1841 Grand National
Encyclopedia
The 1841 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the third official annual running of a Steeple-chase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase handicap Horse race which took place at Aintree
Racecourse near Liverpool
on March 3rd 1841 and attracted a then smallest ever field of eleven runners.
Although recorded by the press at the time as the sixth running of the Grand Liverpool, which was renamed the Grand National in 1847, the first three runnings were poorly organised affairs.
The race was not run as a handicap chase and therefore all the runners were declared to carry 12 stone with the exception of the winner of the 1840 Cheltenham
Steeplechase who had to carry 13 stone 4 lbs.
Reports of the conditions and betting on the race varied widely and depended greatly on which newspaper the reader chose to get their report from after the event with Charity and Seventy-Four both listed as pre race favourite in some publications, which also varied the state of the going with everything from good to heavy. Officially Lottery is recorded as favourite on officially good going.
The race was started at 2.30pm and was run at a very sedate pace, which ensured a largely incident free contest. Selim fell at least once during the first circuit but was remounted and continued while the early leader, Goblin was the only other casualty, falling at a fence by the Canal. He was quickly remounted and had rejoined the main body of runners by the time the water jump, which marked the half way stage was jumped. Cigar was a narrow leader at this stage ahead of Charity with the remainder tightly bunched.
Legacy and Oliver Twist both fell in the second field of the second circuit and though both were quickly remounted their chance of victory was lost. Lottery now opened a good lead, which was maintained all the way back towards the racecourse but when he came into sight of the spectators in the stands it was apparent that the extra weight burden was too much to bear. His two and half length lead was quickly overhauled by Charity, Cigar and Peter Simple and, with victory beyond them, Mason pulled the former champion up before reaching the hurdles.
Charity jumped the penultimate hurdle in the lead but was passed by Cigar and Peter Simple and when these two jumped the final hurdle together it looked as though the race lay between them. Charity however found a second wind and gradually overhauled the two leaders to win by a length over Cigar with Peter Simple only half a length behind in third with Revealer in fourth. The others with the exception of Lottery, completed the course though the order in which they passed the post was not accurately recorded.
jacket and cerise
cap of Lord Craven
and was prepared for the race at the stables of William Vevers in Cheltenham
. His rider, A Powell had failed to finish in a place in either of his two previous Nationals. Her time of thirteen minutes and twenty-five seconds was fifty-five seconds outside the race record.
Second: Cigar ran in the colours of one Mr Anderson. Jockey Alan McDonough has also been second the previous year.
Third: Peter Simple was owned by the Hon F Craven and was a second race ride for T Walker
Fourth: Revealer ran in the tartan
colours of Henry Villebois which had been carried to victory by Jerry
the previous year. Bartholomew Bretherton
rode both horses.
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, about north of Liverpool city centre, in North West England....
Racecourse near Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on March 3rd 1841 and attracted a then smallest ever field of eleven runners.
Although recorded by the press at the time as the sixth running of the Grand Liverpool, which was renamed the Grand National in 1847, the first three runnings were poorly organised affairs.
The race was not run as a handicap chase and therefore all the runners were declared to carry 12 stone with the exception of the winner of the 1840 Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
Steeplechase who had to carry 13 stone 4 lbs.
Competitors & Betting
- 5/2 Lottery, the 18391839 Grand NationalThe 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first official annual running of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.It was held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 26 February 1839 and attracted a field of seventeen runners.Although recorded by the press at...
winner who also bore the 13 stone, 4 lb penalty weight for having won the 1840 Cheltenham chase and was ridden, as in 1839, by Jem MasonJem MasonJames "Jem" Mason was a champion English jockey. On February 26, 1839 he won the Grand National in Liverpool on a brown-bay racehorse called Lottery.... - 4/1 Cigar, an eleven year old providing Alan McDonough with a record fifth ride in the race (including pre 1839 non official Nationals)
- 6/1 Peter Simple, a seven year old grey entire ridden by T Walker
- 12/1 Legacy, the mount of William McDonoughWilliam McDonoughWilliam Andrews McDonough is an American architect, founding principal of , co-founder of with German chemist Michael Braungart as well as co-author of also with Braungart...
- 14/1 CharityCharity (racehorse)Charity was a racehorse who won the 1841 Grand National at the second attempt, defeating ten rivals in a time of 13 minutes 25 seconds. William Vevers was the official trainer of Charity...
, an eleven year old mare who had failed to complete the course in 1839, a third ride for A Powell - 14/1 Seventy Four, the eight year old runner up in 18391839 Grand NationalThe 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first official annual running of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.It was held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 26 February 1839 and attracted a field of seventeen runners.Although recorded by the press at...
, ridden this year by Whitworth - 100/6 The Hawk, provided a debut ride for W Saunders
- 25/1 Goblin, a ten year old ridden by last year's winning jockey Bartholomew BrethertonBartholomew BrethertonBartholomew Bretherton was a coach proprietor from Rainhill near St Helens who also rode many times in the Grand National as an amateur rider, winning the race in 1840 in the colours of Henry Villebois on his horse Jerry...
- 25/1 Oliver Twist, a six year old ridden by 18391839 Grand NationalThe 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first official annual running of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.It was held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 26 February 1839 and attracted a field of seventeen runners.Although recorded by the press at...
runner up, Tom OlliverTom OlliverThomas 'Tom' Olliver , born Oliver or Olivere, was a steeplechase jockey and racehorse trainer, who won three Grand Nationals as a rider in the 1840s and 50s.... - 25/1 Revealer, a seven year old ridden by P Barker
- 25/1 Selim, a seven year old who bore no relation to the 1814 sire of the same name, was the mount of Captain G B Price
The race
The course was as it had been the previous year with the exception that the wall, situated in front of the stands, was replaced with an artificial water jump.Reports of the conditions and betting on the race varied widely and depended greatly on which newspaper the reader chose to get their report from after the event with Charity and Seventy-Four both listed as pre race favourite in some publications, which also varied the state of the going with everything from good to heavy. Officially Lottery is recorded as favourite on officially good going.
The race was started at 2.30pm and was run at a very sedate pace, which ensured a largely incident free contest. Selim fell at least once during the first circuit but was remounted and continued while the early leader, Goblin was the only other casualty, falling at a fence by the Canal. He was quickly remounted and had rejoined the main body of runners by the time the water jump, which marked the half way stage was jumped. Cigar was a narrow leader at this stage ahead of Charity with the remainder tightly bunched.
Legacy and Oliver Twist both fell in the second field of the second circuit and though both were quickly remounted their chance of victory was lost. Lottery now opened a good lead, which was maintained all the way back towards the racecourse but when he came into sight of the spectators in the stands it was apparent that the extra weight burden was too much to bear. His two and half length lead was quickly overhauled by Charity, Cigar and Peter Simple and, with victory beyond them, Mason pulled the former champion up before reaching the hurdles.
Charity jumped the penultimate hurdle in the lead but was passed by Cigar and Peter Simple and when these two jumped the final hurdle together it looked as though the race lay between them. Charity however found a second wind and gradually overhauled the two leaders to win by a length over Cigar with Peter Simple only half a length behind in third with Revealer in fourth. The others with the exception of Lottery, completed the course though the order in which they passed the post was not accurately recorded.
Finishing order
| position | name | rider | age | weight | starting price | dstance or fate |
| Winner | Charity Charity (racehorse) Charity was a racehorse who won the 1841 Grand National at the second attempt, defeating ten rivals in a time of 13 minutes 25 seconds. William Vevers was the official trainer of Charity... |
A Powell | 11 | 12-00 | 14/1 | 1 length |
| Second | Cigar | Alan McDonough | 11 | 4/1 | 12-00 | 1/2 a length |
| Third | Peter Simple | T Walker | 7 | 12-00 | 6/1 | |
| Fourth | Revealer | P Barker | 7 | 12-00 | 25/1 | Last recorded finisher |
| Completed the course | Seventy Four | Whitworth | 8 | 12-00 | 14/1 | Finishing position not recorded |
| Completed the course | The Hawk | W Saunders | 12-00 | 100/6 | Finishing position not recorded | |
| Completed the course (remounted) | Legacy | William McDonough | 12-00 | 12/1 | Fell at the first jump on the second circuit | |
| Completed the course {remounted} | Oliver Twist | Tom Olliver Tom Olliver Thomas 'Tom' Olliver , born Oliver or Olivere, was a steeplechase jockey and racehorse trainer, who won three Grand Nationals as a rider in the 1840s and 50s.... |
6 | 12-00 | 25/1 | Fell at the first fence on the second circuit |
| Completed the course {remounted} | Goblin | Bartholomew Bretherton Bartholomew Bretherton Bartholomew Bretherton was a coach proprietor from Rainhill near St Helens who also rode many times in the Grand National as an amateur rider, winning the race in 1840 in the colours of Henry Villebois on his horse Jerry... |
10 | 12-00 | 25/1 | Fell at the Canal side of the course on the first circuit |
| Completed the course {remounted at least once} | Selim | Captain G B Price | 7 | 12-00 | 25/1 | Fell at Becher's on the first circuit |
| Non finishers | ||||||
| Lottery | Jem Mason Jem Mason James "Jem" Mason was a champion English jockey. On February 26, 1839 he won the Grand National in Liverpool on a brown-bay racehorse called Lottery.... |
13-04 | 5/2 favourite | Pulled up with half a mile to race |
The placed horses
Winner: Charity ran in the whiteWhite
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
jacket and cerise
Cerise
Cerise may refer to:* Cerise * Cerise * Cerise * Cerise * Cerisé, France* The French word for cherry, a fruit...
cap of Lord Craven
William Craven, 2nd Earl of Craven
William Craven, 2nd Earl of Craven , styled Viscount Uffington until 1825, was a British peer.He inherited the earldom in 1825 from his father, William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven...
and was prepared for the race at the stables of William Vevers in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
. His rider, A Powell had failed to finish in a place in either of his two previous Nationals. Her time of thirteen minutes and twenty-five seconds was fifty-five seconds outside the race record.
Second: Cigar ran in the colours of one Mr Anderson. Jockey Alan McDonough has also been second the previous year.
Third: Peter Simple was owned by the Hon F Craven and was a second race ride for T Walker
Fourth: Revealer ran in the tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
colours of Henry Villebois which had been carried to victory by Jerry
Jerry (racehorse)
Jerry was a racehorse. He won the 1840 Grand National, defeating twelve rivals. He was ridden by Bartholomew Bretherton, trained by George Dockeray and owned by Henry Villebois.-External links:*...
the previous year. Bartholomew Bretherton
Bartholomew Bretherton
Bartholomew Bretherton was a coach proprietor from Rainhill near St Helens who also rode many times in the Grand National as an amateur rider, winning the race in 1840 in the colours of Henry Villebois on his horse Jerry...
rode both horses.
Sources
- www.hometown.aol.co.uk/captainbeecher/1841CHARITY.html
- Correspondent of D.E. Post contemporary report
- Irish Newsletter March 4th 1841