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 often 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 certainly 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.’

Who is Derek Thompson?

If I weighed 30 stone and waddled towards the Parade Ring at Great Yarmouth I may hear some shout: ‘Hello, Big Fella!’

I’d look around and see it would be Derek Thompson.

I’ve seen Mr. Thompson at the races on numerous occasions including when my girlfriend entered the Best Dressed Lady Competition at Great Yarmouth. Marlene got in the top ten. As we were walking back Tommo said: ‘You should have won!’

No, he wasn’t talking about my chances!

It’s always a racing certainty that Derek Thompson will be greeted with a warm welcome at courses and he is a natural when it comes to Ladies Day. A true entertainer and good bloke. In fact, he is quite comical without realising and some have even noted he is on the same wavelength as Alan Partridge with his advert for Crown Hotel, Bawtry, Doncaster. His comedic quote: ‘Are you well? I thought you were.’

I’ve been following horse racing for over 30 years and Derek has been a race caller as long as I can remember. But let’s learn a little more about his career as a sports commentator.

Derek Thompson was born on the 31st July 1950 at Stockton-on-Tees, Yorkshire, England. His brother, Stanley, was a horse trainer and Derek rode a few races as an amateur jockey. In addition, he used to ride with the local hunt where he met future Grand National winner Bob Champion, who is a lifelong friend.

Thompson was a natural when it came to sport and commentated on a point-to-point race at the age of 15.

In fact, unknown to many, he worked, unpaid, as an assistant trainer for Denys Smith. Later, he move to Chantilly, France, to be assistant trainer to Pierre Sanoner.

At the age of 18, he began broadcasting for a local radio station which led to an opportunity in 1972 working at London for BBC Radio Sport. He worked alongside Peter Bromley and called a few Grand National races over this period.

His big break came when joining ITV in 1981 and appeared on World Of Sport and midweek racing coverage. His career moved forward in 1985 when he joined the newly formed Channel 4 Racing as a presenter until 2012. He and John McCririck were dropped by the newly formed International Management Group (IMG).

These days, Thompson commentates for At The Races and talkSPORT radio.

In recent years, he has suffered from ill health which led to the biography written by Lee Mottershead titled – Tommo: Too Busy To Die, published by Racing Post Books (2014).

A great read.