The 1954 Grand National was the 108th annual renewal of the Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 10 April 1954.
The race was won by ten-year-old gelding Royal Tan, an 8/1 shot trained by Vincent O'Brien. O'Brien had also trained the previous year's winner, Early Mist, and would secure a third consecutive win the following year with Quare Times. Royal Tan was ridden by jockey Bryan Marshall, who also won his second consecutive Grand National. Tudor Line was second and the 15/2 favourite Irish Lizard finished third.
Only 29 horses ran in the race, the fewest since 1935 when 27 ran. The 1954 running saw four equine fatalities during the race; this remains the only Grand National renewal to have yielded four fatalities. Dominick's Bar dropped dead jumping the second fence; Paris New York incurred a cervical fracture at the fourth. Legal Joy, who finished second two years previously, broke a leg at the 13th and was euthanised, while Coneyburrow was injured at the 28th and was also put down. The two latter fatalities remain the only ones ever recorded at the 13th and 28th fences in the Grand National.
Finishing order PositionNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPDistance01Royal TanBryan Marshall1011-78/1A Neck02Tudor LineGeorge Slack910-710/103Irish LizardMichael Scudamore1110-515/204ChurchtownTos Taaffe910-310/105SanperionDerek Leslie910-220/106MartiniqueMr E Greenaway810-166/107Uncle BarneyLeo McMorrow1110-150/108Southern CoupArthur Thompson1210-1040/109OntrayBobby Brewis610-866/1Last to complete
Non-finishers FenceNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPFate01AlberoniMr E Cousins1110-1266/1Fell01Gentle MoyaJohn Straker810-0100/6Fell01Swinton HeroMr C Harty1010-666/1Fell01Whispering SteelBert Morrow910-1240/1Fell02Dominick's BarTim Molony1010-733/1Fell02MinmaxCapt M MacEwan1010-066/1Refused03BaireJohn Foster810-066/1Fell04Paris New YorkMick Roberts710-066/1Fell05Gay Monarch IITim Brookshaw810-450/1Fell08StatesmanEddie Newman810-050/1Fell12Border LuckTommy Shone910-066/1Fell13Legal JoyDavid Dick1111-333/1Fell15Triple TorchDerek Ancil810-066/1Unseated Rider15HiebraRex Hamey910-066/1Fell19Icy CalmDick Francis1110-540/1Pulled Up23OrdnanceJack Dowdeswell810-118/1Fell23Prince of AragonJ Gorey1310-266/1Fell28ConeyburrowPat Taaffe810-118/1Fell28Punchestown StarSam McComb1010-066/1Refused28Royal StuartJimmy Power1110-066/1Refused The Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin,
References