Facts and Figures

1. Only 12 favourites won in the whole of the 20th century – and only eight market leaders have been successful since 1960. However, this does include five winners since 1996; Rough Quest in 1996, Earth Summit in 1998, Hedgehunter in 2005 & Comply or Die in 2008 (all four starting at 7/1) and Don't Push it in 2010 (10/1 joint favourite).

2. It is a myth that outsiders always win the National; since 1990 no fewer than 16 of the 23 winners have started between 7/1 and 16/1, with all of these featuring in the first ten in the betting. However, in the last seven years we have seen winners at 100/1, 66/1 and 33/1 (twice)!

3. Only ten winners have started at less than 10/1 in the last 50 years – the five horses named above, West Tip (1986), Grittar (1982), L’Escargot (1975) and Red Rum (twice, in 1973 and 1977). The shortest priced winner in the last century was Poethlyn at 11/4 in 1919, but no horse has won at odds shorter than 7/1 since L’Escargot in 1975.

4. Five horses have won at 100/1 – the 2009 winner Mon Mome joined a select group that includes Foinavon in 1967, Caughoo in 1947, Gregalach in 1929 and Tipperary Tim in 1928 (when only two horses finished).

5. The trend for ratings has shifted downwards in the nineties and noughties, with 18 of the last 23 winners rated between 136 and 150. For the decade between 1999 and 2008, all ten winners were rated between 136 and 144.  However, the four winners between 2009 and 2012 were rated between 148 and 156, perhaps pointing to a return to classier horses winning the race. Prior to 1999 all bar one of the previous 15 winners were rated between 147 and 157.

6. Since 1990, 16 of the 23 winners carried a weight of between 10 stone 3lbs and 10 stone 12lbs – just an nine-pound margin. All bar two of the last 28 winners have carried 11st 1lbs or less. Again, the exceptions have occurred in recent years, with Don't Push It winning the race off 11st 5lb in 2010 and Neptune Collonges carrying 11st 6lb in 2012.

7. In the last 35 years, only six winners have carried over 11 stone to victory – 2012 hero Neptune Collonges had the biggest weight of any National winner since Red Rum in 1977. The only other horses to successfully defy a weight over 11 stone in this period were Don't Push It on 11st 5lb in 2010, Hedgehunter on 11st 1lbs in 2005, Corbiere on 11st 4lb in 1983 and Grittar on 11st 5lb in 1982. Only Red Rum has succeeded with top weight since 1936.

8. Only 19 horses have been placed carrying more than 11 stone in the last 21 years, but crucially this includes 12 in the past six years. All bar four of the 24 horses placed in the last six Grand Nationals have carried between 10st 9lb and 11st 6lb, suggesting that the middle of the weight range is now ideal.

9. In the last 31renewals (from 1982 onwards), just 20 out of the 124 placed horses have been from out of the handicap (i.e. carrying 10 stone or less). In fact, since Smarty finished runner-up behind Red Marauder in the mud in 2001 no horse with the minimum weight has finished in the first four (although all horses have run from within the handicap in seven out of the last nine runnings).

10. Since 1969, only four horses have won carrying the minimum weight of 10 stone (and only nine in whole of the 20th century); Rubstic (1979), Little Polvier (1989), Lord Gyllene (1997) and Bobbyjo (1999) all won from out of the handicap.

11. While recent winning form is not essential, of the last 25 winners all bar three finished in the first three at some point in the season before running in the Grand National – and all bar ten of the last 35 winners had won a race the same season. All of the last 13 winners had previously won a Class 1 or Class 2 Handicap Chase during their careers.

12. Previous National heroes have a poor record, with only Red Rum successful more than once since 1936. Since 1990 a total of 18 winners have attempted a repeat victory and all have failed. There were actually only two dual winners in the 20th Century – the other being Reynoldstown.  In fact no horse since Bindaree in 2002 has enjoyed another win following their success at Aintree.

13. Several winners have gone on to be placed in subsequent years, including Gay Trip, Corbiere, West Tip, Party Politics, Papillon, Monty’s Pass, Hedgehunter, Comply or Die and Don't Push It.

14. Horses who have previously fallen in the National can still go on to win in later years, such as Specify (1971), L'Escargot (1975), Ben Nevis (1980), West Tip (1986), Little Polveir (1989), Royal Athlete (1995), Red Marauder (2001), Hedgehunter (2005) and Silver Birch (2007).

15. Horses that have run well round Aintree tend to do so again; Red Alligator, L’Escargot, Hallo Dandy and Amberleigh House won after being placed previously (L'Escargot was placed twice and won the race on his fourth attempt), while Eyecatcher, Rough and Tumble, Greasepaint, Durham Edition, Suny Bay, Blowing Wind, Clan Royal, State of Play and Cappa Bleu were all placed more than once.

16. Two recent winners had already enjoyed success over the National fences in the Becher Chase (although not in the same season); Amberleigh House in 2004 and Silver Birch in 2007. Two other Becher winners, Clan Royal and Black Apalachi, both finished second in the race.

17. Only four horses aged eight have won the race since 1970: Red Rum in 1973, Corbiere in 1983, Party Politics in 1992 and Bindaree in 2002. In other words, roughly once every 10 years. A seven year old has not won the National since 1940 and a six year old has not won since Ally Sloper in 1915.

18. Older (and therefore more experienced) horses tend to fare better; in the last 36 renewals, all bar three victories have gone to horses aged between 9 and 12 - and crucially all had at least ten runs over fences.  However, only one horse aged 12 has won since 1995.

19. Recent history favours horses aged nine or ten, accounting for 13 of the 18 victories since 1996. Eight and twelve year olds have just one win apiece in the same period, while Aurora's Encore was only the third 11 year old to win since 1994. No horse aged 13 or over has won since Sergeant Murphy in 1923.

20. It is a myth that 2½ mile specialists do well in the National. Every winner since Gay Trip in 1970 had previous winning form over three miles. In fact all bar two of the last 23 winners had scored victories over at least 3m 1f.

21. The winner normally has two seasons chasing experience (i.e. not a novice the previous year). Lord Gyllene and Bindaree are recent exceptions, but the former had also raced over fences in New Zealand. The last novice to win was Mr What in 1958.

22. The best trial races have been the Hennessy Gold Cup (Newbury), Welsh National (Chepstow), Irish National (Fairyhouse), Scottish National (Ayr), Grand National Trial and Peter Marsh Chase (Haydock). Nine winners of the Grand National since 1983 have run in the Hennessy (four were placed, five unplaced).

23. The best pointers in recent years have unsurprisingly been other marathon contests. Ten of the last 17 winners had won or been placed in a race with 'National' in the title, and also ten of the last 17 winners had previously run in either the Irish or Welsh equivalents. The last two winners of the Grand National, Aurora's Encore and Neptune Collonges, had previously finished 2nd and 6th respectively in the Scottish National prior to winning at Aintree.

24. Golden Miller (1934) is the only horse to have completed the Gold Cup and Grand National double in the same year (on his second attempt out of four). Thirteen other horses have tried and failed. L’Escargot emulated this feat, but only at his 4th attempt (three years after victory at Cheltenham).

25. Only one horse placed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup (i.e. 1st, 2nd or 3rd) has gone on to win the National in the same year since the war (Rough Quest in 1996).

26. Running in the Gold Cup is not necessarily a barrier to success, with unplaced horses Grittar, Rhyme N’ Reason and Miinnehoma also following up with a win at Aintree. Other Grand National winners have subsequently gone on to be placed in the Gold Cup, such as Hedgehunter and Mon Mome, but they failed to successfully defend their crown back at Aintree.

27. While only twelve Irish-trained horses have won the National since the war this includes six of the last 15 winners – Bobbyjo (1999), Papillon (2000), Monty’s Pass (2003), Hedgehunter (2005), Numbersixvalverde (2006) and Silver Birch (2007). Before this, they had a 24-year barren period, when 121 Irish runners came to Aintree and all lost. In fact, from 1976 to 1998 only six Irish horses finished in the first three.

28. Every overseas-trained winner in the past 30 years had previously scored over British fences. There has not been a French winner of the race since 1867 – and there was a 100 year gap between French bred winners (from 1909 to 2009). However, in the last 15 years French bred horses have produced two winners (Mon Mome in 2009 and Neptune Collonges in 2012), three runners-up – Clan Royal, Encore en Peu & Mely Moss – and a 3rd, My Will.

29. Having trial races over hurdles is an increasingly popular route to take, as proven by 12 of the last 35 National heroes. This includes nine horses since 1999 and six of the last seven winners; Bobbyjo (1999), Papillon (2000), Monty’s Pass (2003), Hedgehunter (2005), Numbersixvalverde (2006), Silver Birch (2007), Mon Mome (2009), Don't Push It (2010) and Ballabriggs (2011).

30. The last mare to win the race was Nickel Coin in 1951 and Neptune Collonges in 2012 became only the third grey horse to win the National – joining The Lamb in 1868 and Nicolaus Silver in 1961.