The 1956 Grand National was the 110th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 24 March 1956.
It is probably best remembered for Devon Loch's sudden and inexplicable fall on the final straight, just 40 yards from a certain victory. The incident is almost always replayed during television build-up coverage on Grand National day.
Owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and ridden by Dick Francis, the well-fancied Devon Loch held a five-length lead over his nearest challenger, E.S.B., on the run-in to the finishing post, when he suddenly half-jumped into the air and landed in a bellyflop on his stomach, allowing E.S.B. to overtake and win. Although Francis tried to cajole the horse, it was unable to continue.
Finishing order PositionNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPDistance01ESBDavid Dick1011-3100/710 Lengths 02Gental MoyaGeorge Milburn1010-222/103Royal TanToss Taaffe1212-128/104Eagle LodgeAlan Oughton710-166/105Ken RoyalTim Molony810-828/106MartiniqueStan Mellor1010-040/107Carey's CottageBob Turnell910-1310/108ClearingJohnny Bullock910-166/109Wild WisdomLuther Bridge1110-166/1Last to Complete
Non-finishers FenceNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPFate01Early MistBryan Marshall1112-225/1Fell01High GuardArthur Thompson911-122/1Fell01MustBert Morrow810-107/1Fell01Reverend PrinceMr C Pocock1010-540/1Fell03No ResponseCathal Finnegan1010-150/1Fell04Mariner's LogRene Emery911-1122/1Fell11Merry WindsorLeo McMorrow810-1028/1Fell12AthenianRex Hamey710-366/1Fell18Border LuckMick O'Dwyer1110-066/1Refused18M'as Tu VuArthur Freeman1010-640/1Fell19Dunboy IIBobby Brewis1211-066/1Fell19PoloniusGene Kelly1010-366/1Refused19DomataDerek Ancil1010-466/1Fell21WittyPaddy Farrell1110-466/1Fell22SundewFred Winter1011-48/1Fell22PippykinJimmy Power810-0100/7Refused26Armorial IIIJack Dowdeswell710-1020/1Fell26Much ObligedMichael Scudamore811-050/1Fell29OntrayDick Curran810-0100/6Fell(Run-in)Devon LochDick Francis1011-4100/7Slipped Up The Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin,
Media coverage and aftermath Aintree maintained a refusal to allow the race to be broadcast either live or delayed by any Television company, the BBC having submitted a request every year since 1946. However, The BBC's rights to broadcast the race live on radio remained in place, making this the twenty-fifth consecutive live coverage of the race since 1927. The race was broadcast live on the BBC Light Programme from 3pm with Raymond Glendenning calling in the winner while Michael O'Hehir and Peter O'Sullevan called the action out in the country. Claude Harrison, Bob Haynes, and Aubrey Renwick assisted by calling competitors that dropped out of the race. As per all previous years, part of the agreement to broadcast was that the copyright for the recording would be held by Tophams and not the BBC.
E.S.B.'s jockey Dave Dick said of his unexpected win: "Devon Loch had me stone cold. I was a terribly lucky winner." Devon Loch's owner Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother famously said of the incident: "Oh, that's racing!" For jockey Dick Francis, his mount's bizarre collapse on the run-in to victory in the world's most famous steeplechase remained a "terrible memory, even after all these years." Devon Loch's was not the first time a horse had seemed to jump some form of ghost fence on the run in of the National. In 1901, Arthur Nightingall's race was well won on board Grudon when his mount also made to jump a fence that wasn't there. On that occasion the pair recovered and had sufficient time to continue and win the race.My racing Adventures, by Arthur Nightingall, published early 1900s, undated
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