The 2001 Grand National (officially known as the Martell Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 154th official running of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 7 April 2001. It went ahead as planned, despite the cancellation of the 2001 Cheltenham Festival, caused by the foot-and-mouth disease crisis.
The steeplechase was won by a distance by 33/1 shot Red Marauder, ridden by jockey Richard Guest, in a time of over 11 minutes. The winner was also trained by his jockey and owned by Norman Mason, in whose name the training licence was held, with Guest as his assistant, though Guest did all the training at his base in Crook, County Durham and ran in the trainer's colours of red with a blue hoop, three blue hoops on the sleeves and a red and blue hooped cap.
The field was limited to a maximum of 40 competitors, of which only two completed the course without mishap (two others were re-mounted to complete) and the race was run in heavy going. It was notable for an unusually high number of falls, including eight at the first Canal Turn, and it came in for criticism in some quarters, believing that the conditions were too wet and muddy. However, supporters of the race were quick to point out that the slow pace and bottomless ground benefitted the race as there were no injuries sustained to any horse or rider.
Background
The 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease had led to the Cheltenham Festival and many other fixtures being abandoned before the Grand National meeting. However, the National got the go-ahead from racing officials. On the day, the race went ahead despite adverse weather, with high winds and an extremely heavy going.
Jockey Paul Flynn was the subject of a frantic search when Mick Fitzgerald was forced to stand down as rider of Esprit De Cotte less than two hours before the race. When Flynn did not respond to calls and texts to his mobile phone, two Tannoy announcements were sent out around the course for him to report to the weighing room. When he still did not respond an urgent message was sent out over the BBC via its live coverage of the build-up of the race. Flynn, who had never before ridden in a National, could not be located in time and the ride instead went to Tom Doyle. Flynn never got another chance to ride in the race.
Leading contenders
Edmond was the winner of the 1999 Welsh National and was made 10/1 joint-favourite on the horse's preference for soft ground. He ran prominently at the head of the field for most of the first circuit and was still leading when he fell into the ditch at The Chair, catapulting rider Richard Johnson over the fence.
Moral Support was also supported to joint-favouritism on the back of a preference for soft ground and a good showing in the Welsh National four months prior. Partnered by Noel Fehily, he was towards the rear of the field when caught in a pile-up at the Canal Turn on the first circuit and brought to a standstill.
Inis Cara was the third joint-favourite but was backed purely on the basis of being a mudlark. His form lacked that of the other two joint-favourites however as he had failed to make a serious impression in any of his six previous races. His jockey Robert Widger was hoping to emulate his great-uncle who won the race over a century before, but the partnership was severed by a heavy fall at the fourth fence.
Beau was the 12/1 mount of two-time winning jockey Carl Llewellyn and had won the Whitbread Gold Cup, a respected Aintree trial, by a distance in 1999. His form in 2000 had been less impressive and his heavy weight handicap was also considered a tough ask, but the horse was coping well with it during the race and was leading the only four runners left in the race when an awkward jump at the 19th fence put his reins over his head. Jockey Llewellyn fought to try to save the situation but, without steering, was unseated at the next fence. The rider desperately chased his mount to the next fence in a bid to remount and possibly claim third place, but was unable to do so.
Mely Moss was sent off at 14/1, having finished second in the race the previous year, despite it being his only run of the season. He was again kept off the racecourse until Aintree and partnered by Norman Williamson, but they were unable to avoid the melee at the Canal Turn.