Grand National | |
Location | Aintree |
---|---|
Date | 10 April 1999 |
Winning horse | Bobbyjo |
Jockey | Paul Carberry |
Trainer | Tommy Carberry |
Owner | Robert Burke |
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All the 1990s Grand Nationals in full Racing UK, BBC Sport, YouTube |
The 1999 Grand National (known as the Martell Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 152nd official renewal of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 10 April 1999.
The race was won in a time of nine minutes and 14.1 seconds and by a distance of ten lengths by 10/1 shot Bobbyjo, ridden by jockey Paul Carberry. The winner was trained by Tommy Carberry in Ratoath, Ireland, and ran in the colours of London-based Irish businessman Bobby Bourke. 32 runners took part and 18 completed the course without mishap, but Eudipe suffered a fatal fall at Becher's Brook.
1999 saw the conditions of the race change with the introduction of new rules for the 48-hour declaration stage. This brought in a system where horses numbered 41-43 were made reserves for the race and allowed to get into the final 40 should any runner withdraw by noon on the eve of the race. The rule was not required this year as less than 40 declared to run.
A ruling was also introduced banning the practice of running a horse in the Grand National and any other race in the three-day meeting. This brought to an end the practice of horses running over the National course on the Thursday or Friday before running in the National on Saturday, although by 1999 such instances had become very rare.
Fiddling The Facts was made the 6/1 favourite on the day of the race after a series of impressive, albeit not victorious, runs during the season. The mare had been third in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury the previous November and followed that by finishing second in the Welsh National, Singer & Friedlander Grand National Trial and Greenalls Grand National Trial in the build-up to the National itself. The horse was partnered by 1996 winning rider Mick Fitzgerald, and moved into the leading half-dozen as the field approached the racecourse for the end of the first circuit. They remained prominent until falling at Becher's Brook on the second circuit when lying seventh.