Bell’s Life and the Sporting Chronicle provided a detailed account of the race on Sunday 15th March 1863, the article forming the backbone of the information shown below.
It was not unreasonably questioned whether holding the Grand National meeting on the marriage da of the Prince of Wales was likely to conduce to its success but, for good or ill, there was little choice because the Liverpool fixture had been made well before the Royal marriage, and all future days had already been allocated to other meetings, most notably Shrewsbury on Thursday and Friday.
After the previous race, the Sefton Stakes, had suffered a delay, the 16 National runners paraded for the big race without showing any signs of urgency. The duty of starter was assigned by Lord Sefton to Mr Marshall who got the field away at 4.11. The Orphan bucked at the start, but was up with the leaders well before the end of the starting meadow, while Medora showed the way. By the time the leaders had reached Beecher’s Brook, Freshman cleared in advance of the riderless Inkerman, closely followed by Yaller Gal, Arbury, Medora and The Dane. Before turning canal side, Jealousy took her colours to the fore, leading by some 8 lengths from Master Bagot. At the artificial water jump Jealousy crossed first, with Medora on her near side and Master Bagot on the far side.
It’s now over the John Hanmer in the Stands for the rest of the commentary which is shown below.

Emblem made a moved towards Jealousy as Beecher’s was approached for the final time, where Telegraph ploughed through the obstacle and broke his back. After Beecher’s Jealousy began to tire, leaving Yaller Gal to take a 2 length lead from Arbury, Emblem, Light of Other Days and The Dane. Maintaining a strong gallop, Yaller Gal succeeded in leading over the plough and pastures, although she then ran out of steam 2 furlongs later, handing the advantage to Arbury, closely followed by Emblem. The issue was not in doubt some way from home despite Emblem knocking down the hurdle at the distance pole, which enabled Arbury to pass through the gap. Emblem strode on to win by 20 lengths, while Arbury saved the owner’s stake, with Yaller Gal 10 lengths back in third; Fosco was fourth, Avalanche fifth and Jealousy finished a gallant sixth.

FOOTNOTE: The rider of Grand National also-ran Inkerman was Parnaby Smith of Nunnington, near Malton which had held its own races in 1630. Later in March, on Monday 16th March 1863 at the Sandown Military Meeting Inkerman ran twice, contesting the Grand Military Gold Cup when ridden by his owner Mr Dakin, but he was unplaced. A day later on Tuesday 17th March 1863 Inkerman won the 10 Sovereign Sweepstake for Mr Dakin when ridden by Parnaby Smith. Parnaby was a well-known horsebreaker and jumps jockey who unfortunately died from injuries sustained in a fall 7 years later. He was contesting a steeplechase race at Tadcaster on Wednesday 20th April 1870, riding Topsy owned by Mr Stubbs, but the horse hit one of the smaller hurdles and fell on his jockey causing him to have an effusion of blood on the brain which he died from a few days later. The coroner's verdict was accidental death, but Parnaby left behind a wife and six children.

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