2009 Aintree Grand National

Last year was a bookmakers benefit in a result that saw a 100/1 outsider take the honours, although the placed horses were well fancied the layers were relieved when the winner Mon Mome drew away on the long run in to land what was right up to the last fence one of the most hotly contested GRAND NATIONAL’S in recent years with a large group of horses all in contention. Punters had latched on to A.P.McCoy’s mount Butlers Cabin on the evidence of what might have been if he had cleared BEECHERS BROOK second time round the year previous and was going as easy as any at that stage he eventually was bet down to be the 7/1 favourite on the off. The 2008 winner Comply Or Die was again very popular with the each way punters and started at 14/1 to be the first horse since Red Rum to win back to back GRAND NATIONALS. Other horses to attract big support in the market were My Will, Rambling Minster and the Irish plunge horse Black Apalachi. The race itself was delayed slightly by horses trying to get to the front but eventually the starter was satisfied with the line and away they went.

At the first we lost both Himalayan Trail and Golden Flight who both fell independently. Again at the second we lost another two of the contenders in Oliie Magern and Brooklyn Brownie some supporters had their interest gone early in the contest.

Just like at the first and at the second we lost another two this time national stalwart Chelsea Harbour fell and brought down Reveillez. At this rate of casualties the race was looking as if we would have very few finishing the four and a half marathon but we were in for one of the best nationals for many a year.

But between the fourth and the eleventh(which included the famous BEECHERS BROOK) there was only one more faller and that was the better fancied of the Venetia Williams duo Stan the other being the eventual winner Mon Mome.

Musica Bella a 100/1 shot was the only before they reached the fifteenth (THE CHAIR) it was at this fence we lost the favourite for the 2008 GRAND NATIONAL the usually reliable jumper Cloudy Lane who unseated his rider. At the last on the first circuit(THE WATER JUMP) we lost another outsider in the shape of Zabenz.

Eurotrek never made it to the first on the second circuit as he had enough and pulled up.The punters who had thought Cant Buy Time looked a good each way bet in the race had their hopes dashed as he fell at the eighteenth where Fleet Street pulled up. The gambled on Rambling Minster got no further than the nineteenth where his jockey pulled him up the remainder of the field cleared the twentieth. Fundamentalist pulled up at the twenty first which surprised very few as the betting reflected but the other casualty brought groans from the large crowds as the well punted Kilbeggan Blade also pulled up out the back. The twenty second fence was where the most casualties took place, front runner Silver Birch tipped up, Parsons Legacy a well punted runner, the outsider Kelami and to the chagrin of those who had taken part in the Irish gamble Black Apalachi their money was in the bookies satchels for keeps.All went over the twenty third and fourth. At the twenty fifth 550/1 shot Knowhere pulled up. Now with only five jumps left the majority of the field started to bunch up front and to pick the winner at this stage was being very optimistic at the least, for those that were betting in running the eventual winner would have been a bigger price than some of his more fancied rivals of whom last years winner Comply Or Die and My Will from the P.Nicholls stable with R.Walsh on board were going as well as any. No fallers at the twenty sixth, twenty seventh and the were getting even more compacted, twenty eighth and twenty ninth came and went in what was the most gripping of finishes, coming to the last seven or eight horses in contention after four and quarter miles of the greatest NATIONAL HUNT race on the planet one more to go and then the long dog leg of the run-in. It was all going to depend on a good jump at the last and who had the most left in the tank. Mon Mome done the first part with aplomb and had plenty in the tank as he proved by pulling away on the run-in to win by 12 lengths from 2008 winner Comply Or Die in second with My Will under two lengths third and another four lengths back to State Of Play in fourth.What A Race one of the classic GRAND NATIONALS