The 1938 Grand National was the 97th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 25 March 1938.
The steeplechase was won narrowly by American thoroughbred Battleship, a 40/1 shot ridden by 17-year-old jockey Bruce Hobbs and trained by Reg Hobbs, for owner Marion duPont Scott. Royal Danieli finished in second place, with Workman third and last year's second-placed Cooleen was fourth. Workman won the National the following year and Cooleen also finished fourth in 1939.
Battleship is the only horse to have won both the Grand National at Aintree and the American Grand National.
Thirty-six horses ran in the race, including the previous year's winner Royal Mail, who was pulled-up before the second Canal Turn with a broken blood vessel.
Media coverage and aftermath Winning rider Bruce Hobbs later explained that he had Fred Rimell to thank in part for his victory. Hobbs stated that Battleship had landed very steeply at Becher's Brook and cut his chin on the ground, causing the pair to come to the seventh fence wrong. Battleship had to veer sharply to take the jump and as Hobbs stated. "He caught me off balance and I was starting to fall off when suddenly I got a push up the bum back into the saddle" [From Rimell]. Of the finish Hobbs stated "I didn't hit the little horse because he wouldn't go for the stick, but he gave everything and got up and won. I thought it was half a length but they gave it as a head and all the Irish said if there was a photograph I would have been second." Hobbs himself never raced in the National again after a fall later that year resulted in a back injury that ended his riding career. Sporting Life Souvenir Magazine, 9 April 1988, page 14
Finishing order PositionNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPDistance01BattleshipBruce Hobbs1111-06A Head02Royal DanieliDL Moore03WorkmanJimmy Brogan04CooleenJack Fawcus05DelachanceJohn Moloney06Red Knight II Davy Jones07Blue ShirtBob Smythe08Hopeful HeroMr W Dawes09Under BidMarius Pringle10Bachelor PrinceDanny Morgan11Lough CottageRichard 'Dicky' Black12ProvocativeFred Rimell13DrimMr BK Tighe
Non-finishers Position/FateNameJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPFell (1st)InversibleMatt HoganFrobisherPerry HardingProminent LadHywell JonesDominick's CrossBob EverettFell (3rd)PontetJE ParkinsonDidoricDon ButchersEmancipatorMr CRD GrayFell (6th)Brighter CottageW O'GradyDawmarRoger BurfordTakvor PachaA KalleyWhat Have YouSean MageeHurdy Gurdy ManJohn HislopCabin FireTim HydeFell (10th)Airgead SiosThomas McNeillStalbridge ParkGerry WilsonK.D.H.George ArchibaldFell (16th)Rock LadJack BissillTapinoisA ScratchleyBlue PrinceBilly ParvinFell (22nd)Dunhill CastleFrenchie NicholsonFell (22nd)RockquillaThomas F CareyPulled Up (24th)Royal MailEvan WilliamsLazy BootsSir C Congreve
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-grand-national-1938/ Highlights of the 1938 Grand National
References