This took place on Wednesday 8th March 1865 with snow on the course, although the weather was clear. The winner was owned by Mr Ben 'Cherry' Angell, trained by Cornell and ridden by Captain Henry Coventry, winning by a head in 11 mins and 16 seconds, with 50 lengths back to the third.

GRAND NATIONAL 1865

There were 103 subscribers, of which 43 declared and 23 accepted. Although 100 sovereigns was added to the pot, the second saved their stake, meaning a net value to the winner of £1100. (Equivalent to £128,700 in 2017)

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Pos. Horse Jockey Owner
1 ALCIBIADE Captain Henry Coventry Mr Ben J Angell
2 HALL COURT Captain Tempest Captain Brown
3 EMBLEMATIC G Stevens Lord Coventry
4 MISTAKE Jarvis Mr F Jacobs
also MERRIMAC B Land Captain Tempest
also FLYFISHER Mr J R Riddell Mr Powell
also EMBLEM W Walters Lord Coventry
also JOE MALEY D Page Mr Hidson
also ACROBAT W Mumford Captain Machell
also MEANWOOD Knott Mr Harvey
also ARBURY C Boyce Count A de Dampoerre
also EXPRESS Mr D Collins Mr D Collins
also LIGHTHEART J Monaghan Mr A W Clayton
also PRINCESS DAGMAR G Holman Mr H Melville
also PHILOSOPHER E Jones Mr Turner
also STANTON G Waddington Mr Harvey
also TUMBLER Mr Drake Captain J White
also TONY LUMPKIN Mr Thomas Colonel Forster
also BALLYCASEY T Barton Mr J A Read
also FRESHMAN D Meaney Mr W H Whyte
also THE CZAR Mr Goodman Mr Goodliffe
also MARKET GARDENER Mr T Spencer Mr Sefton
also THE DWARF Igoe Mr Studd
  Betting

Bell’s Life and the Sporting Chronicle provided a detailed account of the race on Saturday 11th March 1865, the article forming the backbone of the information shown below.
For the first time the meeting was extended to 3 days, showing that this long established gathering had lost not one jot of its world-wide popularity. Although the preceding races were off on time, to allow just 45 minutes for all of the preliminaries leading up to the big race proved to be a challenge. Mr Marshall eventually got the field away by 3.27, Meanwood making the early pace a cracker some dozen lengths ahead of Joe Maley, Arbury and Merrimac. At the first Market Gardener refused and Tumbler lived up to his name, but such was the frenetic pace over the next few fences leading up to Beecher’s that fully 2 furlongs divided the first and the last. Meanwood continued to set a merry gallop over Beecher’s, followed more closely by Merrimac, Joe Maley, Arbury and Flyfisher. At the canal side turn the leader slackened, allowing the field to be generally on better terms. By the Stand water jump Arbury and Joe Maley had stolen the lead, with Merrimac, Emblem and Flyfisher landing close in their wake. On to the upper end of the enclosure, Arbury resumed sole command, but Joe Maley jumped too short at the next, giving jockey Page a purler. Approaching Beecher’s for the final time, Ballycasey toppled over and Stanton was thrown out, but Arbury was still pulling double up front. However, he over-jumped the Brook and rolled on to his side, whereupon Merrimac took up the lead some 20 lengths in advance of Hall Court, The Czar and Flyfisher. At Valentine’s Brook Hall Court passed the leader and put on steam, with both Mistake and Alcibiade making up ground. The Flyfisher stopped in the final plough, as did Mistake and Merrimac, but Hall Court galloped on up the final straight, although he was challenged at the final hurdle. Alcibiade drew level at the half distance, snatching the lead just a dozen lengths short of the Chair, to win by a head. Emblematic rallied to gain third, albeit 50 lengths back, while Mistake, Merrimac and Emblem followed on.

5/1 Emblematic
100/12 Joe Maley
9/1 Stanton
100/8 Princess Dagmar
100/8 Emblem
100/8 Arbury
100/7 Alcibiade
100/7 Tony Lumpkin
20/1 Lightheart
20/1 The Czar
25/1 The Dwarf
33/1 Merrimac
40/1 Freshman
50/1 Hall Court
50/1 Meanwood
50/1 Acrobat
100/1 Market Gardener
100/1 Ballycasey
100/1 Express
100/1 Flyfisher
100/1 Mistake
100/1 Philosopher
100/1 Tumbler
  Over Round 108% Note that unquoted horses have been allocated 100/1.

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses

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