Grand National History 1859 - 1850
Aintree Grand National 1859
"Jean Du Quesne" finished only second to "Half Caste" in 1859, as "Half Caste" the young 6 year old ridden by jockey Chris Green who became a part of a much smaller group of jockeys to win the race twice or more after he previously won in 1850 on what the history books used to record as the first two time winning horse in the Grand National, "Abd-El-Kader". For Chris Green who also trained "Half Caste" it was a very special day as he beat all others to win his 2nd National from 6 races in all on the 7-1 favoured horse.
Aintree Grand National 1858
The 1858 Grand National started with only 16 runners lining up on the 6th of March, a number which was the lowest for quite some time. Those who did race however only ended up trailing to "Little Charley" making his 4th appearance and beating his previous best of 5th in 1856. "Little Charley" started at 100-6 and was never really expected to be in the running, but under the guidance of the jockey who made his 8th appearance and had been runner up himself in 1854 shocked many others to become a part of the special group to have won the event.
Aintree Grand National 1857
The 1857 Grand National, which took place on The 4th of March, saw no less than 7 false starts before it finally got underway and was run under torrential rain. Eleven year-old "Emigrant" who had finished sixth the year before won after an unusual set of events. The horse ridden by Charlie Boyce, who was also the horse's trainer, rode with one arm strapped to his side after a hunting accident earlier on. As the pair were pushing on and trying to avoid the worse sections of the course, Charlie Boyce steered the horse towards the canal towpath by mistake missing out several fences and continuing on to victory.
The turn of events angered several stewards but nothing could be done at the time to alter the outcome of the race. Ever since 1857 Grand National though, all steeplechase fences have carried flags at both ends of the fences to ensure the jockeys stay on course and run the correct circuit.
Aintree Grand National 1856
The runner up a year earlier in 1855 "Freetrader" was back for another attempt in 1856 and surprisingly was a considered unfavourable by many starting as a 25-1 outsider. Those close to the horse and it's team weren't concerned by the long odds as the 7 year old horse improved by one position to win the 1856 Grand National. George Stevens a jockey who like last year's winner had only previously ridden in the event once at Aintree in 1852 and who had failed to complete the race the first time, came back for another attempt steering the "Freetrader" owned by Mr. W Barnett to victory almost twenty years since the first National back in 1836.
Aintree Grand National 1855
20 horses lined up for the 1855 Grand National, the same number as a year earlier, which at the time was lower than had been expected following numbers near the mid twenties and above in years earlier with a record of 32 just 5 years earlier in 1850. 1850 also saw this years winning jockey Mr. Hanlon return for his second race after failing to finish the first time riding "Wanderer" to victory as a 25-1 outsider. "Wanderer" may have been such an outsider due to it being the horses first time at the Grand National, that didn't faze the 10 year old though as he ran an impressive race, which for those who backed him would have been a memorable day.
Aintree Grand National 1854
The 1854 Grand National was won by the horse "Bourton", who began the race as 4-1 favourite, ridden by John Tasker on the 1st of March 1854. The 11 year old who by today's standards would be exceptionally heavy at 11-12 beat our 19 other starters to victory; the 19 starters would also by today's standards be a small field for a Grand National. "Bourton" trained by Mr. Wadlow and owned by William Moseley lived up to it's favourite tag while so many others have failed to produce to come through as a worth Grand National winner.
Aintree Grand National 1853
Running in his fifth Grand National in 1853 the now fifteen-year-old "Peter Simple" won his second National on March 2nd 1853. Ridden and trained by the popular Tom Olliver, who had won a decade earlier and was now champion for a 3rd time in fourteen attempts battled a well fought race which pleased owner Captain Joseph Little who himself had won the Grand National in 1848 on "Chandler". The runner up that same year was Tom Olliver.
Aintree Grand National 1852
"Abd-El-Kader" returned to race again but didn't manage to achieve a three-peat by winning the 1852 Grand National, he pulled up earlier during the race, which was won by "Miss Mowbray" an 8 year-old 10-1 bet. Chris Green the jockey who rode "Abd-El-Kader" to victory in 1850 again had to sit out the race with an injury, which also saw the winning jockey Tom Abbot, the rider who deputized in 1851 unavailable.
"La Gazza Ladra" started the race as 6-1 favourite who came in fifth place trailing "Chieftan" who finished in fourth while "Miss Mowbray" set another record for the quickest time around the course at 9 minutes and 58.5 seconds.
Aintree Grand National 1851
Setting a new record of 9 minutes and 59 seconds and winning for a second year in a row "Abd-El-Kader" the smallest horse ever to win the Grand National was rightly one of the favourites for the race. The fences weren't quite as demanding in 1851 something, which may have never seen "Abd-El-Kader" win the National in the modern day, but still it's a feat that has elevated the horse to a lofty status.
21 Horses lined up at the start, which was the smallest field for five years with Chris Green not returning to ride the winner. The history of the race over the next decade becomes sketchier after several newspapers covered the race less, some even no longer carrying any mention of the results. Even Irish interest dropped somewhat despite the fact that champion "Abd-El-Kader" who won by half a neck was trained in Ireland by owner Joe Osborne.
Aintree Grand National 1850
"Abd-El-Kader" won the 1850 and 1851 Grand National and is recognized as the first dual winner of the event due to the 1836 National's taking place, being questioned because of poor history records and general word of mouth passed down through the years. Owned by Mr. Joseph Osborne and ridden by first Chris Green and then Tom Abbot a year later "Abd-El-Kader" started at 100-3 and ran the race in 10 minutes and 20 seconds winning by a single length to claim the £1000 prize.
Last years winner "Peter Simple" finished fifth after being installed as favourite with 32 horses lining up to create a new record and see for the first time more than 29 starting. There was a huge turnout to watch the Grand National, which had just completed ten years of being hosted by Aintree, mainly due to the excellent weather conditions in the week leading up to February 27th 1850.
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