1955 Grand National Explained

Pagename:1955 Grand National
Horse Race:Grand National
Location:Aintree Racecourse
Date:26 March 1955
Winning Horse: Quare Times
Starting Price:100/9
Winning Jockey: Pat Taaffe
Winning Trainer: Vincent O'Brien
Winning Owner:Mrs. Cecily Welman
Conditions:Heavy
Previous:1954
Next:1956

The 1955 Grand National was the 109th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 26 March 1955.

Thirty horses ran in the race, which was won by 100/9 shot Quare Times, who was ridden by jockey Pat Taaffe and trained by Vincent O'Brien. This was O'Brien's third consecutive Grand National win.

Early Mist, the previous year's winner and another O'Brien-trained mount, was the favourite. In attendance at Aintree were The Queen Mother (who owned M'as Tu Vu who was also running in the race), and her daughters Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.

Several fences had been reduced in severity following an outcry over four equine fatalities in the previous year's National. The heavy going meant the 16th fence (the Water Jump) was omitted – the first time in Grand National history that not all 30 fences were jumped.

Finishing order

PositionNameJockeydata-sort-type="number"AgeHandicap (st-lb)SPDistance
01Quare TimesPat Taaffe911-0100/912 Lengths
02Tudor LineGeorge Slack1011-310/14 Lengths[1]
03Carey's CottageTosse Taaffe810-1120/1
04GigoloDick Curran1011-3100/6
05OntrayBobby Brewis710-866/1
06Gentle MoyaJohn Straker910-050/1
07ClearingRex Hamey810-250/1
08Wild WisdomLt Col W Holman1010-066/1
09Early MistBryan Marshall1012-39/1
10Red RubeAlan Oughton810-366/1
11Irish LizardMichael Scudamore1210-9100/8
12Royal TanDavid Dick1112-428/1
13Uncle BarneyLeo McMorrow1210-050/1Last to complete

Non-finishers

FenceNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPFate
01Mariner's LogDick Francis811-12100/8Fell
27 (Open Ditch)SundewPatrick Doyle911-328/1Fell
06 (Becher's Brook)E.S.B.Tommy Cusack911-166/1Fell
11 (Open Ditch)Oriental WayFred Winter710-1233/1Fell
07CoppTim Molony1110-87/1Fell
27 (Open Ditch)M'as Tu VuArthur Freeman910-722/1Fell
10No ResponseDerek Ancil910-245/1Fell
11 (Open Ditch)Dark StrangerJohn Bosley1010-540/1Fell
01Blue EnvoyMr E Greenaway1010-166/1Fell
03 (Open Ditch)Another RakeDerek Leslie1010-145/1Fell
07MoogieJohn Neely1210-066/1Fell
11 (Open Ditch)Munster King IIVictor Speck810-066/1Fell
28Sun ClaspJimmy Power710-066/1Fell
26Mr LinnettMr JR Cox711-520/1Pulled Up
24 (Canal Turn)Little YidRene Emery1310-1050/2Pulled Up
06 (Becher's Brook)Roman FireJack Dowdeswell1210-066/1Brought Down
27 (Open Ditch)Steel LockJohnny Bullock1110-066/1Brought Down
[2] [3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1955.
  2. The Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin,
  3. Web site: 1955 – The Grand National & Aintree 1946-1959. fiftiesnationals.webs.com. 2014-08-30. 9 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140809215503/http://fiftiesnationals.webs.com/1955.htm. dead.
  4. Web site: Past Winners of The Grand National. grand-national.net. 2014-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20111104085359/http://www.grand-national.net/past_winners.htm. 4 November 2011. dead.