The 2022 Grand National (officially known as the 2022 Randox Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 174th annual running of the Grand National horse race. It took place on Saturday, 9 April 2022, at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. The event was sponsored by Randox Health.
The race was won by Noble Yeats, trained by Emmet Mullins and ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen, with final odds at 50/1. Waley-Cohen became the first amateur jockey to win the Grand National since Marcus Armytage on Mr Frisk in 1990, while Noble Yeats became the first seven year old to win the race since Bogskar in 1940. The race was Waley-Cohen's last race before retirement.
Race card The 40 runners were finalised at 1pm on Friday 8 April. Three horses declared to run at Thursday's 48-hour declaration stage (Easysland, Lord Du Mesnil and Phoenix Way) were withdrawn before the Friday confirmation, with reserves Commodore, Romain De Seman and School Boy Hours taking their places and racecard numbers. Horses trained in Ireland made up 21 of the 40 runners, the first time more than half the Grand National field were Irish-trained.
NoHorseAgeHandicap (st–lb)SPJockeyTrainer1Minella Times911-109/1Rachael BlackmoreHenry de Bromhead2Delta Work911-911/1Jack KennedyGordon Elliott3School Boy Hours910-533/1Sean FlanaganNoel Meade4Any Second Now1011-815/2 FMark WalshTed Walsh5Run Wild Fred811-711/1Davy RussellGordon Elliott6Lostintranslation1011-650/1Harry CobdenColin Tizzard7Brahma Bull1011-680/1Brian HayesWillie Mullins8Burrows Saint911-533/1Paul TownendWillie Mullins9Mount Ida811-566/1Denis O'ReganGordon Elliott10Longhouse Poet811-412/1Darragh O'KeefeMartin Brassil11Fiddlerontheroof811-312/1Brendan PowellColin Tizzard12Two for Gold911-333/1David BassKim Bailey13Santini1011-133/1Nick ScholfieldPolly Gundry14Samcro1011-180/1Sean BowenGordon Elliott15Escaria Ten811-125/1Adrian HeskinGordon Elliott16Good Boy Bobby910-1322/1Daryl JacobNigel Twiston-Davies17Romain De Senam1010-5100/1Philip ArmsonDavid Pipe18Coko Beach710-1350/1Jonjo O'Neill jrGordon Elliott19De Rasher Counter1010-1266/1Adam WedgeEmma Lavelle20Kildisart1010-1150/1James BowenBen Pauling21Discorama*1010-1133/1Bryan CooperPaul Nolan22Top Ville Ben1010-1180/1Thomas DowsonPhilip Kirby23Enjoy D'allen810-1118/1Conor OrrCiaran Murphy24Anibale Fly1210-1180/1Luke DempseyTony Martin25Dingo Dollar1010-1128/1Ryan ManiaSandy Thomson26Freewheelin Dylan1010-1040/1Ricky DoyleDermot A McLoughlin27Class Conti1010-10100/1Sam Twiston-DaviesWillie Mullins28Noble Yeats710-1050/1Sam Waley-CohenEmmet Mullins29Mighty Thunder910-1040/1Derek FoxLucinda Russell30Cloth Cap1010-1033/1Tom ScudamoreJonjo O’Neill31Snow Leopardess1010-910/1Aidan ColemanCharlie Longsdon32Agusta Gold910-966/1Danny MullinsWillie Mullins33Commodore910-533/1Charlie DeutschVenetia Williams34Deise Aba910-880/1Tom O'BrienPhilip Hobbs35Blaklion1310-850/1Harry SkeltonDan Skelton36Poker Party1010-866/1Robbie PowerHenry de Bromhead37Death Duty1110-733/1Jordan GainfordGordon Elliott38Domaine De L'Isle910-7125/1Harry BannisterSean Curran39Eclair Surf*810-614/1Tom BellamyEmma Lavelle40Fortescue810-628/1Hugh NugentHenry Daly Died due to injuries sustained during the race.
Finishing order
PositionNameAgeHandicap (st–lb)SPDistanceJockeyTrainerPrize money1Noble Yeats710–1050/1Sam Waley-CohenEmmet Mullins£561,3002Any Second Now1011–815/2 F lengthsMark WalshTed Walsh£211,1003Delta Work911–910/120 lengthsJack KennedyGordon Elliott£100,0004Santini1011–233/1 lengthsNick ScholfieldPolly Gundry£65,0005Fiddlerontheroof811–412/18 lengthsBrendan PowellColin Tizzard£40,0006Longhouse Poet811–412/1 lengthsDarragh O'KeefeMartin Brassil£30,0007Freewheelin Dylan1010–1050/119 lengthsRicky DoyleDermot A McLoughlin£20,0008Coko Beach710–1350/113 lengthsJonjo O'Neill jrGordon Elliott£15,0009Escaria Ten811–125/1 lengthsAdrian HeskinGordon Elliott£10,00010Romain De Senam1010–5125/118 lengthsPhilip ArmsonDavid Pipe£5,00011Samcro1011–180/1 lengthsSean BowenGordon Elliott12Commodore1010–533/118 lengthsCharlie DeutschVenetia Williams13Class Conti1010–10100/112 lengthsSam Twiston-DaviesWillie Mullins14Blaklion1310–850/133 lengthsHarry SkeltonDan Skelton15Lostintranslation1011–650/199 lengthsHarry CobdenColin Tizzard Source
Non-finishers
FenceNameJockeySPFate1Enjoy D'allenConor Orr18/1Unseated rider1Mount IdaDenis O'Regan66/1Unseated rider3Anibale Fly Luke Dempsey80/1Brought down3Eclair Surf Tom Bellamy14/1Fell8 (Canal Turn)De Rasher CounterAdam Wedge66/1Unseated rider8 (Canal Turn)Death DutyJordan Gainford33/1Fell8 (Canal Turn)Run Wild FredDavy Russell11/1Fell9 (Valentine's Brook)School Boy Hours Sean Flanagan33/1Pulled up9 (Valentine's Brook)Minella TimesRachael Blackmore9/1Fell9 (Valentine's Brook)Agusta GoldDanny Mullins66/1Fell9 (Valentine's Brook)Deise Aba Tom O'Brien80/1Pulled up13DiscoramaBryan Cooper33/1Pulled up15 (The Chair)Domaine De L'IsleHarry Bannister125/1Unseated rider15 (The Chair)Burrows Saint Paul Townend33/1Unseated rider15 (The Chair)KildisartJames Bowen50/1Fell17Snow LeopardessAidan Coleman10/1Pulled up22 (Becher's Brook)Cloth CapTom Scudamore33/1Pulled up24 (Canal Turn)Dingo DollarRyan Mania28/1Unseated rider25 (Valentine's Brook)Mighty ThunderDerek Fox40/1Pulled up27FortescueHugh Nugent28/1Unseated rider27Poker PartyRobbie Power66/1Unseated rider27Brahma BullBrian Hayes80/1Pulled up27Good Boy BobbyDaryl Jacob22/1Pulled up28Top Ville Ben Thomas Dowson80/1Pulled up28Two For Gold David Bass33/1Pulled up Source
Only 29 fences were jumped; what would normally have been fence 19 was bypassed, as medical staff were tending to a horse that had fallen on the first circuit.
Broadcasting and media
As the Grand National is accorded the status of an event of national interest in the United Kingdom and is listed on the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events, it must be shown on free-to-air terrestrial television in the UK. The race was broadcast live on TV by ITV for the fifth time, and the second year in its current three year deal with the British Horseracing Authority.
The ITV coverage was presented by Ed Chamberlin and Francesca Cumani. Analysis was provided by former Grand National-winning jockeys Sir Anthony McCoy, Mick Fitzgerald and Ruby Walsh. Reports were provided by Alice Plunkett, Luke Harvey and Matt Chapman, and betting updates were provided by Brian Gleeson. Oli Bell and Chris Hughes covered viewers' comments on social media. The commentary team was Mark Johnson, Ian Bartlett and Richard Hoiles, who called the finish for the fifth time. Following the race, Bell and Walsh guided viewers on a fence-by-fence re-run of the race.
Equine fatalities Discorama and Eclair Surf were euthanised following injuries sustained in the race. Discorama was euthanised after being pulled up with an injury before the 13th fence; the horse was reported as lame and on Saturday evening trainer Paul Nolan confirmed the horse had been euthanised. Eclair Surf suffered a "traumatic head injury" after falling at the third fence; it was treated on track and at Liverpool University before dying the following morning.
Two other horses had died earlier at the meeting. Solwara One, who ran in the 1.45pm race on 8 April, was the first to be put down following an injury before Elle Est Belle suffered a suspected heart attack, when finishing fourth in the Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle on 9 April, before the main race.
References