titley | Jenny Pitman |
| 2 | Party Politics | 16/1 | 11 | 10-2 | £44,586 | Mark Dwyer | Nick A Gaselee |
| 3 | Over The Deel | 100/1 | 9 | 10-00 | £21,893 | Mr Chris Bonner | Howard Johnson |
| 4 | Dubacilla | 9/1 | 9 | 11-00 | £9,515 | Dean Gallagher | David Nicholson |
| 5 | Into The Red | 20/1 | 11 | 10-00 | £4,358 | Richard Guest | J White |
| 6 | Romany King | 40/1 | 11 | 10-00 | - | Mr Marcus Armytage | Kim Bailey |
| 7 | Master Oats | 5/1 | 9 | 11-10 | - | Norman Williamson | Kim Bailey |
| 8 | Riverside Boy | 40/1 | 12 | 10-00 | - | Charlie Swan | Martin Pipe |
| 9 | Garrison Savannah | 16/1 | 12 | 10-00 | - | Warren Marston | Jenny Pitman |
| 10 | Topsham Bay | 20/1 | 12 | 10-00 | - | Philip Hide | Josh Gifford |
| 11 | Cool Ground | 50/1 | 13 | 10-00 | - | Paul Holley | David Raymond Cecil Elsworth |
| 12 | Ebony Jane | 20/1 | 10 | 10-00 | - | Adrian Maguire | Dermot K Weld |
| 13 | Gold Cap | 50/1 | 10 | 10-6 | - | Graham McCourt | Philip Hobbs |
| 14 | Crystal Spirit | 12/1 | 8 | 10-4 | - | Jamie Osborne | Ian A Balding |
| 15 | For William | 100/1 | 9 | 10-00 | - | Conor O’Dwyer | Michael “Mouse” Morris |
Non Finishers
What Happened In The 1995 Grand National?
The entire race in 1995 was taken up by one horse, and that was Master Oats. Faller when in with a big chance in the 1994 Grand National, and since then, winner of both the Welsh Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup, this horse was at the top of his game.
He carried a big weight, with many of the other runners out of the handicap because of his rating, so he had 11st 10lb on his back, while most others carried the minimum of 10st. He also took a big share of the betting market and was sent off as the 5/1 favourite.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t carry the big weight around Aintree and would eventually finish seventh.
Onto the winner, though, which was Royal Athlete, he wasn’t fancied in the betting but did deserve a little respect from his previous runs. What didn’t help his price was the fact that he wasn’t a clear-cut Grand National contender from the yard. He was one of six runners for Jenny Pitman, at the time the biggest number of runners in the race from the same yard. She was desperate to win the contest again after the mess of 1993.
Royal Athlete jumped the last fence in the lead but had plenty of challengers behind him, including horses that had previously won the race and proved their stamina up the run-in. After that jump, though, Royal Athlete powered clear, and the only one of the challengers that could stick with him was 1992 Grand National winner Party Politics, though his challenge didn’t last too long. In the end, nothing could live with Royal Athlete, and he won the race by seven lengths.
The jockey on the day was Jason Titley, who was having his first ride in the contest, and certainly started with a bang. This would be the second official win for Jenny Pitman in the Grand National, but in the third term, her horse has crossed the line in the first place, given she had the 1993 winner.
In the aftermath, Pitman praised the owners of the horse for persuading her to put him in the race. She was wanting to run him in the Scottish Grand National, which would take place a week later, and thought he had a great chance to win that. However, she put the horse in the big one, thanks to the persistence of the owners wanting a runner, and in the end, it all paid off.
Japan Get Involved With Grand National Coverage After Jockey Takes Part
There was something new and exciting for the Grand National in 1995, with the arrival of a new country, both in terms of viewership and also a jockey. Japan came on board, with interest in the country growing due to Japanese rider Tsuyoshi Tanaka taking a ride in the race.
Unfortunately, it didn’t go to plan for him as his mount, The Committee, fell at the first fence. The horse had previously got round Aintree in 1993, finishing fourth, but couldn’t get around. That means despite the interest from Japan, a Japanese rider is yet to negotiate a single Grand National fence.
This was the first year that Japan had broadcast the race due to their interest, but they must have been impressed, as they have held broadcast rights ever since, despite no other Japanese jockeys, trainers or horses taking part.
Moments Of Note
- Jenny Pitman became the first female trainer to win this race in 1983 and won it for the second and final time of her career here with Royal Athlete.
- Pitman had six runners in the race, at the time a record for the number of horses under the same trainer running in the contest.
- Master Oats won the Cheltenham Gold Cup before arriving at Aintree, carrying a huge weight and forcing many runners out of the handicap, but could only finish seventh.
- Bottom weight It’s A Snip carried 10st, but on official ratings, they should only have carried 6st 6lb, due to the difference in rating between him and Master Oats. He fell on the first circuit.