The first Irish-trained winner of the Grand National was Matthew in 1847 and since then there have been 20 other Irish successes, with last year’s winner Numbersixvalverde the most recent, following on from the victories of Bobbyjo in 1999, Papillon the next year, Monty’s Pass in 2003 and Hedgehunter in 2005.
Bobbyjo was trained by Tommy Carberry who rode L’Escargot to victory for Irish trainer Dan Moore, his father-in law, in 1975.
The other Irish successes have been Wanderer (1855), Liberator (1879), Empress (1880), Woodbrook (1881), Frigate (1889), Come Away (1891), Ambush (1900), Troytown (1920), Workman (1939), Caughoo (1947), the Vincent O’Brien-trained trio of Early Mist (1953), Royal Tan (1954) and Quare Times (1955) and the Tom Taaffe-trained Mr What in 1958.
There has been one Scottish-trained winner, Rubstic in 1979, and one Welsh-based scorer in Kirkland (1905).