The 1994 Grand National (officially known as the Martell Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 147th official renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 9 April 1994.
It was won in a time of 10 minutes 18.8 seconds, and by a distance of lengths by 16/1 shot Miinnehoma, ridden by Northern Irish jockey Richard Dunwoody, his second Grand National victory. The winner was trained by Martin Pipe of Wellington, Somerset, and carried the red jacket with yellow star and sleeves and cap with red star of comedian Freddie Starr. The winning owner collected £115,606 of a total prize fund shared through the first five finishers of £194,000 (none of which was carried over from the aborted 1993 race). A maximum of 40 competitors were permitted but only 36 ran. All of the horses returned safely. Profile of the 1994 Grand National winning team
Leading contenders
Moorcroft Boy was installed as favourite on race day after an impressive season which had seen him finish first or second in nine consecutive long-distance chases, including a victory in the Warwick National in January and a second place to Master Oats in the Greenhalls Gold Cup at Kempton in February. This impressive run and very lenient treatment from the handicapper, who allotted him nine stone and 8 lbs and ensured he would not be giving weight to any of his rivals, led the public to back him down to 5/1 at the off. Adrian Maguire who had partnered him in the most recent four of those nine outings took the mount as his second ride in the National, having also been part of the previous year's void race. Maguire was also the leading rider at the meeting with three wins going into the National, although he had been handed a three-day riding ban after the first race of the day for over use of the whip. The ban would not take effect at the Aintree meeting however.
Maguire kept the horse out of trouble in mid-division for most of the race before gradually moving through the fallers and tiring horses to lie fifth at the second jump of Becher's Brook. The favourite moved up to join the three leaders turning for home and jumped the second-last disputing the lead with Miinnehoma. When Maguire asked the horse to quicken into the last fence he jumped two lengths clear, but weakened on the 494-yard run-in to finish 21 lengths back in third. After the race it emerged that Moorcroft Boy had broken a blood vessel within strides of the last fence and raced up the run-in choking. He later suffered a broken neck when falling in the Becher Chase the following November but was nursed back to health to win the 1996 Scottish Grand National, his final race before retiring. The Racehorse Sanctuary Moorcroft Boy racing career
Double Silk was another hunter chaser who went to Aintree on the back of a run of ten consecutive victories, which included the 1993 Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters chases, the former of which had seen him secure a second consecutive victory over Moorcroft Boy. The remainder of his wins had been in small hunter chases before returning to Cheltenham three weeks before the National to successfully defend his Foxhunters title. Like the favourite, he was lightly treated by the handicapper, carrying ten stone and 4 lbs, and was heavily backed down to a starting price of 6/1 at the off. Amateur rider Ron Treloggan, who had partnered the horse in all of his previous fourteen starts, became one of nine riders making their Grand National debut, including future winning riders, Paul Carberry and Tony Dobbin. Double Silk was sent to the front right at the start and stayed there until the 13th fence when, for the only time in a career that spanned 31 races, he fell, having possibly been unsighted by a loose horse. Independent: 6 April 1994: Grand National: Silk's story Neither horse nor rider took part in the National again. Double Silk; Racing Post race record
Master Oats was backed heavily after beating Moorcroft Boy in the Greenhall's Gold cup at Kempton in February and was sent off at 9/1, giving Norman Williamson his fourth ride in the race. The pair were moving up into the front rank when they fell at the 13th fence. The horse went on to win his next five races including the Welsh Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup. Master Oats Race record Welsh National winners
The Fellow was aiming to be the first French-trained horse to win the race for 85 years and also the second horse ever to win the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season, and was sent off at 9/1 after his victory in the Blue Ribband three weeks earlier. The French raider was providing Polish rider Adam Kondrat with his only ride in the race and was lying fourth going into the second circuit and moved up into second on the way down to Becher's Brook for the second time. Mistakes at Becher's and the 23rd saw him drop back to a close fourth when he fell at the Canal Turn. The Cheltenham champion returned to France to win the Prix Millionaire II in May. The independent: The Fellow dies aged 23
Miinnehoma was a popular runner among locals, being owned by Liverpool comedian Freddie Starr, and was sent off at 16/1 after finishing seventh behind The Fellow in the Gold Cup. The winner of the 1992 Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham had lost his regular partner Peter Scudamore to retirement and had had four different riders since. Only Richard Dunwoody had won and he took the ride at Aintree as his tenth National ride, having won the race previously in 1986. The pair were prominent throughout, moving into third place at the 14th fence and then going up to dispute the lead at the start of the second circuit. Miinnehoma survived a bad mistake at Becher's second time but remained at the head of the race from there until being headed by Moorcroft Boy going to the last fence. He regained the lead when the favourite broke a blood vessel, going on to survive the late challenge of Just So to win by lengths. BBC television coverage of the race Full race result He failed to complete the course in his defence of the title in 1995.
Mr. Boston was backed at 16/1 on the back of a quartet of long-distance victories in minor handicaps and provided Peter Niven with his fifth National ride. The pair were always towards the rear until falling at the 13th fence.
Young Hustler was also 16/1 after winning the Sun Alliance Chase and finishing third to The Fellow in the Gold Cup but lost his regular rider Carl Llewellyn to injury. The Independent: 7 April 1994: Break beats Llewellyn David Bridgwater was drafted in to make his Grand National debut. The pair were tracking the leaders in fourth place when they were brought down by the loose running Henry Mann. Young Hustler continued riderless and actually passed the post first, coming perilously close to stopping the eventual winner at the last fence in the process.
Zeta's Lad was also sent off at 16/1 having won the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January. The Independent: 23 January 1994: Zeta's is the lad He had previously completed a circuit of the previous year's void National before pulling up with Robbie Supple in the saddle. Supple again took the ride as his fourth National mount but the pair were never in contention and was tailed off when falling at the final fence with the horse returning lame.
Finishing order 39 were declared to run but Bishop's Hall, Windy Ways and Rifle Range all scratched on the morning of the race to leave 36 starting.
Simon Morant started his first Grand National, after the retirement of Keith Brown who was partly blamed for the 1993 void race.
The parade was led by three-time winner Red Rum. The contestants had won 285 races between them, earning over £3,500,000 in their careers to that date.
PositionNameJockeyAgeWeight (st, lb)Starting priceDistanceColours1stMiinnehomaRichard Dunwoody1110-0816/1Won by 1¼ lengthsRed, Yellow Star and Sleeves, Yellow Cap, Red Star2ndJust SoSimon Burrough1110-0320/120 lengthsDark Blue, Red Hoops and Armlets3rdMoorcroft BoyAdrian Maguire910-005/1 F25 lengthsRed and Yellow (Quartered), Red Sleeves, Yellow Spots, Red Cap, Yellow Spots 4thEbony JaneLiam Cusack910-0125/19 lengthsMaroon, Light Green Sleeves, Black Cap, Light Green star 5thFiddlers PikeMrs. Rosemary Henderson1310-00100/1A distanceDark Blue and Pink (Quartered), Dark Blue Sleeves, Dark Blue Cap, Pink Spots6thRoc De Prince (FRA)Jonothan Lower1110-00100/1Last to completePink, Purple Cross-belts, Hooped Sleeves, Purple Cap
Non-finishers FenceNameJockeyAgeWeight (st, lb)Starting priceFateColours1stElfastGraham McCourt1110-0418/1FellWhite, Green Sleeves and Collar, Claret Cap1stFourth Of JulyJohn Banahen1010-00 50/1FellLight Blue, Black Seams, Quartered Cap1stHenry MannCharlie Swan1110-0050/1FellDark Blue, Emerald Green Hoop, Quartered Cap3rdUshers IslandTony Dobbin810-00 66/1Unseated riderYellow and Maroon Chevrons, Hooped Cap4thRomany KingRichard Guest1010-0122/1FellBeige and Black Diamonds, Beige Sleeves, Beige Cap, Black Diamond6th (Becher's Brook)It's A CrackerConor O'Dwyer10 10-00 33/1FellDark Blue, White Sleeves, Dark Blue Diamonds, White Cap, Dark blue Diamonds6th (Becher's Brook)Laura's BeauBrendan Sheridan1010-0040/1FellEmerald Green, Orange Hoops, White Cap6th (Becher's Brook)New Mill HouseTrevor Horgan1110-00150/1FellWhite & Emerald Green Diablo, Hooped Sleeves, White Cap7th (Foinavon)Gay RuffianRod Farrant810-00 150/1FellWhite and Emerald Green Diablo, Hooped Sleeves and Cap9th (Valentine's)Captain BrandyKevin O'Brien910-00 50/1Unseated riderCream, Scarlet Sleeves, Green Cap, Brown Hoops11thSouthern MinstrelMark Dwyer1110-01 50/1Tailed off, pulled upBlack, Red Sleeves, Black and Red Quartered Cap11thYoung HustlerDavid Bridgwater710-1216/1Brought downDark Blue, Yellow Stripe, Yellow Sleeves, Dark Blue Armlets and Star on Yellow Cap13thDouble SilkMr. Ron Treloggen1010-046/1FellYellow, Red Armlets, Quartered Cap13thMaster OatsNorman Williamson810-009/1FellBlack, Yellow Chevron, Chevrons on Sleeves13thMighty FalconPaul Holley910-00250/1Brought downBlack and Yellow Diamonds, Black Collar, Red and Yellow Hooped Cap13thMr. BostonPeter Niven910-02 16/1FellBlack and White (Halved), Sleeves Reversed, Black and White Quartered Cap13thTopsham BayJimmy Frost1110-1125/1Hampered, unseated riderLight Blue, White Cross-belts, Red Cap15th (The Chair)Black HumourGraham Bradley1010-1233/1FellPink and Grey Diamonds, Pink Cap15th (The Chair)Quirinus (CZE)Chiko Brecka1211-10250/1Tailed off, unseated riderYellow, Emerald Green Epaulets, Black and Emerald Green Hooped Sleeves, Quartered Cap17thGarrison SavannahJamie Osborne1110-0325/1Hampered, refusedOrange, Black Star, Black and Orange Striped Sleeves, Orange Cap, Black Star17thHe Who Dares WinsChris Grant1010-0066/1Tailed off, pulled upRoyal Blue, White Hoops and Sleeves, Orange Cap17thPaco's BoyMartin Foster910-00 200/1Tailed off, pulled upYellow, Black inverted triangle, Black Sleeves, Light Blue Diamonds, Black Cap17thRun For FreeMark Perrett1011-0725/1Hampered, refusedMaroon, Yellow Epaulets, Armlets and Star on Cap18thRiverside BoyMark Richards1110-0033/1RefusedLight Blue, Brown Epaulets, Sleeves and Cap19thChannels GateTom Jenks1010-00100/1RefusedBrown, Yellow Chevrons on Sleeves, Yellow Cap24th (Canal Turn)Mister EdDerek Morris1110-00 50/1Tailed off, hampered, unseated riderRoyal Blue, White Star, White Sleeves, Red Armlets, Royal Blue Cap, White Star24th (Canal Turn)The Fellow (FRA)Adam Kondrat911-04 9/1FellRed, Light Green Cap27thRust Never SleepsPaul Carberry1010-0066/1Unseated rider Grand National footage alternate view: time 8:22Royal Blue, Orange Sleeves, Mauve Cap, Light Green Stripes30thInto The RedJohn White1010-00 25/1Unseated rider Yellow, White Cap, Dark Blue Star30thZeta's LadRobbie Supple1110-1316/1Tailed off, fellRoyal Blue, White Star, White Stars on Sleeves and Cap
Media coverage and aftermath