The 1846 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the eighth annual running of a Handicap Steeple-chase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase Horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....

 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 Wednesday 4 March 1846 and attracted a then record field of twenty-two runners. It was won by the unconsidered outsider Pioneer.

Veluti, ridden by 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....

, a rider who had previously won the race in 1839

1839 Grand National

The 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...

 was sent off as the 11/2 favourite to win while the top weight of 12 stone 8 lbs was given to Firefly, the mount of Larry Byrne.

Finishing order

position	name	rider	age	weight	starting price	dstance or fate
Winner	Pioneer	William Taylor	6	11-12	Not quoted	Three lengths
Second	Culverthorpe	H Rackley		11-12	12/1	Three lengths
Third	Switcher	Denny Wynne	5	12-04	7/1
Fourth	Firefly	Larry Byrne	7	12-04	6/1
Fifth	Eagle	Captain William Peel	5	11-12	25/1	Last to finish
Non finishers
	Major A	W Blake	6	10-06	25/1	Finished sixth but may not have jumped the whole course
	Pickwick	James Dally	6	10-10	Not quoted	Finished seventh but may not have jumped the whole course
After final fence	Veluti	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....	6	11-08	11/2 favourite	Broke down, pulled up
Second circuit	Peter Simple	John Frisby	12	11-10	100/6	Fell while leading
Second circuit	Golden Pippin	Charles Nainby	7	11-12	12/1	Bolted
Second circuit	The Scavenger The Scavenger -Track listing:# "The Scavenger" - 8:07# "Bittersweet" - 4:45# "But Not For Me" - 5:53# "Sweet Emma" - 4:47# "Rise, Sally, Rise" - 5:19# "Unilateral" - 5:58# "Melnat" - 3:00...	J Bradley	6	10-02	Not quoted	Refused
Second circuit	Perambulator	Neptune Stagg	6	10-08	16/1	Pulled up
Second circuit	Cure-All Cure-All Cure-All was a half bred racehorse by Physician out of an unknown dam who won the 1845 Grand National Steeplechase when an unconsidered outsider....	William Loft William Loft William Loft William Loft William Loft (born Seaford, Sussex 14 September 1803 - died Grimsby 15 December 1887 was a farmer and one time steeplechase rider best remembered for his victory in the 1845 Grand National riding Cure-All....	8	12-04	16/1	Pulled up
Second circuit	Regalia	Thomas Doolan		11-12	Not quoted	Fell
Second circuit	Troubadour	Gibbon Rammell	14	11-06	Not quoted	Fell
Second circuit	Carlow	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....		11-04	Not quoted	Fell
Second circuit	Brenda	Horatio Powell	9	11-04	100/6	Fell
Second circuit	Tinderbox	P Daly		11-04	Not quoted	Fell
Second circuit	Lady Grey	E Thomas	6	10-00	Not quoted	Fell
Crossing Anchor bridge on the first circuit	Lancet	William McDonough	5	11-00	10/1	Brought down by a mounted spectator
Before Becher's Brook, first circuit	Mameluke	Alan McDonough		10-12	10/1	collided with Hornihihharriho and fell
Before Becher's Brook, first circuit	Hornihiharriho	Parker		11-00	Not quoted	Collided with Mameluke and fell

The race

The course for this race was incorrectly flagged with the result that as much as an additional half a mile was added to the distance.

Peter Simple led for the majority of the first circuit which three of the competitors failed to negotiate. Mameluke and Hornihihharriho failed to reach Becher's Brook

Becher's Brook

Becher's Brook is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the sixth and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year...

 for the first time when the pair collided at an early jump while Lancet's rider, William McDonough, was knocked from his horse by a mounted spectator as the field were turning to enter the race course proper.

The second circuit saw many of the runners meet with accidents as Peter Simple fell to leave Culverthorpe in the lead. Last year's winner, Cure-All was pulled up by his rider when it became apparent that he would not repeat his success and Perambulator soon did the same, Golden Pippen bolted off the course and The Scavenger refused. Regalia, Troubadour, Carlow, Brenda, Tinderbox and Lady Grey all fell before the survivors came back into sight of the spectators in the stands.

Only eight runners remained in the race when they came back onto the race course and when the stated distance was completed Veluti led from Culverthorpe. Veluti broke down and had to be pulled up, leaving Culverthorpe to jump the final flight in the lead only to be caught on the run to the finish line by the rank outsider Pioneer.

Pioneer won the race by three lengths with Culverthorpe second, three lengths in front of Switcher in third. Pioneer was not quoted by the bookmakers who offered him to potential backers at any price they cared to offer, making him the second consecutive unquoted winner of the race. While unquoted on the course, Pioneer was quoted at prices inn excess of 30/1 in the gambling rooms of Manchester were most pre race bets were struck, making him the longest priced winner to date. He proved himself to be a very good horse by winning a prestigious race at Leamington Spa

Leamington Spa

Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...

the following week. His rider, William Taylor was a twenty-seven year old vet and was one of nine riders making their Grand National debut while the owner, a Mr Adams had been very clear before the race that he would not risk a penny of his own money on his own horse and indeed had made no effort to have the horse trained for racing.

Tom Olliver took a record eighth ride in the race this year.

Sources

The Times Newspaper 5 March 1846 edition
The Belfast Newsletter 5 March 1846 edition
The Liverpool Mercury 5 March 1846 edition