VB was made easier this year. The width of the water at the WJ was 12' (previously 10' 4").
(Liverpool Grand) We 2 Mar 1842 (3.00) 4m 3f Good to Soft 13.30.00 15 £515 J. Elmore
| 1 | Gaylad | 8 | 12-00 | G. Dockeray | T. Olliver | 7/1 | Slowly away, held up. Headway after ABC 1C, 7th (of 13) WJ. 4th very early 2C, 3rd BB and soon took 2nd. Allowed to close up at ditch mid CS but soon 20+L in arrears. Plugged on from ABC to be a close 2nd at last. Soon led, nursed home under pressure but kept on gamely. | ||
| 39 40 41 | 2 | Seventy Four | 9 | 12-00 | H. Powell | 6/1 | 4 | Chased leaders, 5th BB 1C. 4th WJ, 3rd very early 2C and took lead approaching BB. Went clear but took a pull CS ditch. Soon pushed 20+L ahead, going very well, however, began to tire before second last. Mistake under pressure at last and headed just after. No response to urgings. | |
| 41 | 3R | Peter Simple(grey) | 8 | 12-00 | R. Hunter | R. Hunter | 8/1 | 15 | Away well & prominent, 4th BB 1C. Took lead CS 1C and still ahead WJ where bad mistake. Headed very early 2C. Remained prominent and 2nd BB. Soon dropped to 3rd and in that position when unwittingly baulked by spectators ABC & UR. Remounted, game but vain pursuit. |
| 4 | The Returned | 8 | 12-00 | W.J. Hope-Johnstone | W.J. Hope-Johnstone | 15/1 | 4 | Slowly away but soon chasing leaders. Forcibly took 6th BB 1C but had dropped to 9th by WJ. 6th again very early 2C, 5th BB. Plugged on very dourly without ever threatening. | |
| 5 | Banathlath | 7 | 12-00 | T. Ferguson | P. Colgan | 20/1 | DIST | Mid-division until headway CS 1C to be 3rd at ABC. 2nd WJ and took lead very early 2C. Headed approaching BB and faded fairly rapidly. Plodded on to finish a bad 5th. | |
| P | Lucks-All | 10 | 12-00 | T. Goddard | 10/1 | LATE 2C | Slowly away & always towards rear 1C, 13th and last WJ. Plodded on 2C, making the most modest of progress. Passed post but may not have jumped all obstacles. | ||
| P | Lady Langford | 12-00 | J. Abbott | NQ | LATE 2C | Chased leaders until bad mistake 2nd. Dropped to mid-division, 8th WJ. Laboured on 2C becoming well tailed off. Passed post but may not have jumped all obstacles. | |||
| P | Bangalore | 10 | 12-00 | Cpt W. Peel | 20/1 | LATE 2C | Mid-division until blundered badly VB 1C & dropped towards rear. 12th WJ. Lumbered on 2C becoming completely tailed off. Passed post but may not have jumped all obstacles. | ||
| 40 | P | Columbine(1) | 8 | 12-00 | H. Beresford | L. Byrne | NQ | ABC 2C | Away well & led. Went several lengths clear but headed approaching BB 1C where 2nd. Led again immediately after but headed once more CS 1C and 2nd ABC. 3rd WJ. Began to fade very early 2C. Became tailed off and PU end of CS. |
| P | Anonymous | 10 | 12-00 | G. Moore | G. Moore | NQ | ABC 2C | Chased leaders until dashed into lead briefly BB 1C. Headed just after, 5th WJ. Began to fade very early 2C. Became tailed off and PU end of CS. | |
| 39 40 41 | P | Lottery | 12 | 13-04 | G. Dockeray | Jem Mason | 5/1F | CS 2C | Chased leaders 1C, 7th BB and 6th WJ. 5th very early 2C and up to 4th BB but began to fade just after and soon PU CS. |
| R | Honesty | 9 | 12-00 | W. McDonough | NQ | SL | Away well & prominent, 3rd BB 1C. Had dropped to 10th by WJ and refused at Sunken Lane (2nd element). | ||
| F | Satirist | 6 | 12-00 | B. Bretherton | 100/7 | SL | Slowly away and always towards rear. 11th WJ. Fell at Sunken Lane (2nd element). | ||
| U | Sam Weller | 8 | 12-00 | P. Barker | 8/1 | FNC AFT BB 1C | Initially chased leaders. Mid-division when UR at the fence after BB 1C. | ||
| B | Consul | 10 | 12-00 | F. Oldacre | 10/1 | BB 1C | Chased leaders and 6th when BD at BB 1C by The Returned who cut across his path upon take off. |
LAD MAKES GEORGE AND BLACK TOM FEEL GAY
As was usually the case in its early years this National didn't commence until about two hours after the provisionally scheduled time. Restiveness for one section of the crowd was reduced by the discovery and pursuit of an animal that looked remarkably as if it was a fox. Only as this thirty-minute plus diversion was about to be successfully concluded did the realisation dawn that they had in fact been chasing a mongrel shepherd dog!
Such a delay can only have afforded greater opportunity for spectators to imbibe alcoholic beverages and it appears that those folks whose intrusion onto the course hampered Peter Simple were unruly rather than malicious. He was very unlucky because Gaylad and Seventy Four were known not to be the most enthusiastic although Gaylad would go on to win thrice more in the 1841/42 season, a great feat of training by George Dockeray who in 1842 was securing his third Grand National in four years. It was a first triumph for Tom Olliver, good-natured, hedonistic and loose with money, who whilst strong in a finish was adaptable, as he showed here. Victory for Black Tom, joining his west country rival Horatio Powell, Martin Becher, Allen McDonough and Jem Mason, meant that all five horsemen generally recognised as the best of this early era had now tasted National glory. Powell on this occasion, however, probably did too much too soon on Seventy Four whom, though fitter than he had been in 1841 having had longer to get over both of his front legs being fired, may not have been quite the horse he was in 1839. Some of the plough was very deep and The Returned (for one), able on the Flat, would have preferred quicker going. Gaylad never ran at Aintree again while his stable companion Lottery was once more burdened with an unfair weight in 1842 because the clause in the conditions of 1841 was retained. The National would become a full handicap in 1843.
On very similar going the time was a bit slower than that of Charity (rated -24) in 1841 and Gaylad would probably have been beaten by Peter Simple had the latter not suffered interference, Peter Simple (-26) had been just behind Charity in 1841. Furthermore, Gaylad did not beat Seventy Four (possibly regressive) with anything like the ease that Lottery had in 1839 so Gaylad's performance clearly falls short of my Scroll Of Merit.