The BBC Grand National 1978 - Lucius

[@Steveoqotsa]

Love watching the old National's & being reminded of old names,The Pilgarlic,Tide/Tied Cottage,Zongalero,Andy Pandy etc....

[@shelleymoore5740]

So good to remember all these grand chasers, brave, brave horses who gave their all ♥️

[@bertiodvonrastenburger1129]

Only a kid back then but for some reason I remember Churchtown Boy more than the others

[@teenoso4069]

He was my annual bet from 76 to 80

[@bluespoon1969]

My Sister (who was 8 at the time) picked Lucius and I (who was 9) picked Sebastian out of the paper on Saturday morning. Only for fun of course - I forget who Mum and Dad picked - but the reverse forecast would have paid a tidy sum for a £1. Great memories watching the GN on a black and white portable at home.

[@deanmatt5439]

My dad took myself and brother to the race 1st national .Dad had been putting money on Lucius all year also had the spring double i.e Lincoln and national which came in thanks to your grandad one of my greatest memories

[@bennormile9788]

My grandmother owned this horse

[@stephenturner6075]

Excellent! I remember my Dad asking me and my younger brother to pick a horse in the 1978 Grand National and my brother chose Lucius and we watched the race on TV as your Grandmother's horse won. My Mum and Dad took us to collect the winnings and bought us some toys. I even remember that the jockey was wearing black and white silks. I just watched the race there to check as the memory does tend to play tricks on you from time to time as i remember i chose a horse called Andy Pandy who fell and i believed all these years that Lucius had bumped into him but Andy Pandy fell in 1977 so i mistakenly blamed my brother all these years for nothing. Oops!

[@chatham43]

....you look at the fences here...and the subsequent vandalism of them...and you just weep..!

[@drizzle952]

Its now the (not so) Grand National Hurdle Race....

[@shelleymoore5740]

What a great finish to this race, Lucius and Sebastian were jumping round in a lovely rhythm, and Lucius was headed a couple of times too, but came back to win, and l notice, ridden out with no whip, just hands and heels ! I couldn't believe Tied Cottage tried to jump Bechers on the angle first time round, but he unfortunately paid the price. The names of all these great chasers should be remembered, both for their fortitude and courage❤

[@eugenekeher978]

One of the great all time finishes Lucius always prominent always going well stamina won the day. X.

[@johnthompson3504]

Manage to climb through a hedge and blend in with the people walking the course prior to racing.Was only 11 at the time .Met Pat Phoenix in the bar at the end of racing,then saw Keith Chegwin at Lime St Station after he hadbeen on Swap shop! True Story.

[@niallmcentee9400]

Memorable for me as I was a very disappointed 12 year old after Red Rum was pulled out the night before with an injury, depriving him of a possible fourth National win

[@mervyncharter]

Yes i remember it was very disappointing to wake up that day with the news that rummy had been pulled out. It was like christmas without santa claus.

[@davebesag]

What was annoying was that Tommy Stack has recovered from an injury and Red Rum wasn't running without him on board.

[@StephenLoxton]

Wonderful finish. Sebastian jumped so well.

[@williamwharton9562]

Just mentioned Sebastian V who finished first in 1977 without jockey then he won Scottish national in same year and finished 2nd to lucius who I backed in 1978 happy days .

[@philrobinson981]

Hello..I backed Lucius as well, my late Father put on 50p Win for me. Since then only Seagram in 1991 has been a winner for me. Bob Davies was the first jockey that I followed, Currently it is Sam Twiston-Davies

[@glynnevans1851]

@@philrobinson981 Bob Davies was a very accomplished horse man n quite underrated. Him n John Francome were the last of thee old fashioned type jockey who knew how to ride a finish n not Ego driven like today sir..Today's Grand National is a different race and is not a test of skill..Kind regards Glynn n Greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands

[@philrobinson981]

@@glynnevans1851 Hello from a fellow Midlander (Derby). Yes I agree the Grand National fences have been cut shorter and it has taken a lot of skill out of the race and made it a bit easier to get round making Red Rum's 3 victories even more remarkable, as for the current jockeys there is 1 that I just do not like, every time I see him interviewed he comes across as quiet smarmy and funnily enough he comes from your neck of the woods...Harry Skelton. Regards Phil

[@glynnevans1851]

@@philrobinson981 hi Phil n thanks for your reply. I agree with you about the Skeltons they were like that back in their show jumping days and I hate it when they have winners ..Do u remember the 73 National I was a big Fred winter fan n my late dad liked Fred Rimell ..in fact now I don't bother with the National because the Spectical as completely gone down the Nick ' I think the Irish national is more exciting now. Kind regards Glynn

[@philrobinson981]

@@glynnevans1851 Hello again. Yes in them days you had a host of big name trainers...Fred Winter who gave us Richard Pitman and John Francome, Fred Rimell whose Grand National record was second to none, Fulke Walwyn, Gordon Richards, Peter Easterby. Tony Dickinson, and Arthur Stephenson, There was a story about Stevo he was suppose to be nasty man to work for yet there was 1 thing that used to scare him... a TV microphone he was very camera shy. The jockeys were a better standard as well, John Francome, Richard Pitman, Bob Davies, Terry Biddlecombe, Ron Barry, Tommy Stack, Jonjo O'Neill, Graham Thorner, Michael Dickinson, and Jeff King .Today I'm Only interested in Sam Twiston-Davies and Barry Geraghty.. Regards Phil

[@jeffreyharris3887]

Sebastian v was a beautiful jumper over those fences .The Pilgarlic was a great national horse always top 5 .Bob Davies on the winner Lucius as a late replacement and finished second on Zongalero to Rubstic in 1979

[@julzyboy1973]

Sebastian fell at Bechers the year before and would've pushed Rummy all the way.

[@johnwilks8545]

The Pilgarlic and Greasepaint were two unlucky stayers, both horses were solid bets in the National. I think both were placed in four Nationals each in the late seventies and early eighties. Lovely memories of two great horses in their own right.

[@Gazowen-qz5xy]

Amberleigh house a modern day them two

[@andrewduggan1018]

The national had proper fences not like nowadays they are like hurdles now. Tiger roll would never got round if he had to jump them fences.

[@ianbennett1491]

Yeah. The GRAND has gone out of it.Just another race nowadays.I never bothered watching it this year ,2024.

[@dalecollins2085]

Sebastian must be the most unluckiest horse to ever run in the National. He jumped the fences on this day for fun..

[@teenoso4069]

Crisp

[@garethmurtagh]

What a finish!

[@mervyncharter]

Shaun Spadah- Convinced Tied Cottage would have taken some catching if he had not fallen in the 1981 Gold Cup as he was so far ahead. I remember reading somewhere that the late Josh Gifford seriously considered running Aldaniti in the 1981 Gold Cup, because he felt it was such an open race, and that Tied Cottage as a 13 year old would be the big danger in that race.

[@julzyboy1973]

He loved being out front. If you look at 2.31 he was still at the front even though Carberry was long gone.

[@gazowen7310]

Convinced he would of won in 79 gold cup

[@markreynolds224]

I remember the pilgarlic, always seemed to get round without winning, just one of those horses that gave you a run for your money.

[@stephenholmes1036]

He was a tough old nut, like Spanish steps, The Dikler, Eyecatcher and Sonny Somers

[@oliverdale1027]

There looks as if there is an almighty cloudburst happening behind the main grandstands if you look from the shots at The Canal Turn!

[@robnorth480]

The trainer was just plain Gordon Richards not SIR Gordon Richards. Cumbrian Gordon Richards was a damned good trainer and father of current Greystoke yard custodian Nicky Richards.

[@LilithCharles]

Grand race by Sebastian but just couldn't hold offLucius only lost by a half. Great to see!👏🐎

[@julzyboy1973]

@6.29 is that Rag Trade dismounted? Favourite in the race and not mentioned.

[@chatham43]

....yes it was....sadly as it turned out because he was later put down...John Francome was the jockey I believe but I could be wrong.

[@julzyboy1973]

@@chatham43 Francome rode him 75, Burke in 76 and Jonjo in 78. Jonjo the national jinx.

[@burnleyfan11965]

Id love to see the 79 National with Rubstic winning.

[@chatham43]

...I've uploaded the finishing stages...but unable to upload the whole race....its continually blocked.....

[@burnleyfan11965]

@@chatham43 Shame i loved Rubstic,my Grandad won about £40 on him and took me him and my Nan to a Chinese Restaurant,quite a big thing then. Can remember he had Otter Way in this one and despite being quite a good horse and winning a Whitbread Gold Cup, he sadly went at the first cos he overjumped it

[@johnjoyce341]

Maybe it's blocked because of Alverton's fatal fall.I know they've shown fatal falls before but 1979 never seems to be uploaded

[@gazowenowen250]

tied cottage ran in 4 gold cups a cracking run from drumrowan

[@quick46]

Tied Cottage would have pissed up if he'd got round

[@greg434]

​@@quick46 Typical beechers fall ... Certainly had the class to beat these ....

[@annabellasarafaraone4147]

The sub-titles are hilarious!!!!!!!

[@chatham43]

...see what you mean...!

[@1964karlos]

Considering The Pilgarlic only finished 3-4 lengths behind the winner but the previous year was about 30 lengths behind Red Rum I wonder how Rummy would have done in this race had he have been fit to run in it.

[@leroyjoseph6896]

Is there any races on the mildmay course before 1975?

[@teenoso4069]

No. There was no Milmay course as we know it today but there was a nursery national course sometimes used for races

[@davidkent8606]

Can someone put up the 1977 Scottish Grand National when Sebastian V beat Red Rum ?

[@rohansrider]

After Red Rum winning a third at Aintree, what a daft thing to do to run him at Ayr. He finished third but just like in 1975 McCain made a bad call. Rummy did have a very hard career, that’s why all the more credit to the great horse that he survived it all. Good horses like Tiger Roll will come and go but here will never be another Red Rum.Tiger Roll bred in the purple. Red Rum’s lineage on the dam’s side questionable. Running in a seller at two, what does that tell you.?

[@davidkent8606]

@@rohansrider Actually maybe it wasn't such a bad idea, in 1974 Rummy did the the Aintree/Ayr double, and he was only just touched off by Sebastian V in 77.

[@garyt6747]

David,I wish the 77 scottish grand national was on you tube.I loved Sebastian V and his display in the 78 was awesome.

[@davidkent8606]

@@garyt6747 Back in the day, before I married my first wife we had nicknames for each other, hers was Mitzi, and mine was Sebastian (I stole it from a character played by Oliver Reed in the TV Series Inspector Rose). So I always backed Sebastian V, and in this race I got very excited when he looked likely to win. I viewed it at my mother-in-law's house, and everyone there left the room near the end of the race, they just couldn't stand to watch the end of the race.

[@rohansrider]

@@davidkent8606 Red Rum's 1974 victory was an example of how to win a National. The ground was fast, the sun shone and he jumped like a stag and he finished a very fresh horse. That's why he was quite able to go up to Ayr and win. 1975 he had a harder race in conditions he hated, so IMO it was a poor decision. Brian Fletcher Ginger McCain.

[@jtyt1123]

Great national

[@garrywilson7676]

Poor old Ridley Lamb (second on Sebastian), was drowned when his car fell off the road into the sea in Southseas, summer 1994.

[@PeterMc141]

He was drink driving when that happened

[@kevinbrennan304]

If only tamalin didn't do that big mistake at beachers 2 nd time round could have been a top 3 finish gained a lot of ground of the reminder of the race had a few quid on it

[@dessiemckenzie5857]

Apparently this result wasn’t as bad for the on course bookies. The page they put up for the national had 37 runners names in 2 rows. The name of the eventual winner ‘Lucius’ was obscured by many of the pegs which held the page name with the runners to the bookies blank board . There was a complaint by some punters and the page system was changed for future years to avoid this

[@chatham43]

....interesting...thanks...

[@julzyboy1973]

Double Bridal was called out by Peter O as the youngest in the race then promptly fell. Anybody know why that horse never ran in a GN again.

[@paullinford4510]

Lucius was a worthy winner having been up with the leaders throughout, but for me this was a race of what ifs. What if Red Rum had run? Would he have raced to a fourth triumph, or alternatively would his 13 years have finally caught up with him and tarnished his record? Would Tied Cottage have won had he not tried to jump Bechers diagonally? Would Churchtown Boy , 2nd in '77, have gone on to win had he not fallen at the Chair when well-placed behind the leaders? And what if Drumroan had timed his late run slightly earlier? As I say, Lucius was a worthy winner, but also a slightly lucky one.

[@paulyeomans850]

I just watched the 2024 national.Its lost its appeal as a spectacle.Most horses got round.The fences are small.No wonder red rum is king of the national when fences were fences.

[@teenoso4069]

Grand national in name only, Sadly, those who rely on money such as trainers, RP journos and pundits will lie thats its a great race still

[@teenoso4069]

19 horse failed to complete a circuit, but only 3 out on the second

[@shaunspadah5790]

tied cottages one and only national, if hed not jumped left handed at bechers he would have opened up a big lead, he would have taken some catching similar to crisp, both class horses, he had big leads in gold cups, robbed in 80, well clear when fell in 81 and as a 14 year old well clear for most of the race, gettin caught near the end

[@chatham43]

...he fell at the last in '79 when in the lead in Alverton's year I think...

[@shaunspadah5790]

cheers chatham forgot about the 79 race, by the way have u got any idea what happened to hidden value in this race, tommy stacks last ride, supposed to have fallen at fence 2 , cant spot him anywhere

[@chatham43]

...you can see a Jockey walking away from fence 2 at 1.15....fell out of camera shot probably...JW mentioned him as a faller but not which fence....

[@gary1961]

Hidden Value definitely fell at the second fence.

[@julzyboy1973]

Totally agree about Tied Cottage. My favourite horse when I was little and he was old then. I was not born until '73. But like the 66 England squad not all getting medals only playing XI which only got overruled until 30/40 years later, why can't they re-instate Tied Cottage as the winner of 1980 GC? Also, did TC swerve the GC in '78 to concentrate on the GN?

[@gazowen7310]

Tied cottage an unlucky horse

[@HIPCPETER]

sub standard race and on the firm ground Carberry couldnt hold Tied Cottage back, if slower ground he would have cleared Beechers and been well away and stamina kicked in and out of sight

[@rachelgenner8052]

By market

[@adriancraig8350]

6

[@michaeljohnson5365]

Rag Trade had to be put down after this race

[@dawnkeir549]

Very sad previous national winner

[@glynnevans1851]

@@dawnkeir549 Hello Dawn , Yes n very sad on his day he was a Momentous stayer. Fred Rimell knew how to get the best out of him .Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🕊🕊🕊

[@NeilR4960]

1976 winner Rag Trade was euthanized during this race

[@shaunspadah5790]

Loose horses heading back to the stables at the halfway stage

[@eddiehitler8257]

Personally I think this was one of the worst nationals and RR would have pissed it if not ruled out shortly beforehand.

[@dlamiss]

Always thought Mccain pulled the horse out because he felt maybe RR was possibly past his best and the reputation of the horse would have slightly suffered

[@anthonycamilleri9960]

@@dlamiss Agreed.

[@glynnevans1851]

@@dlamiss Hello, Mr McCain withdrew Red Rum because of a leg injury and as you indicate he did not want to risk Red Rum. If Rummy would have been fit he would probably have won . Did you notice Tied Cottage tried to jump Bechers brook side wards ' Tommy Carberry could not settle him and he would of gone close as a genuine stayer sir.Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🕊🕊🕊

[@dlamiss]

@@glynnevans1851 Cheers thanks for that update, appreciated

[@glynnevans1851]

@@dlamiss Your very welcome sir, I have been following racing since 1967 and I know quite a lot about the Grand National up until the mid 90s but not everything. In recent years I don't bother to watch because the race as been diluted to 0 and is no longer a Momentous race. 60 s n 70s plus 80s fab years . May I ask how far you go back and were are you from sir.Kind regards Glynn 🤝