1993 Grand National
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The 1993 Grand National (officially the Martell Grand National Chase Handicap Grade 3) was scheduled on 3 April 1993 to be the 147th running of 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 ...
horse race 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 p ...
, held annually at
Aintree Racecourse Aintree Racecourse is a horse racing, racecourse in Aintree, Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, bordering the city of Liverpool. The racecourse is the venue for the Grand National steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase, whi ...
near
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, England. It was the first and so far only time that the
steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
was declared void, after 30 of the 39 runners began and carried on racing despite there having been a
false start In sports, a false start is a disallowed start, usually due to a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Depending on the sport and the event, a false start can result ...
. Seven of the field even went on to complete the course, with Esha Ness crossing the finishing post first, in what would have been the second-fastest time.On this day: 3 April 1993
Grand National ends in 'shambles'
, ''bbc.co.uk'' The
Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amo ...
decided not to re-run the race, and as a result it has often been called "the race that never was".Paul Hayward
"Racing: Day of disaster for National"
, ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', 4 April 1993John White,
3 April 1993: Esha Ness 'wins' the Grand National that never was
", ''The Guardian'', 3 April 2010 Bookmakers were forced to refund an estimated £75 million in bets staked. The Jockey Club launched an inquiry which led to a number of changes in the starting and recall procedures in future races.


Circumstances


False start

The meeting at Aintree had been beset by problems before the race. Fifteen
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protesters invaded the course near the first fence (as had also happened at the 1991 Grand National) resulting in a delayed start. A first
false start In sports, a false start is a disallowed start, usually due to a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Depending on the sport and the event, a false start can result ...
was caused by several riders becoming tangled in the starting tape. Starter Keith Brown, who was officiating his last National before retirement, waved his red recall flag and a second official, Ken Evans, who was situated 100 yards further down the track, in turn signalled to the leading runners to turn around. At the second attempt, the tape became tangled again – around the neck of jockey
Richard Dunwoody Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE (born 18 January 1964 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a retired British jockey in National Hunt racing. He was a three-time Champion Jockey. Racing career Dunwoody's race victories include the King George VI Chase ...
– and Brown called another false start. However, this time his recall flag did not unfurl as he waved it. As a result, 30 of the 39 riders set off around the track, oblivious to the recall.Class of 93
, ''Grand National Anorak''


First circuit

Officials, trainers and the crowd tried desperately to halt the race, but the majority of the field continued racing. By the
Becher's Brook Becher's Brook ( ) is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the and fence, as well as on four other occasions du ...
(the sixth fence) only one of the 30 still competing had fallen: outsider Farm Week at the fourth, who hampered David's Duky in the process.
Royal Athlete Royal Athlete (1983 - 2003) was a British-bred racehorse whose most famous victory was the 1995 Grand National at Aintree, ridden by 24-year-old Irishman Jason Titley at odds of 40/1. He had previously won several important races including the Lo ...
had gained popularity with the public after finishing third in the
Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs ( ...
and was sent to post at 17/2, providing Ben de Haan, the
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winning jockey, with his 11th and final ride in the race. He fell at Valentine's (the ninth). One fence later, outsider Senator Snugfit fell. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's commentary team, consisting of
Peter O'Sullevan Sir Peter O'Sullevan (3 March 1918 – 29 July 2015) was an Irish-British horse racing commentator for the BBC, and a correspondent for the Press Association, the ''Daily Express'', and ''Today''. He was the BBC's leading horse racing commen ...
, John Hanmer and Jim McGrath continued to describe proceedings, periodically reminding viewers that "it's got to be a void race". It was not until the water jump – the final fence of the first circuit – that many riders became aware of the situation and pulled up, including champion jockey
Peter Scudamore Peter Scudamore MBE (born 29 June 1958), often known as 'Scu', is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was an eight-time Champion Jockey (including one title shared with John Francome), riding 1,678 winning horses in his c ...
on Captain Dibble,
Garrison Savannah The Garrison Savannah in the country of Barbados, is a horse racing venue located within the Garrison Historic Area, just outside the capital-city Bridgetown. A clockwise grass course, the Garrison Savannah is known internationally for the annual ...
, and Zeta's Lad, who was widely considered by tipsters as the form horse in the field, having raced unbeaten in his five starts that season, including beating Romany King in the ''Racing Post'' Chase at Kempton two months prior. Most of the horses at the rear were pulled up too, including Stay on Tracks, David's Duky, Direct, Mister Ed and the tailed-off Quirinus. Captain Dibble was the
Scottish Grand National The Scottish Grand National is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of about 4 miles (3 ...
winner in 1992 and vied for favouritism for the Grand National until a few days before the race. Scudamore had turned down a host of competitors to take the ride in his 13th National, and the pair were sent off at 9/1. Scudamore saw trainer
Martin Pipe Martin Charles Pipe (born 29 May 1945), is an English former racehorse trainer credited with professionalising the British racehorse training industry, and as of 2021 the most successful trainer in British jump racing. The son of a West-Coun ...
waving at him near the water jump to stop. The jockey had never won the National in his previous 12 attempts, and retired from racing a short time later.
Party Politics A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...
, who won the 1992 Grand National with partner
Carl Llewellyn Carl Llewellyn (born 29 July 1965) is an assistant racehorse trainer to Nigel Twiston-Davies and a retired Welsh professional National Hunt jockey. Llewellyn won the Grand National on two occasions along with the Welsh Grand National and Scottish ...
, was also pulled up after the water jump when in a good position. Since his Aintree victory the previous April he had run unimpressively in two chases without Llewellyn in the saddle before they were reunited to win the Greenhalls Gold Cup at
Haydock Haydock is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 11,416 Haydock's historic area covers the Haydock electoral ward and a section of the Blackbrook ward. Haydo ...
in February. As defending champion, and with his jockey taking his fourth ride in a Grand National, the horse was popular with the public who had backed him down to 7/1 favourite at the start.


Second circuit

Fourteen horses continued racing onto the second circuit, led by Sure Metal and Howe Street who between them held a decent lead until they both fell at the 20th fence. This put Romany King into the lead, which he held on to until being passed at the final fence and finishing third. The horse had been narrowly beaten by Party Politics in the previous year's National but had won just one of his six races since, a moderate event at Exeter in November. He shared pre-race favouritism with Party Politics until shortly before the start when he drifted to 15/2 joint-second favourite. His Irish jockey,
Adrian Maguire Adrian Maguire, born 29 April 1971 in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland, is a racehorse trainer and former jockey. Maguire began his career in Irish pony racing at the age of nine, in which he rode more than 200 winners. In 1990 he rode his first ...
, was one of nine riders making their debut in the race. One fence later, at the 21st, Joyful Noise refused, Paco's Boy fell, as did the tailed-off The Gooser. Interim Lib unseated his rider at the
Canal Turn The Canal Turn is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is jumped during the Grand National Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse, located near Liverpool, England. Named for the Leeds ...
and a tailed-off Bonanza Boy refused at the same fence. Seven runners remained and went on to complete the course: Romany King, The Committee, Esha Ness, Cahervillahow, Givus A Buck, On The Other Hand and a distant Laura's Beau. As they crossed the Melling Road before approaching the penultimate fence, commentator Peter O'Sullevan declared the unfolding events "the greatest disaster in the history of the Grand National." As they came to the elbow, on the 494-yard run-in to home, Cahervillahow, Romany King, The Committee and Esha Ness remained tight and vying for position. But it was 50/1 shot Esha Ness, ridden by John White, trained by
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and owned by Patrick Bancroft, who crossed the line first, in the second-fastest time in Grand National history. Cahervillahow came home second despite trailing in fourth at the elbow, Romany King was third and The Committee fourth. Givus A Buck completed in fifth, with on the Other Hand and Laura's Beau completing the seven finishers of the National that never was.


Aftermath

Initially there was confusion as to what would happen next. Keith Brown, the race starter, was interviewed briefly by the BBC and alluded to the possibility that the nine jockeys who noticed and obeyed his recall could be eligible to take part in a re-run. Several jockeys said that they thought the officials attempting to stop them were actually protestors. Esha Ness's jockey John White said of the latter stages of the race: "I could see there were only a few horses around, but I thought the others had fallen or something." Romany King's jockey
Adrian Maguire Adrian Maguire, born 29 April 1971 in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland, is a racehorse trainer and former jockey. Maguire began his career in Irish pony racing at the age of nine, in which he rode more than 200 winners. In 1990 he rode his first ...
said: "Going to The Chair, I wondered what the hell was going on because I saw a fellow wandering nonchalantly across the fence. There were two cones in front of it, but the horses still in the race all kept going." The Jockey Club later declared the race void, ruled out any re-running of it, and launched an inquiry. Bookmakers were forced to refund an estimated £75 million in bets staked. Zeta's Lad trainer John Upson was among those trainers who were particularly angry, feeling, correctly as it transpired, that this was his only chance to have a leading contender in a National. Before the race Upson had said: "I'm not someone who always thinks their horse is going to win, but this year I just have a feeling." The horse was in mid-division taking the water jump but was instantly pulled up as jockey Robbie Supple, riding in his third National, realised the race was not on. Upson later revealed: "The reason I really blew my top was, that once the initial fiasco had happened, there was the starter standing there saying, 'Right, I'm disqualifying everything, apart from the nine that didn't go. I'll start the race again with nine runners.' At that stage I just thought the world had gone completely mad. The adrenaline was going and I was jumping up and down."


Investigation

An inquiry was chaired by High Court judge Sir Michael Connell, the deputy senior steward of the Jockey Club since 1988. His report apportioned some blame to Keith Brown for allowing the horses to get too close to the tape, but most blame to Ken Evans, the official further down the track, for failing to notice the second false start.David Lister,
Officers, gentlemen and a Grand National flag chap
", ''The Independent'', 15 June 1993 Brown retired later that year and said: "It was very sad for all concerned. Whatever could go wrong that day did." A working group produced a 34-page report with recommendations following the official inquiry, which was approved by the Jockey Club. Considerable public discussion had arisen over the possibility of introducing electronic devices, such as horns or flashing lights, to provide a fail-safe starting and recall system. The use of modern technology however was dismissed on the basis of a lack of total success overseas, and being open to sabotage and technical failure.Richard Edmundson,

", ''The Independent'', 26 August 1993 The tape at the start line was made more sturdy, consisting of three strands instead of one, and in a more distinctive pattern; the width of the start was also reduced. If a false start is called, two officials (in contact with the starter by radio) will wave fluorescent yellow flags at jockeys. Further up the course, a third official will be positioned so as to arrest those who fail to notice the two initial flags. If necessary, the third official will follow the field in a car to stop them.
Andrew Parker Bowles Brigadier Andrew Henry Parker Bowles (born 27 December 1939) is a retired British Army officer. He is the former husband of Queen Camilla. Early life and family Andrew Parker Bowles was born on 27 December 1939 as the eldest of four children to ...
, who chaired the working group which produced the recommendations, said he was confident that the exceptional circumstances of the 1993 National would never be repeated: "You start 7,000 races a year with flagmen and it went wrong just three times last year, but one of them was the Grand National. It won't happen again."


Race card


References


External links


1993 race
at ''Grand National World''. {{good article 1993
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 ...
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 ...
20th century in Merseyside
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 ...