Horse Talk Blog

Congratulations to Silver Birch for winning the Grand National this past April The Grand National this year was held at the Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, and Silver Birch showed up with a spectacular performance.  Considering the 33-1 odds, rider Robbie Power and trainer Gordon Elliot were understandably pleased when Silver took the lead by three-quarters of a length!

Of the 40 horses that started, only 13 of them finished the four mile furlong, two of which were Slim Picking and MsKelvey.  Surprisingly, the 8-1 joint favorites Point Barrow and Joes Edge failed to be among the thirteen, with Point Barrow falling at the first fence.

The Grand National is one of the most popular races of the year, drawing viewers from even non-horse enthusiasts. Begun in 1836, this sometimes controversial race always delivers excitement, and it will be interesting to see who wins at the next competition. Last year’s winner was Numbersixvalverde, who finished sixth, outdistancing the 2005 winner Hedgehunter.