1954 Grand National
| Grand National | |
| Location | Aintree Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Date | 27 March 1954 |
| Winning horse |  Royal Tan |
| Starting price | 8/1 |
| Jockey | Bryan Marshall |
| Trainer | Vincent O'Brien |
| Owner | Joe H. Griffin |
| Conditions | Good |
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Highlights of the 1954 Grand National (British Pathé) |
The 1954 Grand National was the 108th annual renewal of the Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 10 April 1954.
The race was won by ten-year-old gelding Royal Tan, an 8/1 shot trained by Vincent O'Brien. O'Brien had also trained the previous year's winner, Early Mist, and would secure a third consecutive win the following year with Quare Times.[1] Royal Tan was ridden by jockey Bryan Marshall, who also won his second consecutive Grand National. Tudor Line was second and the 15/2 favourite Irish Lizard finished third.[2]
Only 29 horses ran in the race, the fewest since 1935 when 27 ran.[2] The 1954 running saw four equine fatalities during the race; this remains the only Grand National renewal to have yielded four fatalities. Dominick's Bar dropped dead jumping the second fence; Paris New York incurred a cervical fracture at the fourth. Legal Joy, who finished second two years previously, broke a leg at the 13th and was euthanised, while Coneyburrow was injured at the 28th and was also put down. The two latter fatalities remain the only ones ever recorded at the 13th and 28th fences in the Grand National.[3]
Finishing order
[edit]| Position | Name | Jockey | Age | Handicap (st-lb) | SP | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Royal Tan | Bryan Marshall | 10 | 11-7 | 8/1 | A Neck[4] |
| 02 | Tudor Line | George Slack | 9 | 10-7 | 10/1 | |
| 03 | Irish Lizard | Michael Scudamore | 11 | 10-5 | 15/2 | |
| 04 | Churchtown | Tos Taaffe | 9 | 10-3 | 10/1 | |
| 05 | Sanperion | Derek Leslie | 9 | 10-2 | 20/1 | |
| 06 | Martinique | Mr E Greenaway | 8 | 10-1 | 66/1 | |
| 07 | Uncle Barney | Leo McMorrow | 11 | 10-1 | 50/1 | |
| 08 | Southern Coup | Arthur Thompson | 12 | 10-10 | 40/1 | |
| 09 | Ontray | Bobby Brewis | 6 | 10-8 | 66/1 | Last to complete |
Non-finishers
[edit]| Fence | Name | Jockey | Age | Handicap (st-lb) | SP | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Alberoni | Mr E Cousins | 11 | 10-12 | 66/1 | Fell |
| 01 | Gentle Moya | John Straker | 8 | 10-0 | 100/6 | Fell |
| 01 | Swinton Hero | Mr C Harty | 10 | 10-6 | 66/1 | Fell |
| 01 | Whispering Steel | Bert Morrow | 9 | 10-12 | 40/1 | Fell |
| 02 | Dominick's Bar | Tim Molony | 10 | 10-7 | 33/1 | Fell |
| 02 | Minmax | Capt M MacEwan | 10 | 10-0 | 66/1 | Refused |
| 03 | Baire | John Foster | 8 | 10-0 | 66/1 | Fell |
| 04 | Paris New York | Mick Roberts | 7 | 10-0 | 66/1 | Fell |
| 05 | Gay Monarch II | Tim Brookshaw | 8 | 10-4 | 50/1 | Fell |
| 08 | Statesman | Eddie Newman | 8 | 10-0 | 50/1 | Fell |
| 12 | Border Luck | Tommy Shone | 9 | 10-0 | 66/1 | Fell |
| 13 | Legal Joy | David Dick | 11 | 11-3 | 33/1 | Fell |
| 15 | Triple Torch | Derek Ancil | 8 | 10-0 | 66/1 | Unseated Rider |
| 15 | Hiebra | Rex Hamey | 9 | 10-0 | 66/1 | Fell |
| 19 | Icy Calm | Dick Francis | 11 | 10-5 | 40/1 | Pulled Up |
| 23 | Ordnance | Jack Dowdeswell | 8 | 10-1 | 18/1 | Fell |
| 23 | Prince of Aragon | J Gorey | 13 | 10-2 | 66/1 | Fell |
| 28 | Coneyburrow | Pat Taaffe | 8 | 10-11 | 8/1 | Fell |
| 28 | Punchestown Star | Sam McComb | 10 | 10-0 | 66/1 | Refused |
| 28 | Royal Stuart | Jimmy Power | 11 | 10-0 | 66/1 | Refused |
References
[edit]- ^ "BBC News | GRAND NATIONAL | The Grand National 1839-1955". BBC News. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ a b "The Aintree Grand National 2006 – History". aintreegrandnational.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ "GRAND NATIONAL (CRUELTY)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 29 April 1954. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ "1954".
- ^ The Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin, ISBN 0-7524-3547-7
- ^ "1954 – The Grand National & Aintree 1946-1959". fiftiesnationals.webs.com. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ "Past Winners of The Grand National". grand-national.net. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2014.