Top trainers at the Grand National

All through the National Hunt season we see trainers which have an affinity with a certain type of horse or with a race in particular and the Aintree Grand National is no different.  As we approach the 2011 version of the race Nigel Twiston-Davies will be one trainer in particular who is trying to join the select band of post-war trainers who have enjoyed more than two wins at Aintree in the race.

Three great trainers all have a hat-trick of wins in the race – Neville Crump, Tim Forster and Vincent O'Brien. Let's start with O'Brien as his trio of winners is perhaps the most remarkable given that they came in consecutive years and with different horses – he started the run with Early Mist a 20-1 chance in the 1953 version of the race. Royal Tan followed up a year later before Quare Times completed the hat-trick in 1955 winning by 12 lengths, not bad for a horse who only cost his owner 300 guineas.

The next three-timer was provided by Neville Crump but it took him rather longer to gain his three victories in the race, his first was provided by the mare Sheila's Cottage at the rewarding odds of 50-1 in 1948, his second success came via Teal in 1952, and his trio of wins was completed when favourite Merryman II scored in the first televised National in 1960, an event that delighted fans of Grand National racing betting.

Our final trainer on three post-war wins is Tim Forster; his first winner had come in 1972 with Well To Do, a 14-1 chance. His other two winners came at much longer odds – 1980 saw Ben Nevis triumph at 40-1 and in 1985 Forster scored with 50-1 shot Last Suspect who only ran at the insistence of jockey Hywel Davies.

The post-war record for the number of wins by a trainer is four and that is shared by Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell. McCain's name is to be forever entwined with Red Rum and it was this remarkable horse who gave him three of his four wins in the race in 1973, 1974 and 1977. Although McCain would have been proud of that record he must have been just as pleased to see Amberleigh House give him his fourth win in the race in 2004, just to prove that it wasn't just one horse that he trained that could win the National. Those looking for Grand National 2011 tips may want to look at his son, Donald, who took over the family business when his father retired.

Rimell's record was rather different as all of his four wins were gained with different horses. His first came in the strangest of circumstances when Devon Loch's unexplained collapse on the long Aintree run-in allowed ESB to gain victory in 1956. He set another landmark in 1961 when he trained Nicolaus Silver to become only the second grey to win the National. Gay Trip prevailed in 1970, but he possibly saved the best until last when his Rag Trade stopped Red Rum winning his third National in 1976.

Nigel Twiston-Davies is the man who is closest to joining this elite bunch although he may have to wait another year as all of his four contenders this year are priced at 33-1 plus.