The BBC Grand National 1966 - Anglo

[@maureenormston1687]

Great to watch these old Nationals and hear the names of some stalwarts.

[@kevinburke2444]

I think this is the first National I can remember(age 7) , Freddie was my selection and I watched from our flat roof (27 secs)

[@josephjohnston8573]

Amazing to hear Highland Wedding in with a shout. Would come back as a 12yo in the first colour national of '69.

[@johnshort5003]

I was 8 at the time and an avid racing enthusiast. My bets for this came in first second and third. I told my teacher on Monday at school and he didn't really believe me. Still remember Forest Prince's courageous run. Just like Peacetown in 64 he led all the way but had to settle for third.

[@annabelladebonnay8320]

Wonderful to hear someone mention front runner Peacetown ! My Grandfather took me to Aintree in 64 ,watched Peacetown and Out and About lead the field vivaciously until the final few fences , Out and About was 14th, Such warm memories.

[@GeorgeBarnes-lm7oh]

Had a shilling ew Anglo was 12 years old remember it so well 😂

[@mrforevernever517]

Tony Preston should have been up on a charge for his shocking commentary.

[@alisonlee3314]

Agree. Absolutely appalling!!

[@greentombdive]

Marvellous, and before the race itself got gutted. Subbed.

[@chatham43]

@greentombdive The race finally rolled over and died in 2012. Anyway thanks for subbing.😊

[@arkle1964]

I was going to comment on Tony Preston only to realise that everyone else has! One issue not mentioned in the comments is that he gives a commentary for radio not TV here. There's no point saying on both circuits that the horses are six strides away from Bechers. We can see that.

[@levisjeans1901]

Bechers Brook on the second circuit: I remember the boys at school on the following Monday talking about the spills and the excitement of the race

[@gary1961]

Tony Preston is what you'd get if you ordered a Grand National commentator off Wish.com.

[@chatham43]

...you mean "Mr Tony Preston"....TBF he did get one thing right....Forest Prince's head was bobbing up and down....

[@TheGiantKillers]

The Forest Prince colours had been carried to victory over half a century earlier by Glenside

[@gazowen7310]

Glenside had one eye

[@chatham43]

....apparently the winning owner produced the Carry-On films.....

[@arkle1964]

As did Nat Cohen who won with Kilmore. Sadly Stuart Levy died only a few months after Anglo won.

[@MsVanorak]

Levy - yes, he had been part owner in a previous winner earlier in the decade, 63 i think, not sure.

[@chatham43]

@@MsVanorak .....Mr Teasy-Weezy Raymond owned the 1963 winner but he could have been part-owner.....

[@MsVanorak]

@@chatham43 in partnership with lester piggott's father i think - so not 63 then.

[@kevinmartin7606]

Thank god tony Preston didn’t commentate a year later he wud have noticed nothing untoward at the 23rd

[@chatham43]

...."and Foinavon has suddenly taken over the running".....

[@AbCat4]

Hahahahahaha

[@thetinnedtomato8339]

First time I've ever seen anyone lapped in the Grand National

[@chatham43]

....Willow King....one of the early leaders....

[@MsVanorak]

😄

[@terryclews9155]

List of grand national wonnets

[@rasslem]

Did Tony Preston commentate on any other races? I would suspect he did the Topham and Foxhunters over the national course that year? Obviously no footage is available (I would guess). I wonder if alarm bells were ringing at the BBC on the Saturday of the national.

[@MsVanorak]

why, what happened?

[@rasslem]

@@MsVanorak His commentary was just appalling. So you would think he commentated on the races over the national fences the two days before.

[@tullymurrytoff1497]

​@@rasslem Tony Preston was not really a Commentator. He done the BBC Radio commentary 1962-65 and 1966 for BBC TV. He worked as an executive for the BBC. He then moved to ITV negotiating the coverage contract. When C4 took over he had recently negotiated their coverage contract, when he was killed in a road accident.

[@rasslem]

@@tullymurrytoff1497 Hi there. Thank you for that. Very interesting, but also so sad in the end.

[@MsVanorak]

i did notice that it looks as if they used to dress the mildmay course with spruce.

[@shaunspadah5790]

great commentary by forest gump, naming that one faller incredible, the next is the catal turn,

[@chatham43]

.....to be fair to FG on his first stint there were only a couple of fallers and he picked out Packed Home eventually.....no excuse on the second circuit though....he wasn't even sure about Kapeno's exit at Bechers second time....

[@chatham43]

....has there ever been a greater sporting spectacle then the head-on camera view of becher's first time round...particularly with a large field....

[@chatham43]

...I think the notorious to be Popham Down was the other faller at first-time Bechers....

[@shaunspadah5790]

i think just about every viewer would agree with u except the bbc of course

[@shaunspadah5790]

he certainley was the other faller, woudnt get up for some time though there was nothin wrong with the horse, popham down the most notorious loose horse ever, though paddys return might have something to say about that

[@eugenekeher978]

Anglo was a chance ride for Tim Norman x great stalwart Freddie second again so consistent x Highland Wedding was to win in 69 x.

[@chatham43]

....I seem to recall he was involved in a car crash on the morning of the race....

[@justgrand3429]

Anglo was one of the horses Ryan Price lost after the Rosyth business in 1964.

[@chatham43]

......didnt he train the infamous Hill House...?

[@justgrand3429]

@@chatham43 He certainly did. In the end it was proven that the horse had a naturally high level of cortisol in his body.

[@chatham43]

.......I remember watching Hill House win a big handicap on TV and the crowd were booing him. Quite unprecedented. Think it' was the Schweppes Gold Trophy.

[@justgrand3429]

@@chatham43 It was the 1967 running of that race. The booing reached a crescendo in the saddling enclosure.

[@gurgless]

Tony Preston's commentary wasn't very good I agree but it was his first and only TV national. He did most of the race after the Bob Haines handover who only did 3 to 4 fences a circuit. For 3 years after that they would use 4 commentators - Michael O'Heir and Michael Seth-Smith with Julian Wilson replacing Bob in 1969. So Tony Preston's bad commentary did have a result for the next 3 nationals.

[@gazowen7310]

Easy winner

[@gazowen7310]

What a myth going well when falling

[@tomobeer]

フジノオー

[@kazuma754]

Where is Fujino-oh

[@chatham43]

....pulled-up at the chair fence(15th)....

[@jameshope398]

Tony Preston's commentary was rubbish what happened to Peter Montagu Evans

[@tullymurrytoff1497]

Peter Montague Evans went back to doing the GN for BBC radio. Tony Preston had done the GN for Radio the year previous.

[@glynnevans1851]

@@tullymurrytoff1497 Hello Dave , Around that time Michael Seth Smith was also doing commentary for the BBC. He was very precise and exstreamly professional too. Also do you remember Clive Graham who sadly died of cancer in 1974 'did the paddock commentary. This particular year was a good n underrated performance of Anglo and rare to see a Fred Winter horse at 50/1. N.H racing fabulous in the 60s n 70s. Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🤝

[@iancruise6927]

Tony Preston with the worse commentary ever in a grand national

[@chatham43]

...I just knew the first comment would concern him...lol....

[@gazowen7310]

Julian Wilson up there

[@mrforevernever517]

​@@gazowen7310 Julian Wilson?... no way.