Richard Pitman

Richard Pitman, 75, has been involved with the Grand National, in one form or another for over five decades. He is, of course, the erstwhile husband of Jenny Pitman, who became the first woman to train a Grand National winner in 1983. However, Richard had his first ride in the Grand National aboard the 13-year-old Dorimont in 1967. Dorimont had won the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival three years earlier, but was a 100/1 outsider on the day. Replacing the injured William Shand Kydd, the 24-year-old Pitman, by his own admission, “forgot” about the open ditch guarding the third fence and his mount took a crashing fall, long before the mêlée at the twenty-third fence presented Foinavon with the race.

 

In 1973, Pitman was involved in one of the most famous, and heartbreaking, finishes in Grand National history when Crisp, ridden by Pitman, was caught in the dying strides by Red Rum, ridden by Brian Fletcher, having been 20 lengths ahead jumping Becher’s Brook on the second circuit. “The Black Kangaroo”, as Crisp was affectionately known, was attempting to concede 23lb to Red Rum and, while he may not have won the National, his bold, attacking style won the hearts of the racing public.

 

Pitman made his first television appearance for the BBC at the Grand National in 1976 and remained part of the team thereafter. He was involved in the coverage of the so-called “National that never was” – in which Esha Ness, trained by Jenny Pitman, was first past the post – in 1993 and the bomb scare, which led to the evacuation of Aintree and the only Monday National, in 1997. In 2018, Pitman featured on a panel of experts on an ITV Grand National Special, which included “The Grand National Race of Champions”; in the virtual race, Crisp finished fourth, behind L’Escargot, Red Rum and Hedgehunter.

The Fastest & Slowest Grand National Winner

  • Posted on May 14, 2025
  • /Under Horses

The Fastest & Slowest Grand National Winner It’s uncanny the number of people who remember the fastest winner of the Grand National. Mr Frisk, ridden by Marcus Armytage, in 1990. In fact, a number of anoraks have stated the time 8m 47.8s.

Clearly, speed wins the day.

It is usually followed by someone saying: ‘The ground was Firm.’

Looking at the race via the Racing Post. The Grand National was very much a different beast back in 1990.

You may be asking: ‘What do you mean?’

Well, on the 7th April 1990, the Aintree Grand National was sponsored by Seagram and detailed as a (Listed race). 4M 4f on Firm ground. 30 fences, just as it is today. However, there were 38 runners (not even extraordinary fast going could dent the enthusiasm). Also, and this must be a reflection of inflation, the win prize money was £70,870,60. When you consider today’s win prize money is £500,000 it shows which direction things have gone in 30+ years.

Amazingly, the race was run in a course record, fast by (22.20s).

Only one other horse has run under nine minutes: 2015 – Many Clouds (trained by Oliver Sherwood) at odds of 25/1 (8m 56.8).

That is a long introduction to consider the antithesis and the slowest ever Aintree Grand National winner.

I guess it pays to have a little bit of context.

Now, you may be able to use some logic to appreciate the slowest winner (which seems like a contradiction in terms). However there is a touch of irony about the slowest winner of the Grand National.

We have to go back to the first ever running in 1839. Lottery, a nine-year-old, ridden by Jem Mason, trained by George Dockery and owned by John Elmore. Lottery returned the 5/1f. This gelding won in a time of 14m 53.0s.

You may be Saying: ‘How could Lottery be so slow when Mr Frisk was so fast?’

It should be remembered that back in the day, the burden of being a talented horse saw Lottery carry a welter weight of 12 stone. In fact, Lottery was the hot favourite in 1839 with one Victorian commentator saying: ‘He could trot faster than most of his rivals could gallop.’

It should be noted in the early years (until 1847) the race was called The Grand Liverpool. All horses carried level weight (12 stone). Also, the race itself was dramatically eventful as can be seen when Lottery competed in the 1840 Grand Liverpool.

In the smallest ever field of 13 runners, the 4/1 second favourite: ‘Lottery reached the Stone Wall in front of the stands in second place but clipped the top of the obstacle, falling amid a flurry of dismantled masonry…’

This was a very different time.

Even in those days there were welfare issues for horse and jockey. The press were very critical of the incident at the wall where many spectators thought Tom Oliver has been killed by his fall when he was carried away to the stands.

Adding to the mayhem, P. Barker, riding 30/1 outsider Weathercock was later discovered unattended in a barn near Seed’s farm where none of the connections of his mount had made inquiries to his state.

As a result, the wall was replaced with a water jump for the next running.

To be fair, these early races sound so traumatic, I’m surprised anyone thought about timing the race!

Don’t Push It

Don't Push It In a remarkable career in the saddle, Sir Anthony McCoy rode over 4,000 winners but, as far as the wider public is concerned, achieved his crowning glory when winning the 2010 Grand National on Don’t Push It.

In fifteen previous attempts, McCoy had finished third in the celebrated steeplechase three times – on Blowing Wind twice, in 2001 and 2002, and Clan Royal in 2006 – but never won. Nevertheless, despite being pulled up on his previous start in the Pertemps Network Final at the Cheltenham Festival, where he reportedly ‘appeared to lose interest’, Don’t Push It was the subject of a public gamble, from 20/1 to 10/1 joint-favourite, on Grand National Day.

The market support proved well founded. The 10-year-old was well placed, just behind the leaders, heading out into the country for the second time and, despite making a mistake at the fence after Valentine;s Brook, was one of a group of four horses that drew clear with two fences left to jump. He tackled the leader, Black Apalachi, at the final fence and, although idling on the infamously long run-in, drew away in the closing stages to win by 5 lengths. McCoy later confessed, ‘It means everything to me to win the Grand National.’

Collectively, McCoy, winning trainer Jonjo O’Neill and winning owner John ‘J.P.’ McManus had made 62 attempts to win the Grand National. Don’t Push It was retired in January, 2012, at which point O’Neill reflected, ‘I think we’ll always remember the magical day he won the Grand National…as we had all been trying to win the race for so many years.’