One thing is absolutely certain no horse will ever again emulate Red Rum's inimitable record of three wins and two seconds in the Grand National. He might not have been as good as the great Arkle on a park course,but at Aintree it would have been quite another matter. Red Rum had a fantastic public following and it's fair to say that he was one of the best loved of British racehorses.

I have given Red Rum a rating of 4 based on his three victories and his two seconds in the Aintree Grand National, plus his victory in the 1974 Scottish Grand national. Red Rum was a versatile little horse who raced and won at distances ranging from 5 and 7 furlongs on the flat, to the arduous four and a half mile marathon round Aintree's testing fences. What made his achievements more admirable during his glory years was the fact that he was trained by Ginger McCain (who subsequently won another Grand National with Amberleigh House in 2004),and who did not have the resources of some of his more celebrated contemporaries. In all, Red Rum ran a total of 110 races - flat (10) and National Hunt (100) during his ten year racing career. He was once ridden by the great Lester Piggott. The Noel Le Mare owned horse won 3 on the flat (he dead heated once) and was placed four times. From his century of national hunt starts, "Rummy" won 24 and was placed 45 times. A horse with the heart of a lion, he deserves his tag as the greatest Grand National horse of all, but that said, he was very much an Aintree specialist, where he excelled. He did not possess the raw ability and brilliance of Arkle, Flyingbolt, Prince Regent or Golden Miller, for example, but he certainly captured the public's imagination in a major way.

The equivalent of a Muhammad Ali to the Grand National,the World's greatest Steeplechase.To win on the most Gruelling course 3 times in 5 years ,finishing second twice ,jumping the last fence in the lead in 4 consecutive years and not making a single mistake may never be equaled in Grand National History.Red Rum may not be in the same class as Arkle,Desert Orchid or Golden Miller on Park Courses but his achievements overall place him perhaps only behind Arkle.Red Rum's tenacity was reminiscent of an army commander and he commanded the popularity of a Hollywood Star.There has never been a better Grand National horse and possibly there will never be one!