1982 Grand National

The 1982 Grand National was the 136th renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 3 April 1982.

1982 Grand National
Grand National
LocationAintree Racecourse
Date3 April 1982
Winning horseGrittar
Starting price7/1 favourite
JockeyMr. Dick Saunders
TrainerFrank H Gilman
OwnerFrank H Gilman
ConditionsGood
External video
1982 Grand National in full BBC Sport/YouTube
1982 Grand National in full BBC Sport/YouTube
And it's 48 year old Dick Saunders on Grittar from Hard Outlook. Grittar strides into the final furlong and is already being acclaimed as the National Hero of 1982. Frank Gilman's Grittar strides up to the line to win it in fantastic style, he's a fresh horse. Grittar wins the National!

BBC Commentator Peter O'Sullevan describes the climax of the 1982 National

The race was won by 7/1 favourite Grittar, ridden by amateur Dick Saunders, who at the age of 48 became, and remains, the oldest jockey to have won the Grand National.[1]

Saunders retired after the race and became chairman of the Aintree stewards. Grittar finished fifth in the next year's National and 10th in 1984. The horse retired to his owner's Rutland base and died aged 25.[2]

The race was also notable for being the first in which a female jockey, Geraldine Rees, completed the course. She rode Cheers to be the eighth and last of the finishers.[3]

Leading contenders

Grittar was installed as a 7/1 favourite on the day of the race, due mostly to the Cheltenham and Liverpool Foxhunter Chase double in 1981 [4] The victory at Liverpool was enough for him to get the support of BBC Radio Two commentator, Peter Bromley [5] though several newspaper pundits expressed concern at the horse being a hunter chaser. Forty-eight-year-old amateur rider Dick Saunders told trainer Frank Gilman to employ the services of a professional rider, Peter Scudamore for the big race, but Gilman insisted Saunders take the ride if fit. His age and amateur status did little to deter the betting public although leading professional gambler, Alex Bird exclaimed {after the 1981 Foxhunters} I immediately pencilled him in for the '82 National, but I'm not happy about the jockey - I'll be keeping my money in my pocket." [6] In preparation for the National, he won at a canter at Leicester before finishing a creditable sixth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Finishing order
Position Name Jockey Age Weight SP Distance
01 Grittar Mr Dick Saunders 9 11-5 7/1 Fav Fifteen lengths
02 Hard Outlook Anthony Webber 11 10-1 50/1
03 Loving Words Richard Hoare 9 10-11 16/1
04 Delmoss Bill Smith 12 10-3 50/1
05 Current Gold Neale Doughty 11 10-8 25/1
06 Tragus Peter Scudamore 10 11-4 14/1
07 Three Of Diamonds Mr Pat O'Connor 10 10-7 100/1
08 Cheers Mrs Geraldine Rees 10 10-0 66/1 Last to finish

Non-finishers
Fence Name Jockey Age Weight SP Fate
01 Aldaniti Bob Champion 12 11-9 12/1 Fell
01 Artistic Prince Colin Brown 11 10-0 50/1 Fell
01 Cold Spell Steve Jobar 10 10-0 40/1 Brought Down
01 Jimmy Miff Mr Michael Williams 10 10-1 50/1 Fell
01 Man Alive Andy Turnell 11 11-0 33/1 Fell
01 Mallacurry Mr Tom Taaffe 10 10-12 16/1 Fell
01 Rambling Jack Geordie Dun 11 11-1 16/1 Fell
01 Rathlek Mr John Carden 12 10-12 100/1 Fell
01 Three To One Ridley Lamb 11 10-3 12/1 Fell
01 Deep Gale Tommy Ryan 9 11-2 22/1 Fell
03 Coolishall Ron Barry 13 10-3 33/1 Fell
03 Deermount JP Byrne 8 10-0 100/1 Fell
03 Martinstown Miss Charlotte Brew 10 10-3 100/1 Unseated Rider
03 Sun Lion Steve Smith-Eccles 12 10-3 50/1 Fell
06 Choral Festival Mr Marcus Low 11 10-4 100/1 Unseated Rider
06 Peter Scot Paul Barton 11 11-5 16/1 Fell
06 Royal Mail Bob Davies 12 11-10 17/2 Fell
06 The Vintner Mr Dermot Browne 11 10-7 50/1 Unseated Rider
08 Again The Same Jonjo O'Neill 9 11-8 16/1 Pulled Up
08 This Way Clive Candy 11 10-2 100/1 Fell
11 Old Society P Walsh 8 10-8 33/1 Fell
11 Senator Maclacury Pat Kiely 8 10-0 20/1 Fell
17 Good Prospect Richard Linley 13 10-12 50/1 Refused
19 Royal Stuart Mr Dennis Gray 11 10-4 40/1 Brought Down
22 Gandy VI Niall Madden 13 10-8 50/1 Fell
22 Rough And Tumble John Francome 12 10-8 16/1 Refused
22 Monty Python Ben De Haan 10 10-0 66/1 Refused
22 Rolls Rambler Mr Jim Wilson 11 10-12 20/1 Refused
22 Tiepolino Hywel Davies 10 10-4 50/1 Refused
27 Carrow Boy Gerry Newman 10 11-7 40/1 Fell
27 Saint Fillans Phil Tuck 8 10-11 33/1 Fell

[7] [8]

References
  1. "Grand National 2014". Grandnational.org.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  2. "Grittar 1982 Grand National". Grand-national.me.uk. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  3. "History of Dick Saunders and Gritter". carlinebaileyracing.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011.
  4. http://www.grand-national.me.uk/2005/grittar/
  5. Belfast Telegraph, April 2nd 1982, page 26, "Catch the post with Royal Mail. {Grittar is a big danger}"
  6. Liverpool Echo, April 2nd 1982, Page 3, "Grittar gets the bird for big one."
  7. The Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin, ISBN 0-7524-3547-7
  8. "Grand National Anorak |". Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
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