The 1976 Grand National (officially known as the News of the World Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 130th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 3 April 1976. The race was won by Rag Trade, who was the fourth winner trained by Fred Rimell and the second winner owned by Pierre Raymond Bessone. Red Rum finished second for the second year in a row. Rimell's fourth winner gave him the outright record for training most National winners which he had previously shared with six other trainers. His record was equalled by Ginger McCain in 2004.
Finishing order PositionNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPDistance1stRag TradeJohn Burke1010-1214/12ndRed RumTommy Stack1111-1010/13rdEyecatcherBrian Fletcher1010-728/14thBaronaPaul Kelleway1010-67/15thCeol-Na-MaraJeremy Glover710-622/16thThe DiklerRon Barry1311-725/17thSandwilanRon Hyett810-0100/18thSpittin ImageAndy Turnell1010-066/19thSpanish StepsJeff King1310-222/110thBlack TudorGraham Thorner810-050/111thChurchtown BoyTaffy Salaman910-633/112thHighway ViewPat Black1110-1033/113thJolly's ClumpIan Watkinson1010-312/114thMoney MarketBob Champion911-012/115thColondineBrian Forsey910-060/116thIndian DivaNicky Henderson910-3100/1Last to finish
Non-finishers FenceNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)Starting priceFate01HuperadeJohn Carden1210-4100/1Fell01Ormonde TudorKeith Barnfield710-0100/1Fell03Merry MakerAnthony Mildmay-White1110-250/1Fell04High KenMichael Dickinson1010-1233/1Fell04ThomondJim Wilson1110-3100/1Brought Down06Glanford BriggMartin Blackshaw1011-328/1Fell06TregarronColin Tinkler910-112/1Fell06Tudor ViewChris Read1010-0100/1Fell13Meridian IIJonjo O'Neill910-033/1Fell13NereoDuke of Alburquerque1010-1100/1Fell19Roman BarGerry Newman710-1033/1Fell20PerpolKen White1010-666/1Pulled Up22BallybrightSam Morshead910-080/1Fell22Boom DockerJohn Williams910-050/1Brought Down22Golden RapperJohn Francome1010-828/1Fell22ProlanMouse Morris710-313/1Brought DownThe Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin,
Media coverage and aftermath For the 17th consecutive year the BBC broadcast the Grand National in a Grandstand special, presented by David Coleman. In an interview eleven years after the race, Red Rum's trainer, Ginger McCain, expressed that he felt jockey Tommy Stack had made a tactical error in waiting until the penultimate flight before attempting to race to the finish as is, McCain noted, the textbook way to ride a National. He instead felt that if Stack had allowed Red Rum to "kick on from the fifth last flight he would have stretched his rivals and outpaced them". McCain was also quick to point out how much easier it is to ride the Grand National in your head from the stands and praised his rider for a "marvelous effort" The tactics described by McCain turned out to be those employed by Stack in 1977 when the horse won a record breaking third Grand National.Sporting Life Souvenir Magazine, 4 April 1987, page 6
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