THE DATE is Saturday, 30 March 1974, the place is Aintree and 42 horses line up at the start of the 128th running of the Grand National. Scout is the 7/1 favourite, followed at 17/2 by the dual Gold Cup winner L’Escargot, who was third 12 months earlier. The previous year’s winner, Red Rum, is only third favourite and has drifted out to 11/1 just before the off.
In 1973 Ginger McCain’s locally trained charge had played the role of pantomime villain as he deprived the gallant, front-running Crisp of victory in the dying strides of the four-mile, four-furlong marathon. Almost everyone felt sorry for Crisp then but it is in the 1974 National that Red Rum, who is now the one having to carry 12 stone, became a hero in his own right.
On that spring day at Liverpool 50 years ago ‘Rummy’ was simply sensational. Ridden once more by Brian Fletcher, he took the lead at the second Becher’s. Half a mile from home, he still hadn’t come off the bridle. The pursuing L’Escargot cut the lead toRum powered clear to win comfortably. No horse has carried 12 stone or more to victory since Reynoldstown in 1936. No horse had won back-to-back Grand Nationals since then either. But incredibly there was much more to come.
