The 1929 Grand National was the 88th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 22 March 1929.
It had the largest starting field of any Aintree Grand National with 66 horses taking part in the race.
The race was won by 100/1 outsider Gregalach, and it was the second successive year where a horse with such odds won. Fourth-placed Melleray's Belle started at odds of 200/1 and was the first horse with odds as wide as this to finish in the top four places since Magpie, also a 200/1 bet in 1886.
Gregalach was ridden by jockey Robert W. H. Everett and trained by Tom Leader, for owner Marion Gemmell. Easter Hero, the favourite, finished in second place and Richmond II was third.
Of the 66 runners, all but one returned safely to the stables. One horse, named Stort, incurred a leg fracture in a fall and was euthanised.
Finishing order PositionNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPDistance1GregalachBob Everett711-46 Lengths2Easter HeroJohn Moloney912-73Richmond IIBilly Stott610-64Melleray's BelleJames F Mason1010-05May KingFred Gurney1011-26GrakleTim Hamey711-97D.D.B.Mr R Gubbins910-118DelarueGerry Wilson710-39KilbairnMr L Parry810-0Last to complete
Non-finishers FenceNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPFate?CamperdownKenyon Goode1010-0Fell?SprigTony Escott1212-5Fell?Bright's BoyEric Foster1010-4Fell?KokoSylvester Duffy1112-3Fell?Great SpanWilliam Payne812-0Pulled Up?Trump CardTommy Morgan1111-12Fell03Mount EtnaTed Leader1211-7Fell?Knight of the WildernessMurtagh Keogh911-7?Billy BartonTommy Cullinan1111-7Fell?LloydeeDick Rees711-4Fell?The Ace IIMr G Evans711-3?ArdeenBob Lyall1211-2?CarfaxMr Basil Ancil1311-1?BallystockartCaptain Reginald Sassoon1011-011StortT Chisman1011-0Fell?LordiCaptain Henry Weber811-0Fell?Master BillieMr Monty Rayson1011-0Pulled Up?Le TouquetT Teasdale711-12?Skrun PrinceBill Gurney810-12Fell?OverdraftMr R Bennet710-11?RampantHarry Misa910-11?Tipperary TimBill Dutton1110-10Fell03DarracqMr G S Poole1410-10Fell?K.C.B.James Hogan jnr710-10?Ardoon's PrideDick Thrale910-10Fell?Sandy HookFrank Fish810-9Fell?Herbert's ChoiceJ Farrell810-8Fell?Dwarf of the ForestMr Harry Kennard1210-8Fell?DrinmondBarney Balding1210-8Fell?Uncle BenPat Powell810-8?BeechmartinLewis Rees810-7?RuddymanBilly Parvin1010-5Fell?HawkerCaptain A E Grant1510-5?Gay Dog IIA Birch1010-3?DenburghGerald Hardy1010-3Fell?Sultan of WickenT James1010-3?KilbrainVictor Piggott910-3Fell?BallyhanwoodJack Goswell810-2?Soldier's JoyCaptain Gossage1110-2?IrinaJ Kelly710-0Fell?Duke of FlorenceG Turner810-0?HarewoodDudley Williams710-0Fell?Mabestown's PrideMr D R Daly1310-0Knocked Over?RathoryRoger Burford1310-0?CloringoA Wall810-0Fell?Merrivale IIFred Brookes1110-0Fell?Miss BalscaddenGeorge Bowden1010-0?Odd CatJ Sinnot810-0?Best HomeMr G Elliott810-0Fell?Big WonderJ Bisggod910-0?Fleet PrinceMr Fred Thackray1110-0Fell?KawngoArthur Waudby810-0?More DinA Harroway910-0Fell?Stage ManagementM Doherty910-0Fell?TheoremT Costello1210-0Fell?Toy BellDanny Morgan710-0Fell?Wild EdgarS Regan910-0Fell
The Grand National 1839-1930 by David Hoadley Munroe
Media coverage and aftermath The media largely praised Aintree's decision to fill in the ditch at The Canal Turn in the wake of the pile up that happened there the previous year but the sheer volume of entries again led to criticism, despite Aintree having introduced an additional forfeit stage in the conditions. The Hon George Lambton claimed that the conditions of the race encouraged poor horses to be entered and that the framing of the weights was also unfair and that the top weights should not be forced to burden as much as 35lbs more than those at the foot of the handicap. Aintree responded the following year by increasing the minimum entry age from five to six years, though changes to the handicap remained unaltered until 1960.Sporting Life Souvenir Magazine, 4 April 1987, page 22
External links Newsreel footage of the race from Pathé News
References