The Grand National is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar, attracting thousands of spectators and millions of viewers. This year’s race was no exception, with a highly anticipated lineup of contenders ready to take on the grueling four-mile, 30-fence course. However, the race was delayed by protesters who had jumped onto the track, causing chaos and confusion. Despite this, one horse managed to stand out from the pack, with Corach Rambler racing to glory and clinching the Grand National title. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this historic victory and the events that led up to it.
Corach Rambler, the 8-1 favourite, triumphed over all competition, controversy, and circumstance to win the Randox Aintree Grand National on April 10, 2021. This Scottish-trained star held off a half dozen Irish-trained opponents in the closing stages to give Sligo-born jockey Derek Fox and trainer Lucinda Russell their second victory in six years in the world’s most famous steeplechase, six years after One For Arthur. While Irish domination since then came to an end, perhaps the most important result of all that day was the race going ahead.
The biggest day in the racing calendar was almost halted by animal rights protesters who accessed the track and tried to glue or tie themselves to some of the fences just over 20 minutes before the official 5.15 “off” time. Merseyside police made six arrests after clashes with people dressed in pink clothing who breached security to protest against the National being staged. Fears that the race might have to be cancelled proved unfounded, with the Aintree authorities clearing the track and accelerating the preliminaries after just a 14-minute delay.
In an incident-packed race, Fox, who had passed a morning medical examination after a shoulder injury sustained in a spill last week, showed his Aintree prowess and delivered a perfect outcome for a nerve-racking 175th renewal of the famous race. While an early bid for glory by the 33-1 outsider Mister Coffey briefly looked like it might succeed, Corach Rambler ultimately prevailed despite being far from straightforward in front up the long run-in. Gavin Cromwell’s 20-1 shot Vanillier closed the gap to just over two lengths, but Corach Rambler found the line in time.
It was another landmark success for Russell, who trains from a comparative racing outpost in Kinross, between Edinburgh and Perth. She said that Fox’s participation was almost jeopardized due to his recent injury, but inevitably though the context of Corach Rambler’s success dominated the immediate fallout. She added that those who protested on the course think it’s about horse welfare, but the horse loves the sport, making it important that they understand how they are being cared for.
While it was a much more sombre outcome for Hill Sixteen, a Scottish runner trained by Sandy Thomson, as he had to be put down after falling at the first fence, 17 of the 39 National runners finished the race. The Willie Mullins trained Dark Ravan sustained fatal injuries in an earlier hurdle race at Aintree. It was also a landmark Saturday for Davy Russell, the former triple-champion jockey, who definitively brought the curtain down on his career.
The 43-year-old, who retired in December, made a quick comeback weeks later but admitted to feeling he’d reached the end of his career after Cheltenham last month. He fell at the first in the National on Galvin but earlier secured another Grade 1 on Gordon Elliott’s Irish Point in the Mersey Hurdle. His last ever ride saw him finish fifth on Pour Les Filles for Elliott in the concluding bumper at Aintree won by Florida Dreams. Elliott was also a Grade 1 winner as the Stayers champion, Sire Du Berlais, won back-to-back successes in the Liverpool Hurdle. JP McManus also scored at Grade 1 level on Saturday as Jonbon justified cramped 2-11 odds in the opening Maghull Novices Chase.
Overall, the Randox Aintree Grand National on April 10, 2021, was a dramatic and memorable event, with Corach Rambler proving himself to be a star among stars. The day also saw animal rights protests to which Lucinda Russell, Derek Fox, and others responded by affirming the love that horses have for their sport and the care they receive from their handlers. While the event had its sombre elements, with Hill Sixteen and Dark Ravan sustaining fatal injuries, it was also a day of historic moments, such as the final ride of Davy Russell, who will be remembered as one of the greats of his sport.
