1993 - The Race that Never Was

So much has been said and written about the 1993 Grand National which famously became known as "The race that never was". As far as I am concerned the reason the race failed was down to a combination of  administrative error, protesters, human failing and downright bad luck.

The day started badly. My Sporting Life Grand National Edition did not contain the Grand National pull out so I had to buy the paper twice. I was watching the race on my own for the first time. (Bizarrely the only other National I tried to watch on my own was 1997 - I always make sure I have company now). I wondered why the horses had got to the start so early, ten minutes ahead of schedule. After ten minutes of walking around in the wet, patience was wearing thin and the tape which had been blowing in the wind was beginning to ominously sag, weighted down by the rain that was lashing relentlessly on the runners and riders. The starter Keith Brown finally calls the horses into line and for one brief moment it looks as if they are ready to go.  Brown is just about to pull the lever and shout "come on" when suddenly some of the jockeys stand up in their stirrups and start pointing down the course. In an instant the horses are asked to back off from the starting gate and take a turn. The BBC chose not to let us know the reason for the delay but  it was fairly obvious. We had seen this before in 1991 - animal rights protesters, a small dedicated but  deluded band of people who despise all that the National (and horse racing in general) stands for. In a crude attempt to disrupt proceedings some had invaded the course by the first fence. It takes another ten minutes for the Police to clear the course. The jockeys get wetter, the horses more irritable, the crowd more impatient. The atmosphere is more like a bear pit with the crowd baying for action. Two of the runners, Chatham and Royle Speedmaster have clearly had enough. Chatham, on the inside is digging his heels into the turf and is refusing to move, Royle Speedmaster is anxiously turning on the spot. Brown`s biggest mistake of the day was not to let the horses go there and then but this was his last National start before retirement and he wanted it to look good. He keeps them waiting for what seems an eternity. When he finally pulls the lever the tape snags and catches the chin of Direct. To the boos of the crowd he waves his red flag and announces a false start.

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By now I was on the edge of my seat. The first recall actually makes good viewing. Won't Be Long Gone and Latent Talent both get to the first fence (ironically this proves to be the nearest they will get to it), others don't get so far. "They're being called back with commendable ease" says the BBC's Peter O'Sullevan. Another wait, the crowd are baying for blood now, when will this race start ? Finally after another excruciating wait they`e "off".

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But no - "it's a recall". By now my nerves have completely gone and I am in the kitchen (no doubt sitting with my head between my legs). By the time I had got my breath back and had returned to the TV  I could see that the field were approaching the first fence. "They're going to jump the first, they're going to" cries O` Sullevan. I didn't even realise there was a problem at first. I couldn't see the tape wrapped around Richard Dunwoodys neck. I didn't notice the smaller than usual field jumping the first fence. It is not until they jump the fourth fence and John Hanmer says, "I don't know why they're going on, it's not a race" that I realise we`ve had another false start and that this race won't count. My word collapses around me.

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Thirty had started, nine remained at the start. Dunwoody was in the process of being garrotted by the tape. What was not around Dunwoodys neck was wrapped around the legs of Travel Over who comes to a painful stop after jumping the first. By the time they jump Bechers only one horse has fallen, an outsider Farm Week at the fourth fence. It was obvious now that once one had gone we were at the point of no return. Sure Metal and New Mill House dispute the lead with Romany King and Cahervillahow. Party Politics is "handy" at the Canal Turn. Fortunately falls are few, the fancied Royal Athlete comes down at the ninth, outsider Senator Snugfit at the tenth. Quirinus, the Slovakian raider is about two fences behind. As the runners thunder back onto the racecourse for the first time no one knows quite what to do. Surely the race must be stopped ? How hard would it have been to put a corden around the Chair ? A line of security guards by the water ? The Aintree executive in their wisdom placed two traffic cones on the take off side to the Chair which could and were easily brushed aside by the leaders.

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Now I am no rider. I haven't sat on a horse for over forty years and my riding experience was limited to being led around on ponies at church fetes. It is therefore possibly unfair of me to criticise the heroic National jockeys risking life and limb for my entertainment. But - surely the jockeys still going realised that something was wrong ? Surely they heard the boos instead of cheers as they jumped the water ? Did they not see nine horses and riders milling around at the start, trainers and stable staff frantically looking for their horses? Fortunately some did notice all this and several pulled up including all of the most fancied runners, Captain Dibble and Peter Scudamore, Garrison Savannah, the red-hot favourite Zetas Lad, Party Politics and all the horses at the rear, Stay on Tracks, David's Duky, Direct, Mister Ed and the tailed off Quirinus. But some went on. Maybe I can sympathise with Seamus O'Neill the rider of Sure Metal and Andy Orkney (ironically a qualified optician) on Howe Street. These were journeymen jockeys, rarely in the spotlight. This was their moment of glory, they were leading at halfway in a Grand National and were still going well. What about all those that followed ? Those that turned a blind eye to the mayhem. Look at the video of the race as the horses cross the Melling Road for the second time, look at the jockeys standing up in their irons looking around them. Have you ever seen that in a "normal" National ? No - neither have I.

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In all fourteen horses went on, Howe Street, Sure Metal, Cahervillahow, Romany King and Adrian Maguire having his first ride, Esha Ness (holding my each way slip) Givus a Buck, On the Other Hand, Interim Lib and The Committee with in rear, Laura's Beau, Paco's Boy, Bonanza Boy, Joyful Noise and The Gooser.

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At the twentieth Howe Street and Sure Metal are punished for leading the field a merry dance as they crash to the floor. Joyful Noise refuses and Paco's Boy is also down followed by the tailed off The Gooser at the twenty-first. "They're sensing something's wrong but none of them are game enough to pull up" calls Jim McGrath as they reach the twenty-third. It is too late. They couldn't stop now. Interim Lib unseats his rider at the Canal Turn and a tailed off Bonanza Boy refuses at Valentines. There are six left in with a chance, Romany King and The Committee with Esha Ness tucked closely behind. John White, riding a perfect waiting game, touches down over the last in the lead and draws clear of the fast finishing Cahervillahow with Romany King third, The Committee fourth, Givus a Buck fifth, On the Other Hand sixth and Laura's Beau a distant seventh. No desperate finish, no punching the air for White. All in all it is a little subdued. Then the "anguish" on John White's face as he pulls up. I used to feel sorry for White - I am not sure if I do now.

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Before the recriminations one must remember that no one died, only eight horses fell and all returned home safely. The television afterwards makes gripping viewing and I have managed to watch it again. I am perhaps one of the few people who did not erase their recording in disgust. I cannot watch the start as the wait is too torturous but the rest is just about bearable.  A bemused Des Lynam tries to make sense of what is going on.

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So who was to blame for the biggest disaster in Grand National history ? Recall man Ken Evans (paid £25 for his day's work) and Keith Brown (or "Captain Cockup" as he was to become known) took most of the flack in the media. The Captain certainly should have let them go sooner the first time but the second time his flag didn't unfurl. Ken Evans waved the flag the first time but not the second but then if the starters flag did not unfurl he couldn't see it. Why were the horses at the start so early ? Animal rights protesters ? The National is one of the country's leading sporting occasions yet it was easy for protesters to get onto the course and disrupt the race. This had happened before the start in 1991. Had no lessons been learnt ?

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The tragedy was that this was a good line up. Party Poitics, looking to become the first horse to win back to back Grand Nationals since Red Rum had a real chance of doing so. He could have been a National great. The 1991 Gold Cup Winner, Garrison Savannah, so cruelly denied victory in 1991, injured in 1992 and past his best thereafter. The favourite Zeta's Lad who had run up a sequence of five straight victories including a brilliant win in the Racing Post Chase. He was trained to the minute for the race and his trainer John Upton was bullish in the preliminaries beforehand. Never have I seen a trainer so confident. Upson who had "sweated blood" to get his horse ready for the race, said a few unwise things in the heat of the moment in the immediate aftermath of the race and his career never quite recovered. Zeta's Lad would return twice more for new connections but he was not the horse he was in 1993.  Captain Dibble, winner of the Scottish National in 1992 looked to be the best chance Peter Scudamore had of victory in a race that had hitherto eluded him. Scudamore announced his retirement from riding within the week. There were other good horses too, Won't Be Gone Long, impressive winner of the John Hughes Trophy in 1990, Hennessy Cognac winner, Chatham and former top novice Royal Athlete who had just run the race of his life to finish third in the Gold Cup. You could make a case for nearly all of them. This was probably the best line up of the decade.

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To the class of 1993 - what happened to them ?

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Quirinus, who had a wasted journey from Slovakia did return twelve months later and Bonanza Boy, Captain Dibble, Chatham, Esha Ness, Garrison Savannah, Lauras Beau, Mister Ed, New Mill House, Pacos Boy, Party Politics, Riverside Boy, Roc de Prince, Romany King, Royal Athlete, Sure Metal, The Committee and Zetas Lad all lined up again. 

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Stay on Tracks & Rowlandsons Jewels had run in the 1992 race.

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For nineteen horses 1993 was their only chance. Joyful Noise a former winner of the AF Budge (now Tripleprint) Gold Cup at Cheltenham trained by Alan Jarvis was giving son Tim only his second ride having been unplaced in 1987. The pair got as far as the twentieth where they refused three times. Cahervillahow trained in Ireland by "Mouse" Morris got significantly further and was one of the seven to complete the course, finishing strongest of all in "second" place. A talented but ultimately unlucky horse he had lost the 1991 Whitbread Gold Cup in the stewards room.  He was tragically killed, breaking a leg on the gallops, when being prepared for another chance at the National the following year. The Gooser, another Irish trained runner who ignored all pleas to stop continuing until sprawling at the twenty first when some way behind. One can perhaps sympathise with jockey Kevin O'Brien for not stopping as he had only got as far as the third fence in three previous attempts. The grey Howe Street had the opportunity of redeeming himself in the inaugural John Parrett Chase run over the National fences the following November. Ridden by Adrian Maguire he again led all the way until falling, this time at the second last. Davids Duky had won a Warwick National and was one of the slowest away, hampered by the fall of Farm Week at the fourth. Farm Week, was the only National ride for Sean Hodgson.  Neither were seen at Aintree again. Givus A Buck went on to win the Whitbread Gold Cup but like Cahervillahow he was demoted in the stewards room for causing interference to the runner up Topsham Bay who was awarded the race. He went on to finish fifth in the 1996 John Hughes Trophy. On The Other Hand became a regular in the Foxhunters between 1994 and 1996 finishing fifth twice and thirteenth. Northern raider Senator Snugfit ran in the colours made famous by Mr Snugfit in the eighties did not return to Aintree. Direct returned to Aintree for the 1996 Foxhunters where he was sadly brought down at the very first fence. Travel Over carried the colours of Christine Feather which had been made famous by the great Silver Buck winner of the 1982 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Ridden by 1990 hero Marcus Armytage the horse was the races only casualty. With the tape wrapped around his legs he strained a tendon after jumping the first and was pulled up. He never raced again.

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Of those left at the start two, Won't Be Gone Long and Kildimo had both tasted victory over the unique fences, Won't be Gone Long in the 1990 John Hughes Trophy and Kildimo in the inaugural Becher Chase the previous November. Won't Be Gone Long also ran in 1993 Becher where he took crashing fall and he ran unplaced in the 1995 Foxhunters. Kildimo, a contemporary of Desert Orchid had somehow never fulfilled the immense promise he had shown as a novice when amongst others he won the 1987 Sun Alliance Chase at the Festival. His win in the Becher Chase had been very popular and he appeared to have an excellent each way chance in the National which was to have been his final race before retirement. My biggest regret about the void race is that Kildimo never got the chance he deserved. Latent Talent had been favourite for the 1992 John Hughes but he had unseated his rider at the seventh fence. He was killed in the 1995 John Hughes at the following fence. Nos Na Goithe had at least had a run around the course two days earlier when he had finished an excellent third at 25-1 in the John Hughes. His rider Russ Garritty in what should have been his first National ride would have to wait another four years before he could try again. Brian Clifford who partnered Tarquogans Best never got another chance. His mount at 500-1 was probably the worst horse ever to line up in a modern National and in the preliminaries he had appeared to be almost asleep. He did have some talent but rarely showed it. He had refused in the 1991 Foxhunters and had refused in his last five starts before the National including in the John Hughes where he had stopped after crossing the Melling Road. The only girl rider was Judy Davies riding Formula One who had been a useful novice in 1990-91 but had lost his way thereafter. Miss Davies never rode at Aintree again but got to complete the course on Solar Cloud in the John Hughes two days earlier. Royle Speedmaster ridden by the late John Durkan was extremely reluctant to line up and probably would have refused to start anyway. Both he and Formula One were having their only start in the National and although their experience was brief they have the notoriety of being the only two runners in a Grand National to have never jumped a National fence. It`s a good National trivia question