Fr 31 Mar 1905 (2.59) 4m 4f Good 9.48.80 27 £2,025 F. Bibby
| 03 04 | 1 | Kirkland | 9 | 11-05 | Lt Col F. Lort-Phillips | Tich Mason | 6/1 | Away well. 3rd at 1st, 2nd at 3rd then took a pull. Chased leading pair in 6th at 5th, 7th VB 1C, 9th ABC, 7th again WJ (where 19 remained). 6th at 19th. Headway to be 3rd BB 2C, left 2nd VB. Took lead towards end of CS, 2L ahead last. Ran on strongly despite attentions of loose horses. Cosily. | |
| 2 | Napper Tandy | 8 | 10-00 | Sir C. Nugent | P. Woodland | 25/1 | 3 | Held up in mid-division 1C, 11th WJ. 8th from 19th to CT 2C. Smooth run on outside CS to be 5th at ABC. Left 3rd at 29th. Further progress to be disputing 2nd, 2L down, last. Kept on but no chance with winner. | |
| 3 | Buckaway | 7 | 9-11 | J. Rogers | A. Newey | 100/1 | 4 | Held up towards rear. 19th and last ABC 1C. A rear of mid-division 12th WJ. Further gradual progress to be 5th VB 2C. 6th ABC. Continued headway to dispute 2nd, 2L down, at last. Slightly weakened. | |
| 4 | Ranunculus | 7 | 9-12 | T. Coulthwaite | C. Hollobone | 7/1 | NK | Jumped well. Became prominent CS 1C, 5th ABC. Led from WJ to BB 2C where 2nd. Left in lead again VB and briefly threatened to go clear but kept to outer CS and 3rd ABC. Left 2nd once more at 29th. Weakened between last 2 but remained a close 4th at last. Horse & jockey tired and slightly faded further. | |
| 5 | Hercules | 9 | 9-10 | F. Hunt | J. Dillon | 33/1 | Away well & prominent. 4th at 1st, 6th at 3rd, chased leading pair in 3rd BB 1C, 5th VB. 7th ABC 1C, 8th WJ. 7th again from 19th to CT 2C. Effort after VB and 4th ABC. Still close in 5th at last. Weakened run in to finish a moderate 5th. | ||
| 04 | 6 | Band Of Hope | 9 | 9-11 | G. Saunders-Davies | W. Donnelly | 100/1 | Away quite well but had dropped towards rear approaching 13th, 15th WJ. Little impact 2C and finished well beaten. | |
| 7 | Cottenshope | 9 | 9-11 | W.H. Burbidge | D. Morris | 66/1 | 9th BB 1C but soon towards rear, 16th WJ. Last BB 2C. Becoming tailed off by CT. Finished well tailed off. | ||
| 8R | Phil May | 6 | 11-00 | Sir C. Nugent | D. Morgan | 20/1 | Mid-division. Became prominent by BB 1C where chased leading pair in 5th. 6th ABC & WJ. 5th again 19th. 4th BB to CT 2C and 2nd by ABC. Same position, seemingly with every chance, when UR 29th. Remounted to finish well tailed off. | ||
| P | Seahorse | 9 | 10-07 | D. Page | James O'Brien | 20/1 | 29TH | Away well & prominent. 8th at 1st, 5th at 3rd, chased leading pair in 6th BB 1C, 3rd VB 1C. 4th from ABC 1C to 19th. Dropped to 6th BB & CT 2C, 7th ABC. Continued to weaken, became tailed off and unable to raise a gallop when PU before 29th. | |
| 02 03 | F | Aunt May | 9 | 10-09 | A. Persse | E. Sullivan | 100/8 | 28TH | 6th at 1st but largely raced in mid-division 1C, 10th ABC and 9th WJ. Headway early 2C and 3rd at 19th. Only 5th BB & CT but very prominent when fell 28th. |
| F | Bucheron | 10 | 10-06 | U. David | 100/1 | 27TH (OD) | Rear of mid-division, 14th ABC 1C. Same position but towards rear WJ. Had become tailed off by 23rd. Fell heavily 27th. | ||
| F | Timothy Titus | 7 | 10-05 | E. Morgan | E. Morgan | 100/6 | 25TH (VB) | Away well & very prominent. 3rd at 3rd and 2nd BB 1C. Driven to lead VB 1C. Headed just before WJ where 2nd. Still 2nd at 19th. Regained lead BB 2C and ahead, going well, when fell VB 2C, leaving rider flat out on the turf. | |
| 04 | F | Moifaa | 10 | 11-12 | D. Marsh | B. Dollery | 4/1F | 22ND (BB) | Away quite well, 5th at 1st. Led from 3rd to VB 1C. Once headed remained very prominent, 2nd ABC, 3rd WJ. Began to lose ground just before 19th, increasingly jumping left. At least 20L behind leaders and distressed when fell BB 2C. Breathing problem. |
| P | What Next | 7 | 10-02 | A. Persse | Cpt D. Rasbotham | 50/1 | 20TH | Rear of mid-division, 13th ABC 1C. Same position but towards rear WJ. Very bad mistake 19th, went lame & PU 20th. | |
| 03 04 | F | Dearslayer | 9 | 10-08 | A. Hastings | A. Hastings | 100/6 | 17TH | Mid-division. Soon became prominent, 4th at 3rd. Chased leading pair in 7th BB 1C, 4th again VB 1C. 3rd ABC & Chair, 5th WJ. Took off too soon & fell 17th. |
| P | The Actuary | 7 | 10-09 | W. Moore | E. Matthews | 66/1 | 17TH | Mid-division. 8th BB 1C, 6th VB 1C, 8th again ABC 1C. Had dropped to 10th by WJ. Weakened rapidly and PU 17th. | |
| 02 03 | P | Mathew(2) | 9 | 10-09 | G. Sentence | W. Morgan | 66/1 | 17TH | Mid-division, 11th ABC 1C. Had dropped towards rear in 17th by WJ. Weakened further and PU 17th. |
| 02 | F | Miss Clifden | 9 | 9-13 | W. Baker | F. Barter | 100/1 | 17TH | Rear of mid-division and no impact. Tailed off last but one WJ. Fell 17th. |
| 03 | P | Saxilby | 8 | 9-12 | J. Cowap | P. Heaney | 66/1 | END 1C | Away well, 7th from 1st to 3rd. Had dropped to a mid-division 12th by ABC 1C and was tailed off in 19th & last WJ. Did not persist for much longer. |
| 02 03 04 | F | Detail | 9 | 10-08 | W. Whitehead snr | P. Cowley | 100/7 | 9TH (VB) | Away well & immediately led. Headed before 1st where 2nd. Chased leading pair in 4th BB 1C. Fell VB 1C. |
| 04 | F | Biology | 8 | 10-02 | H. Batho | W. Woodland | 40/1 | 9TH (VB) | Slowly away & last at 1st. Still rearmost BB 1C. Fell VB 1C. |
| R | Longthorpe | 7 | 10-07 | G. Sentence | F. Freemantle | 33/1 | 3RD (OD) | Away quite well & chased leaders until took objection to first ditch. | |
| F | Ascetic's Silver | 8 | 10-05 | T. Dunn | T. Dunn | 20/1 | 3RD (OD) | Mid-division, fell 3rd. | |
| F | Hallgate | 7 | 9-07 | A. Cole | A. Cole | 100/1 | 3RD (OD) | Mid to rear, fell 3rd. | |
| R | Nereus | 7 | 9-10 | D. McGibbon | G. Goswell | 66/1 | 3RD (OD) | Towards rear, 25th at 1st. Refused 3rd. | |
| 04 | F | Kiora | 10 | 10-05 | J. Parkinson | W. Pawson | 100/1 | 3RD (OD) | Slowly away & last but one at 1st. Fell 3rd. |
| F | Royal Drake | 7 | 10-04 | J. Latham | A. Waddington | 20/1 | 2ND | Away quite well. Took lead 1st. Took off too soon & fell 2nd. |
TICH FOILS REVOLUTIONARY
The first Grand National for which a snippet of moving pictures is available to view (see link on homepage). March 31st was the latest date upon which the Grand National had been run and as if cognisant of the fact it was a minute before the advertised time when the flag fell! There was yet another record attendance in 1905 which once again included King Edward whose recently acquired (following the death of Ambush when in preparation for the race) Moifaa confirmed suspicions that he had developed a severe breathing problem and was immediately retired. Most of the throng was delighted, however, as locally owned and ridden course specialist Kirkland, a good jumper who became the first winner trained in Wales (Frederick Lort-Phillips held a share in the horse at one stage), was able to give Tich Mason a National victory. Mason, who rode long and would ultimately be Champion Jockey six times in total, had been paid not to ride during the previous fortnight for fear he might get injured. The chestnut repaid his connections' confidence by duly leading home a parade of lightweights. The field was bottom heavy and one in which only Moifaa and Kirkland (last year's winner and runner-up) carried more than eleven stone. Future events would prove that Aunt May, becoming stronger, was likely to have placed, at least, but for falling at the last along the canal side second time. Dearslayer continued to regress in terms of how far he got before falling. Sound jumping was very much the key as two of the Morgan brothers discovered. Another of the great Irish racing families, there were eight Morgan siblings, nephews of Joe Widger, and five of them (Willie, Dick, Frank, Ernie and Isaac) would have at least one taste of riding in the Aintree Blue Riband. The 1905 Grand National was the first of four occasions when three of the brothers were jocked up in the same renewal. Dick was unfortunate here, coming off Phil May at the 29th while Ernie, who had already started to train (some of his brothers would also later do so and a few of the siblings' sons would become jockeys too), was given a drenching by his charge, Timothy Titus, at second Valentine's. Meanwhile, Seahorse would, presumably, in stark contrast to Kiora, have better appreciated wet, sloppy ground!
The surface in 1905, however, was Good (perhaps on the fast side thereof) and Kirkland's winning time, carrying 11st 5lb, decent enough off what appears to have been an excellent sustained pace. I did a few comparisons with the most recent previous Nationals that took place on similar ground (1898, 1899 and 1900) and, allowing for pace, weight and the obstacles currently being a bit less demanding as a whole, the majority of them indicate that Kirkland merely had to run similarly to how he had in 1904 (-51) to triumph. That had been my initial impression. He vaguely confirmed last year's form with Band Of Hope whilst giving the dual sixth more weight. In the end, grief left him with not much to beat. The jockey on the runner-up said: "They were most decidedly a bad lot of horses that ran". I will allow Kirkland 3 (pounds/lengths) for the cosiness of his success and rate his 1905 performance -48. Strictly at the weights Napper Tandy was 22 inferior (-73), Ranunculus 28 worse (but I'll allow him 2 for his jockey's lack of fitness, -77) and Buckaway 29 behind (-80).