Although the horses still travelled the same distance as the previous year, the 2016 Grand National was the first to be run over an advertised distance of 4 miles, 2 furlongs and 74 yards, after every National Hunt racecourse in the country was professionally surveyed and re-measured. The race also featured an etraordinary winner, in the form of Rule The World, who was a maiden after 13 starts over fences, dating back to November, 2014 and, hence still a novice. The aptly-named nine-year-old thus became the first maiden to win the National since Voluptuary in 1884 and the first novice since Mr. What in 1958.

Rule The World was the first Grand National winner for Gigginstown House Stud, but his victory was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he twice recovered from a cracked pelvis earlier in his career. Winning trainer Michael ‘Mouse’ Morris hailed him as ‘a horse of iron’, while winning owner Michael O’Leary was no less generous in his praise, saying that he ‘could have been Gold Cup standard’ but for his previous injuries.

Ridden by 19-year-old David Mullins, having his first ride in the National, Rule The World was sent off at 33/1, but travelled well, just behind the leaders, before making a shuddering error at the final open ditch. Nevertheless, he made headway into a close third at the final fence and, switched to the outside, challenged passing the famous ‘Elbow’, halfway up the run-in. In a thrilling finish, he came home strongest of all, to win by 6 lengths from The Last Samurai, with Vics Canvas 8 lengths further behind in third place. Rule The World ran just once more, finishing a respectable sixth in the Grade One Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown just over a fortnight later, but his retirement was confirmed the following month.

Not everyones cup of tea, but this was what 2020 had to offer us instead of the Grand National. That dreaded virus all but took the whole year out!

Thomas ‘Tommy’ Pickernell, or ‘Mr. Thomas’ as he was listed on racecards of the day, rode in the Grand National seventeen times between 1859 and 1877 and won three times, on Anatis in 1860, The Lamb in 1871 and Pathfinder in 1875. He was inducted into the Aintree Hall of Fame in 2012.

On the first occasion, in 1860, Captain Thomas Townley, jockey of the eventual second The Huntsman, reportedly offered Pickernell a bribe of £1,000 – more than the £720 winning prize money – on the run-in to throw the race. Pickernell declined and, despite what ‘The Sporting Chronicle’ described as a ‘tireless effort’ by Townley, coaxed Anatis home to win by half a length.

In 1871, Pickernell was booked for The Lamb after owner, Lord Poulett, foresaw his horse winning the National, under Pickernell, in a dream the previous December. Poulett wrote to Pickernell, swearing him to secrecy. At Aintree, The Lamb jumped well, close to the head of affairs, until taking the lead crossing the Melling Road for the final time and quickening away in the closing stages to win, cleverly, by two lengths.

In one, slightly dubious, account of the 1875 National, Pickernell lined up on Pathfinder so worse for drink they he did not know which way to face. On heavy going, Pathfinder started to struggle on the ploughed section immediately after Becher’s Brook on the second circuit but, unwilling, or unable, to pull up, Pickernell persevered. Remarkably, Pathfinder rallied, making relentless headway from the turn for home, disputing the lead at the second-last fence and wearing down the leader, Dainty, close home to win by half a length.