David Ord's Grand National memories starting with Lucius in 1978

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April 1978, aged five and carrying a stool to stand on and try to gain a better view of the great race, I headed to Aintree. It was primarily to see Red Rum run in his sixth National and win a fourth.

But Rummy wasn’t there. The racecard still carried his name atop the field but he was missing from the stage after suffering a late setback. It was a sizeable blow, but still what unfolded in front of my eyes was magical.

The drama, the roars as the tapes went up, the field headed out for the second circuit and the protagonists duelled up the run-in, it was spine-tingling.

The race was won by Lucius for Gordon Richards and Cumbria - and I was hooked.

It was a golden era for the great race. Ben Nevis won 12 months later under American amateur rider Charlie Fenwick. Not many found him in the betting shops up and down the land, but isn't that how it's supposed to be?

Then there was the unforgettable Aldaniti story of 1981. Bob Champion’s return to the saddle after a battle with cancer, the horse overcoming seemingly career-ending injuries, it seemed the stuff of films. And so it was to become.

In second Spartan Missle under “54-year-old John Thorne” as sir Peter O’Sullevan memorably roared on the run-in, was another nod to the race’s Corinthian spirit.

So was Grittar, a winning favourite in 1982. He was ridden by another amateur, Dick Saunders, who was 48 as he crossed the winning line and remains the oldest man to ride the winner. He retired on the spot to become chairman of the Aintree stewards.

Jenny Pitman was famously the first woman to train a National winner a year later with the wonderful Corbiere, chased home by another Aintree legend in Greasepaint, even if he never enjoyed his own day in the sun. A few years later Durham Edition and Mr Snugfit would fall into the same category.

Hallo Dandy and West Tip, Aintree regulars, did carve their own niches in National history in 1984 and 1986, sandwiched in between and following immediately after were The Last Suspect and Maori Venture, who proved the race could still be just about impossible to crack.

Mr Frisk broke the hearts of Durham Edition, and myself, by bouncing off the fast ground to run out a spectacular winner of the 1990 renewal. Marcus Armytage, the last amateur to win the great race, went on to become one of our sport's finest journalists.

The financial pain was more acute a year later though. Garrison Savannah looked every inch a National horse when winning the RSA at Cheltenham the previous March. Things hadn’t been entirely straightforward for his team through the autumn and winter that followed but when he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup off the back of a break of 92 days (beating The Fellow and Desert Orchid), it was game on.

What followed at Aintree – for all bar the final 75 yards – was perfection. He jumped slickly and travelled like the proverbial handicap snip. Going clear between the final two fences we were ready to celebrate the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to win the two great staying chases in the same season.

But just as they dusted down the record books and I reached for the inhaler, Seagram set sail and by the line he hadn’t only passed the gallant runner-up, but drawn five lengths clear to boot.

Carrying the name of the sponsors he was a popular winner up and down the land. I had a begrudging admiration for him.

Party Politics, in physical terms, was the biggest winner I’ve seen in the flesh as he struck in the election year of 1992. 1993 was more memorable. The National that never was.

Starter Keith Brown and flag man Ken Evans were to become household names. The first attempt to start the race was correctly halted as the tape entangled several runners.

Second time around and it was Richard Dunwoody who became attached to it. Brown yelled false start and waved his red flag. Evans tried to reply with his recall flag but it didn’t unfurl. 30 of the 39 horses thundered on.

With every fence jumped it was clear we were watching a race that would be void. Passing the stands the crowd booed the protagonists as they headed out for a second circuit. Perhaps the riders didn’t hear – but a lap later Esha Ness led home six rivals to become a key component in every sports quiz for years to come.

I was there too in 1997 when an IRA bomb threat led to the course being evacuated and the race re-run on a Monday. I wasn’t there then – nor was I at the track when my BBC Ceefax employers called for an on-the-spot report on Saturday. I was back in a pub in Maghull, drinking a pint of mix and realising, not for the first time, that I’d never make a war correspondent.

Freddie Starr owned Minnehoma which meant his 1994 win was both front and page back news the following day, while Rhyme N’Reason’s recovery at the first Becher’s before winning 12 months later was another huge Aintree moment.

Jenny Pitman won again with Royal Athlete, in a year when I backed three of her other runners, Garrison Savannah (I’m a loyal old soul), Lusty Light and Superior Finish, while Earth Summit and Rough Quest were winning favourites.

Bobbyjo struck for Ireland in 1999 and again in 2000 – for three minutes on sportinglife.com at least when I got the name of the winner wrong on the quick copy. The subsequent rollicking means it’s a mistake I’ve never repeated. Whatever became of young Ruby Walsh, who did win the race on Papillon?

The realisation that backing National winners really wasn’t my specialist subject was hammered home when Smarty, my 2001 bet, couldn’t beat 33/1 outsider Red Marauder as the pair had the race to themselves during a surreal renewal.

It hasn’t got much better since.

I’m still struggling to work out how I missed Hedgehunter in 2005 or Comply Or Die three years later. Mon Mome in 2009 is memorable for the reason that in Ben Linfoot’s first Aintree preview for the site he’d have been the stats-based selection, but for being French-bred and they didn’t win Nationals. They do now and he did. At 100/1.

I didn’t back Don’t Push It in 2010 but that was a day that will never fade and one Sir Anthony McCoy thought might never arrive. The standing ovation he received when walking through the media centre for the post-race press conference was heartfelt and fitting.

If that was an Aintree high, the loss of Synchronised in 2012 was the low. I’d just started writing a report on what seemed like a National of the ages as Neptune Collonges edged out Sunnyhillboy by a nose in the tightest finish ever recorded when news came through that the Gold Cup winner had suffered a fractured leg while running loose.

It was a shuddering blow. The National seemed jinxed. Aintree and the BHA had introduced a raft of modifications following the previous year’s race in which two horses died. It included changes to some fences, namely Becher’s Brook, and new qualification requirements for horses who wanted to line up.

And then this. Leaving Aintree that April evening I was lower than at any time of my career.

More modifications were made ahead of the 2013 renewal, plastic birch replaced the timber fences used on 12 of the fences, the start was moved closer to the first fence and away from the stands.

The National was shorter – but safer. The work done at this stage by the authorities came in for criticism but was crucial. For those of us inside the sport – let alone the wider public – you could only continue to enjoy the race if you accepted that everything had been done to minimise the risk to horses and riders involved.

Yes, the National has changed. It isn't the test of the 1970s or 1980s but it can’t be nowadays. What it remains is a unique occasion, a worldwide sporting event, and an examination of horse and rider like no other.

And it has a hero again – Tiger Roll rolled into town in 2018 to add the National to a CV which also included three Cheltenham Festival wins. By the spring of 2019 it was two Nationals and four Festival triumphs.

2020 was all about his bid to surpass even Red Rum and win a third successive one, but sadly on the week he was due to face his date with destiny, we're forced to look back rather than forwards.

But these times will pass. Fingers crossed Gordon Elliott and his team get a clear run through the autumn and winter and this time next year we’re still dreaming what seemed the impossible dream.

That was the hook with the National for me in the first place – some 42 years ago.

Your National memories

Jerome Brown: Gay Trip's National, as it was my first visit to the course, and I went specifically to back Gay Trip. It was one of those days when everything went as imagined. Went down the card with my friend. A day to remember, forever!

David Parker: Great article my memories go beyond yours I am sad to say. I watched the video about Fionavon earlier today then the video’s from 2014 with great interest especially the Topham chase , but the fences in 1967 looked massive compared to 2014. And when you think of Red Rums record between 1973 and 1976. Won the Grand National. 73. Won the Grand National. 74. Won the Scottish National 74 2/3 weeks later. 2nd Grand National 75. 2nd Grand National 76. Won the Grand National 77 carrying 12 stone and I believe by 25 lengths

And this was over the bigger fences. I am not knocking Tiger Rolls achievements but is there really any comparison? I suppose it’ is a great achievement in the new century but should we compare the two horses. in my opinion we shouldn’t there was only one Red Rum and there is only one Tiger Roll .

Mike Hale: One of the most impressive yet scarcely mentioned has to be Lord Gyllene. Trounced a decent field.

Marion Gillis: My favourite recollection was that of Last Suspect ridden by Hywel Davies and owned by Anne Duchess of Westminster. The horse lived up to his name being sent off at 50/1. He was ridden right round the outside of the field swishing his tail from start to finish. He proceeded to storm up the run in giving Hywel the greatest moment of his career. Truly memorable

George Goodenough: Little Polveir - I had the videotape of the previous year and every time I watched I became more convinced that Little Polveir was the one to take out of it. He was going very well when unseating (Tom Morgan?) 4 or 5 out. I grabbed a bit of 40/1 in February and being based in Cyprus at the time listened to Jimmy Frost bring him home on the World Service.

In May 2015 I was at Newton Abbott as a guest of the Bishop yard (with 16/1 winner Cruise In Style) the day that Haydn Frost retired. Emboldened by champagne I had a quick chat with Jimmy and I'm glad to say my story brought a smile to his face.

Still to come this week...

• Let’s talk about... Tiger Roll
• From the archives: Aintree 2013
• Let’s talk about... Foinavon
• Inside the Industry - Latest from Oli Bell
• From the archives: Aintree 2014
• Inside the Industry - Latest from Oli Bell
• Let’s talk about... Devon Loch
• From the archives: Aintree 2015
• Let’s talk about... Favourite National horses
• From the archives: Aintree 2016
• Ed Chamberlin – Presenting the National
• Let’s talk about... best ever National bet
• From the archives: Aintree 2017
• My National runner - Oli Bell
• Let’s talk about... Red Rum
• From the archives: Grand National
• How I won the National – Daryl Jacob
• Let’s talk about… What would’ve won this year’s National
• From the archives: Tiger Roll’s Nationals
• Ed Chamberlin – Five favourite Nationals
• VIRTUAL GRAND NATIONAL – April 4