Grand National: Top 5 Jockeys

There are a number of different approaches that could be taken to assess which jockeys have the best record in the Grand National. The simplest measure would be to look at win and place records. Ruby Walsh would come out well by these criteria, his record this century comprising two wins (on Papillon in 2000, his very first ride in the race, and Hedgehunter in 2005), along with a second, a third and two fourths. With the backing of powerful stables such as those of Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls, Walsh has had better opportunities than most jockeys when it comes to National rides. Hedgehunter was the last outright favourite to win the race, while Papillon was a well-backed 10/1 chance.

Not every rider, of course, is lucky enough to get the leg up on a leading National contender every year. What we have done, therefore, is compare a jockey’s actual finishing position with his mount’s place in the betting (effectively, a ‘predicted’ finishing position) and average out the difference between the two for rides in the last ten Nationals (2007-2016). So, a jockey who finishes tenth on a favourite would score -9 (1 minus 10), whereas a rider who wins the race on a horse that’s only tenth choice in the betting would score +9 (10 minus 1).

A non-completion of any sort (fall, unseat, pulled up etc.) has been treated as a minus score equal to field size.

Only jockeys who have ridden in at least five of the last ten Nationals were analysed – there were 34 of them. Three riders have the distinction of having ridden in all ten of the Nationals in that period – current champion Richard Johnson, along with Denis O’Regan and Paul Moloney, while another four jockeys – Aidan Coleman, Barry Geraghty, Tony McCoy and Tom Scudamore missed only one National in that time, McCoy of course having retired at the end of the 2014/15 season.

McCoy famously had fourteen failed attempts in the National before he was finally successful on Don’t Push It in 2010. But his overall Aintree record was better than that implies as he finished third on another five occasions (including on Don’t Push It a year later), remounting to take that position behind Red Marauder and Smarty in 2001 when only that pair completed without mishap. However, McCoy’s popularity with the betting public counts against him in our table as his mounts were invariably prominent in the betting, his final ride Shutthefrontdoor, who finished fifth as the 6/1 favourite (a score of -4, therefore) being a case in point.

Here, though, are the five riders who came out best, along with their Grand National form figures during the period 2007-2016:

Niall Madden (68F5P)

‘Slippers’ Madden has a better National record than his rides in the last ten editions would imply as he won the 2006 renewal on Numbersixvalverde and finished sixth on the same horse a year later, his first ‘counter’ for our purposes. Although his subsequent rides have been long-shots, two completions, notably on 100/1 shot In Compliance who finished fifth in 2012, help him to the top spot.

Paul Moloney (UP43442440)

Paul Moloney’s ten rides have yielded completions in the last eight Nationals and a remarkable sequence of finishing in the frame every year between 2009 and 2015. His mounts State of Play, Cappa Bleu (who gave him his best placing when runner-up in 2013) and Alvarado all rewarded each-way backers at least twice.

Leighton Aspell (P0110)

It looked as though Leighton Aspell’s ride on Billyvoddan (pulled up) at Aintree in 2007 would be his last in the National, but he later reversed his decision to retire from the saddle. His change of heart paid dividends in no uncertain terms, as he became the first jockey since Bryan Marshall in the 1950’s to win consecutive Nationals on different horses when 25/1 shots Pineau de Re and Many Clouds were successful in 2014 and 2015.

Robbie Power (17FFUP04)

Recent Gold Cup-winning jockey Robbie Power won the Grand National ten years earlier on the Gordon Elliott-trained 33/1 chance Silver Birch. He’s had mixed fortunes in the race since, with fourth place on 28/1 chance Gilgamboa last year his first completion since finishing seventh on rank outsider Nadover in 2008. 

Sam Waley-Cohen (5F24F0P)

Amateur Sam Waley-Cohen has never won the National but he can boast wins over the big fences in the Topham, Becher and Fox Hunters’ and went close in the big one when second on Oscar Time in 2011 before finishing fourth on the same horse two years later at odds of 66/1. He’s the regular rider of one of this year’s leading contenders The Young Master.