2008 Grand National
Grand National
Location	Aintree
Date	5 April 2009
Winning horse	Comply or Die  Republic of Ireland
Winning Jockey	Timmy Murphy
Conditions	Good

The 2008 Grand National Steeplechase, sponsored by John Smiths, was the 161st official annual running of a Handicap Steeple-chase horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on Saturday 5 April 2008^[1] and attracted the maximum allowed field of forty competitors for prize money of £450,640^[2].

Contents 1 The competitors and betting 2 The Race 3 Aftermath 4 Coverage 5 References

[edit] The competitors and betting

Cloudy Lane, ridden by Jason Maguire was the long time ante-post favourite but was joined just before the off by Comply or Die, ridden by Timmy Murphy, the pair sent off at 7/1. Top weight of 11 stone 12 lbs was carried by former winner Hedgehunter, ridden, as always by Ruby Walsh. The full order of betting at the off was as follows.

starting price	number	name	age	weight in stones and lbs	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	colours	Finishing position[3]
7/1	26	Cloudy Lane	8	10-11	Jason Maguire	Donald McCain junior	Trevor Hemmings	green/yellow quarters, whites sleeves and cap	06
7/1	33	Comply Or Die	9	10-09	Timmy Murphy	David Pipe	David Johnson	blue with green sleeves, green and white checker cap	01
10/1	11	Butler's Cabin	08	11-03	Tony McCoy	Jonjo O'Neill	J P McManus	green and orange hoops, white cap	Fence 22
10/1	1	Hedgehunter	12	11-12	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins	Trevor Hemmings	green/yellow quarters with white sleeves and green cap	13
10/1	12	Slim Pickings	9	11-03	Barry Geraghty	Tom Taffe	Doubtful five syndicate	blue/whites checks, blue sleeves and cap	04
11/1	7	Simon	9	11-07	Dominic Elsworth	J Spearing	Mercy Rimell	purple with sky blue spots, sky blue and purple spotted cap	Fence 25
12/1	17	Bewley's Berry	10	11-00	Denis O'Regan	J Howard Johnson	Andrea & Graham Wylie	chocolate and brown halves, brown sleeves with chocolate hoops, chocolate cap	05
14/1	13	Chelsea Harbour	8	11-12	Davy Russell	Thomas Mullins	Mrs P Duffin	orange with black star, diablo sleeves, black and white hooped cap	09
16/1	16	Snowy Morning	8	11-01	David Casey	Willie Mullins	Quayside Syndicate	yellow with black braces, quartered cap	03
20/1	27	King John's Castle	9	10-11	Paul Carberry	Arthur Moore	J P McManus	green and orange hoops and quartered cap	02
20/1	14	Vodka Bleu	9	11-02	Paul Moloney	David Pipe	David Johnson	blue with green sleeves, blue cap	Fence 19
25/1	22	D'Argent	11	10-12	Robert Thornton	Alan King	Nigel Bunter	purple with navy star and cap	Fence 27
25/1	39	Philson Run	12	10-08	Daryl Jacob	Nick Williams	Gale Force One	yellow with orange braces and gray lower sleeves, yellow cap with orange stars	Fence 08
25/1	19	McKelvey	9	11-00	Tom O'Brien	Peter Bowen	N Elliott	green with red v and quartered cap	Fence 20
25/1	4	Mr Pointment	9	11-11	Sam Thomas	Paul Nicholls	Stockton Heath Racing	red with blue double braces and lower sleeves, red cap	Fence 30
25/1	21	Point Barrow	10	10-13	Tony Dobbin	P Hughes	Mrs P Clune Hughes, Mrs M O'Dwyer & J Foley	violet with purple trim and quartered cap	Fence 17
28/1	28	Mon Mome	8	10-11	Aidan Coleman	Venetia Williams	Vida Bingham	green with blue armbands, green cap	10
33/1	40	Dun Doire	9	10-07	Richard McGrath	Tony Martin	Dunderry Racing Syndicate	green and navy hoops, navy sleeves, navy and white quartered cap	Fence 29
33/1	15	L'ami	9	11-01	Mick Fitzgerald	François Doumen	J P McManus	green and orange hoops, red cap	Fence 02
33/1	5	Turko	6	11-10	Richard Johnson	Paul Nicholls	The Stewart Family	white and black halves with red sleeves and cap	Fence 25
50/1	9	Iron Man	7	11-05	Chrstian Williams	Peter Bowen	R Owen & P Fullager	white with red v, green and red striped sleeves, red cap	Fence 03
66/1	24	Bailey Breeze	9	10-11	Paddy Flood	Mouse Morris	R A Scott	green with red star, stars on sleeves and cap	08
66/1	38	Black Apalachi	9	10-08	Andrew McNamara	Dessie Hughes	Gerard Burke	green with blue hoops on sleeves and star on cap	Fence 02
66/1	10	Fundamentalist	10	11-04	Paddy Brennan	Nigel Twiston-Davies	C Cornes	black with orange stripes, starson sleeves and orange cap	Fence 04
66/1	34	Idle Talk	9	10-09	Brian Harding	Donald McCain junior	Trevor Hemmings	green and yellow quarters, white sleeves, red cap	14
66/1	20	Joacci	8	10-13	Johnny Farrelly	David Pipe	David Johnson	blue, green sleeves, white cap with green spots	Fence 20
66/1	35	Kelami	10	10-09	Barry Keniry	François Doumen	Halewood International Ltd	black with red and white striped sleeves and hooped cap	Fence 11
66/1	3	Knowhere	10	11-11	Joe Tizzard	Nigel Twiston-Davies	H R Mould	green with white stars and star on cap	Fence 25
66/1	6	Madison Du Berlais	7	11-09	Tom Scudamore	David Pipe	Roger Stanley & Yvonne Reynolds II	blue with white diamond belt and sleeves with red armbands and cap	Fence 08
66/1	30	Naunton Brook	9	10-10	Andrew Tinkler	Nigel Twiston-Davies	David Langdon	navy and green stripes, red cap with navy star	Fence 19
80/1	29	Cornish Sett	9	10-10	Nick Scholfield	Paul Nicholls	Peter Hart	green with white hoop, checkered sleeves and quartered cap	12
100/1	8 {41}	Ardaghey	9	10-07	David England	Nigel Twiston-Davies	D J & S A Goodman	green with white star, diablo sleeves and white star on cap	Fence 04
100/1	32	Backbeat	11	10-09	Wilson Renwick	J Howard Johnson	Andrea & Graham Wylie	chocolate and brown halves, brown sleeves with chocolate hoops, red cap	Fence 02
100/1	25	Bob Hall	7	10-11	Noel Fehily	Jonjo O'Neill	J P McManus	green and orange hoops, blue cap	Fence 19
100/1	18	Contraband	10	11	Keith Mercer	Paul Murphy	F G Wilson	red, with white star, red and black striped sleeves, white cap with black star	Fence 11
100/1	2	Hi Cloy	11	11-12	Tom Doyle	Michael Hourigan	Susan McCloy	white with red belt and striped sleeves, white cap	11
100/1	31	Tumbling Dice	9	10-10	Tom Ryan	Tom Taffe	John Donegan	black with red hollow square and checkered cap	Fence 03
125/1	36	Milan Deux Mille	6	10-09	Tom Malone	David Pipe	F G & J E Wilson	orange with white cap, black striped sleeves, white cap with black star	15
125/1	37	Nadover	7	10-09	Robbie Power	Charlie Mann	G H Storey	sky blue with yellow belt	07
125/1	23	No Full	7	10-12	Shay Barry	Eion Doyle	Mrs P Doyle	green with white sash and diamond piping on sleeves, striped cap	Fence 06

Three riders were having their thirteenth ride in the race, Mick Fitzgerland, who won the race in 1996 on Rough Quest, Paul Carberry, who won the race in 1999 on Bobbyjo and champion jockeyTony McCoy who was aiming to be removed from an exclusive list of less than twelve jockeys to have ridden in more than ten Nationals without winning. Other former winning riders competing were Ruby Walsh, Hedgehunter in 2005 and Papillon in 2000, Barry Geraghty, 2003 on Monty's Pass, Tony Dobbin, 1997 on Lord Gyllene and Robbie Power, 2007 on Silver Birch.

Ardaghey was listed as 1st reserve {no. 41} but got into the race when {no. 8} Opera Mundi was withdrawn the day before the race.

[edit] The Race

^[4]The runners were sent away to a clean first start with No Full leading over the first fence, which all forty runners cleared safely but the run down to Becher's Brook for the first time claimed seven victims as Black Apalachi fell, having just taken the lead at the second fence where he was quickly joined by L'Ami, whose rider Mick Fitzgerlad had to go to hospital with neck an back injuries and Backbeat. Tumbling Dice and Iron Man both unseated their riders when taking off too soon at the third fence while Ardaghey and Fundamentalist got in too close to the fourth fence and both fell to leave 31 runners continuing to the famous Brook, led by Mr Pointment and Milan Deux Mille.

No Full was up in the leading dozen runners when he clipped the top of Bechers and fell and the casualties increased at the Canal Turn where Madison Du Berlais fell and hampered Philson Run, whose rider was unseated. The eleventh fence claimed two more fallers when Contraband and Kelami both failed to negotiate that obstacle, leaving 26 runners to complete the first circuit.

The Water jump marked the end of the first circuit and was taken with Chelsea Harbour having moved up to lead from Mr Pointment, D'Argent, Simon and Comply Or Die next in a tightly packed field, which was reduced by one when Point Barrow was pulled up, his rider feeling that the horse, which fell at the first fence in the same race the year before, was not enjoying the race. Five other runners all left the contest before reaching Becher's Brook for the second time, Voldka Bleu, Naunton Brook and Bob Hall were all pulled up before the open ditch {19th fence}, Joacci fell at the next and McKelvey also unseated his rider. McKelvey then veered sharply off the course after jumping the next fence falling when trying to negotiate the running rails and suffering injuries which proved too severe for the horse to be saved.

At Becher's Brook for the second time the first dozen remained tightly grouped consisting of Chelsea Harbour, Mr Pointment, Comply or Die, the grey D'Argent, Butler's Cabin, Snowy Morning, Idle Talk, Bewley's Berry, Knowhere, Simon, Mon Mome and Hedgehunter, that number being instantly reduced when Butler's Cabin fell there.

Knowhere and Simon were beginning to lose touch when the unseated at Valentine's Brook where Turko also fell to leave the race between Chelsea Harbour, Mr Pointment, Snowy Morning, Bewley's Berry, Comply or Die, Idle Talk and Hedgehunter with Slim Pickings, Mon Mome and King John's Castle all still in touch. Co-favourite Cloudy Lane had never been in the front rank and now looked too far off the pace to mount a challenge as did Nadover, Bailey Breeze and Hi Cloy with Cornish Sett and Milan Deux Mille tailed off five fences to jump.

D'Argent also looked like he was just starting to drop away when he fell four fences from home as Snowey Morning, Bewley's Berry, Comply or Die, Slim Pickings and King John's Castle kicked away from the remainder on the long run to the second last flight, which was jumped four abreast, King John's Castle just behind. The run to the last fence did for Bewley's Berry as Snowy Morning and Comply or Die jumped together with King John's Castle now moving into a challenging position.

Comply or Die took the final fence the better and was never headed on the long run in, winning going away by four lengths from Snowy Morning with King John's Castle a length and a half third, Slim Pickings was again fourth sixteen lengths behind. Eleven others finished in the following order, Bewley's Berry, Cloudy Lane, Nadover, Baily Breeze, Chelsea Harbour, Mon Mome, Hi Cloy, Cornish Sett, Hedgehunter, Idle Talk and Milan Deux Mille. Dun Doire was pulled up before jumping the second last fence and long time leader Mr Pointment pulled up before the last flight.^[5]

[edit] Aftermath

This was the first Grand National win for all of the connections with jockey Timmy Murphy telling reporters that the race was the highlight of his career, confessing that the trainer had said the horse was a certainty to win. Owner David Johnson was also delighted to win after having had approximately twenty horses compete unsuccessfully in previous Nationals.

All of the other jockeys to complete the course returned stating their happiness with their mounts and such was the competitive nature of the race that all had felt they still had a chance at Becher's second time, the only exception being Tom Malone, whose Milan Deux Mille was already tailed off at that stage and finished a long way behind the rest. None of the jockeys who failed to complete the course were bold enough to state that they would have won or even gone close had they not exited.

This was Tony Dobbin's final ride in the National, having announced his retirement before the race.

As a result of spinal injuries suffered in the race, Mick Fitzgerald also announced his retirement from race riding in August 2008.

[edit] Coverage

The 2008 Grand National was televised live in the United Kingdom in a four hour long broadcast on BBC One, presented by Clare Balding with Rishi Persad and guest presenter Richard Dunwoody. The commentary team of four commentators was Ian Bartlett, Tony O'Heir, Darren Owen and lead commentator Jim McGrath who called the horses home.

"Comply or Die jumped better than Snowy Morning but King John's Castle is the big danger, running on well. They race towards the elbow. Timmy Murphy looks over his right shoulder. He sees King John's Castle coming at him hard. They race towards the elbow. It's Comply or Die in front. Snowy Morning is coming again. King John's Castle the outside. Comply or Die punched out by Murphy, leads by three or four lengths and is going to go on and win the Grand National. It's Comply or Die, Timmy Murphy who wins the Grand National. In second is King John's Castle. Third is Snowy Morning. Fourth is Slim Pickings.

The action was broadcast via fifty-two cameras, including cameras situated inside fences, although the use of jockey cams, cameras placed inside riders helmets was not used this year for the national. This was the forty-ninth annual broadcast of the race live by the BBC but was the first not to be broadcast as part of a Grandstand special.

[edit] References

Official BBC coverage of the 2008 Grand National