Red Alligator was a champion

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

who won the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...

in 1968. He also came third the previous year and was favorite in 1969 but fell at the 19th fence. Red Alligator was the third horse in succession to carry exactly 10 stone. He was the fifth since the end of the Second World War to win while carrying exactly 10 stone in weight and began at 100-7.

Grand National record

Red Alligator was a nine-year-old when he won in 1968. Owned by Mr J Manners, he was trained by

Denys Smith Denys Smith (13 August 1924 – 13 November 2016) was a British racehorse trainer whose horses competed in both Flat racing and National Hunt racing. Smith's training stables were located at Bishop Auckland in County Durham. He trained the winn ...

in County Durham and ridden by

Brian Fletcher Brian Fletcher (18 May 1947 – 11 January 2017) was an English jockey known for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 and 1974 and for second place in 1975. He first won the Grand National at the age of 20, in 1968 ridi ...

. His S/P for the race was 100/7. Jockey Fletcher was 19 at the time and went on to ride

Red Rum Red Rum (3 May 1965 – 18 October 1995) was a champion Thoroughbred steeplechaser. He achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years, 1975 and ...

to his first two victories in the Grand National. In the previous year's race, Fletcher had also ridden Red Alligator but had been one of the many whose chances were thwarted by the infamous “Foinavon pile up” at the 23rd fence. The jockey had remounted, but without a clear run up due to the melée took three attempts to clear the fence and finished third to

Foinavon Foinavon (1958–1971) was an Irish racehorse. He won the Grand National in 1967 at odds of 100/1 after the rest of the field fell, refused or were hampered or brought down in a mêlée at the 23rd fence. The fence was officially named after ...

. Red Alligator was then favourite in the 1969 race but fell at the 19th fence. He was rumoured to be drugged in the stables before the start as he did not run anywhere near to his full potential

Commemorations

Red Alligator's Grand National win was commemorated by a local brewery who renamed a pub near Denys Smith's farm outside Bishop Auckland in his honour. Smith was a regular in the popular pub/restaurant and told stories from his training days. The stables which housed Red Alligator were within a few hundred yards of the pub but have since been demolished. However, his photos are still featured in the pub named after him.

External links

Red Alligators grand national site

Red Alligators pedigree

Video of Red Alligator winning the 1968 grand national
* http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/horseracing/11405313.In_memory_of_Denys_Smith___Talking_Horses_2014__Raising_a_glass_to_one_of_the_greats_of_North_East_racing/
Racing Post
{Not a typo, def, initly-has-great-chance-of-being-the-next-red-national-hero/280138 1959 racehorse births Thoroughbred family 14-f Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom

Grand National record

Commemorations

See also

External links