1929 Grand National

The 1929 Grand National was the 88th renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 22 March 1929.

1929 Grand National

Grand National
Location	Aintree Racecourse
Date	22 March 1929
Winning horse	Gregalach
Starting price	100/1
Jockey	Robert W. H. Everett^[1]
Trainer	Tom Leader^[1]
Owner	Mrs. Margaret A. Gemmell^[1]
Conditions	Good to soft
← 1928 1930 →

External video
Silent highlights of the 1929 Grand National (British Pathé)

It had the largest starting field of any Aintree Grand National with 66 horses taking part in the race.^[2]

The race was won by 100/1 outsider Gregalach, and it was the second successive year where a horse with such odds won.^[3] Fourth-placed Melleray's Belle started at odds of 200/1 and was the first horse with odds as wide as this to finish in the top four places since Magpie, also a 200/1 bet in 1886.^[3]

Gregalach was ridden by jockey Robert W. H. Everett and trained by Tom Leader, for owner Margaret Gemmell. Easter Hero, the favourite, finished in second place and Richmond II was third.

Of the 66 runners, all but one returned safely to the stables. One horse, named Stort, incurred a leg fracture in a fall and was euthanised.

Finishing order

Position	Name	Jockey	Age	Handicap (st-lb)	SP	Distance
1	Gregalach	Bob Everett	7	11-4	1100 100/1	6 Lengths ^[4]
2	Easter Hero	John Moloney	9	12-7	1004.5 9/2
3	Richmond II	Billy Stott	6	10-6	1040 40/1
4	Melleray's Belle	James F Mason	10	10-0	1200 200/1
5	May King	Fred Gurney	10	11-2	1066 66/1
6	Grakle	Tim Hamey	7	11-9	1018 18/1
7	D.D.B.	Mr R Gubbins	9	10-11	1066 66/1
8	Delarue	Gerry Wilson	7	10-3	1200 200/1
9	Kilbairn	Mr L Parry	8	10-0	1200 200/1	Last to complete

Non-finishers

Fence	Name	Jockey	Age	Handicap (st-lb)	SP	Fate
?	Camperdown	Kenyon Goode	10	10-0	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Sprig	Tony Escott	12	12-5	1050 50/1	Fell
?	Bright's Boy	Eric Foster	10	10-4	1025 25/1	Fell
?	Koko	Sylvester Duffy	11	12-3	1066 66/1	Fell
?	Great Span	William Payne	8	12-0	1016.6666666667 100/6	Pulled Up
?	Trump Card	Tommy Morgan	11	11-12	1033 33/1	Fell
03	Mount Etna	Ted Leader	12	11-7	1028 28/1	Fell
?	Knight Of The Wilderness	Murtagh Keogh	9	11-7	1040 40/1
?	Billy Barton	Tommy Cullinan	11	11-7	1020 20/1	Fell
?	Lloydee	Dick Rees	7	11-4	1022 22/1	Fell
?	The Ace II	Mr G Evans	7	11-3	1066 66/1
?	Ardeen	Bob Lyall	12	11-2	1025 25/1
?	Carfax	Mr Basil Ancil	13	11-1	1040 40/1
?	Ballystockart	Captain Reginald Sassoon	10	11-0	1066 66/1
11	Stort	T Chisman	10	11-0	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Lordi	Captain Henry Weber	8	11-0	1028 28/1	Fell
?	Master Billie	Mr Monty Rayson	10	11-0	1020 20/1	Pulled Up
?	Le Touquet	T Teasdale	7	11-12	1200 200/1
?	Skrun Prince	Bill Gurney	8	10-12	1022 22/1	Fell
?	Overdraft	Mr R Bennet	7	10-11	1066 66/1
?	Rampant	Harry Misa	9	10-11	1100 100/1
?	Tipperary Tim	Bill Dutton	11	10-10	1100 100/1	Fell
03	Darracq	Mr G S Poole	14	10-10	1040 40/1	Fell
?	K.C.B.	James Hogan jnr	7	10-10	1050 50/1
?	Ardoon's Pride	Dick Thrale	9	10-10	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Sandy Hook	Frank Fish	8	10-9	1100 100/1	Fell
?	Herbert's Choice	J Farrell	8	10-8	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Dwarf Of The Forest	Mr Harry Kennard	12	10-8	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Drinmond	Barney Balding	12	10-8	1050 50/1	Fell
?	Uncle Ben	Pat Powell	8	10-8	1040 40/1
?	Beechmartin	Lewis Rees	8	10-7	1050 50/1
?	Ruddyman	Billy Parvin	10	10-5	1050 50/1	Fell
?	Hawker	Captain A E Grant	15	10-5	1200 200/1
?	Gay Dog II	A Birch	10	10-3	1200 200/1
?	Denburgh	Gerald Hardy	10	10-3	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Sultan of Wicken	T James	10	10-3	1200 200/1
?	Kilbrain	Victor Piggott	9	10-3	1100 100/1	Fell
?	Ballyhanwood	Jack Goswell	8	10-2	1100 100/1
?	Soldier's Joy	Captain Gossage	11	10-2	1200 200/1
?	Irina	J Kelly	7	10-0	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Duke Of Florence	G Turner	8	10-0	1050 50/1
?	Harewood	Dudley Williams	7	10-0	1040 40/1	Fell
?	Mabestown's Pride	Mr D R Daly	13	10-0	1200 200/1	Knocked Over
?	Rathory	Roger Burford	13	10-0	1200 200/1
?	Cloringo	A Wall	8	10-0	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Merrivale II	Fred Brookes	11	10-0	1050 50/1	Fell
?	Miss Balscadden	George Bowden	10	10-0	1200 200/1
?	Odd Cat	J Sinnot	8	10-0	1200 200/1
?	Best Home	Mr G Elliott	8	10-0	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Big Wonder	J Bisggod	9	10-0	1050 50/1
?	Fleet Prince	Mr Fred Thackray	11	10-0	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Kawngo	Arthur Waudby	8	10-0	1200 200/1
?	More Din	A Harroway	9	10-0	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Stage Management	M Doherty	9	10-0	1100 100/1	Fell
?	Theorem	T Costello	12	10-0	1200 200/1	Fell
?	Toy Bell	Danny Morgan	7	10-0	1100 100/1	Fell
?	Wild Edgar	S Regan	9	10-0	1200 200/1	Fell

^[5][6][7]

Media coverage and aftermath

The media largely praised Aintree's decision to fill in the ditch at The Canal Turn in the wake of the pile up that happened there the previous year but the sheer volume of entries again led to criticism, despite Aintree having introduced an additional forfeit stage in the conditions. The Hon George Lambton claimed that the conditions of the race encouraged poor horses to be entered and that the framing of the weights was also unfair and that the top weights should not be forced to burden as much as 35lbs more than those at the foot of the handicap. Aintree responded the following year by increasing the minimum entry age from five to six years, though changes to the handicap remained unaltered until 1960.^[8]

External links

• Newsreel footage of the race from Pathé News

References

1. . Archived from the original on 27 December 2013.
2. "Grand National Facts".
3. "Grand National History".
4. "1929".
5. "Aintree 1929 Grand National".
6. The Grand National 1839-1930 by David Hoadley Munroe
7. "1929".
8. Sporting Life Souvenir Magazine, 4 April 1987, page 22