1998 Grand National

The 1998 Grand National (known as the Martell Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 151st official renewal of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 4 April 1998.

The race was won in a time of 10 minutes and 51.5 seconds and by a distance of 11 lengths by the 7/1 favourite Earth Summit, ridden by jockey Carl Llewellyn. The winner was trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies at Grange Hill Farm in Naunton, Gloucestershire, and ran in the colours of the six-member Summit Partnership, which included Aintree press officer Nigel Payne and former Hereford United footballer Ricky George.

Thirty-seven runners took part and six completed the course without mishap, but three horses were fatally injured during the race.

The main race was seen by the smallest Grand National attendance at Aintree since 1985, with a crowd of just 46,679, over 11,000 less than two years prior. It came a year after the 1997 Grand National had to be postponed due to a bomb threat.

Earth Summit was made the 7/1 favourite, backed down from 10/1 on the morning of the race, after heavy rain on raceday made the ground officially soft, suiting this long-distance mudlark who had won the Welsh National at Chepstow in December, having previously won the Scottish National in 1994 when still a novice. 1992 National winning rider Carl Llewellyn deputised for the injured Tom Jenks, keeping the horse prominent on the first circuit, taking the water jump in sixth place. The favourite moved up to dispute the lead five fences from home and was involved in a straight match with Suny Bay from the third-last before kicking ahead just before the final flight to win a gruelling race by 11 lengths.

Him Of Praise was an eight-year-old who had never finished outside the places in his 11 career starts, including eight over the distance of 3 miles. His preparation for the National had included four victories, including the Peter Cazelet/Anthony Mildmay memorial chase at Sandown in January before finishing third in the Singer & Friedlander Grand National trial at Uttoxeter and second ahead of Earth Summit, who finished fifth in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock in February. Him Of Praise was thought to prefer soft ground and a combination of the rain and his partnership with Irish Champion jockey Charlie Swan saw him backed down to joint-favourite until shortly before the start, before being sent off at 8/1. The partnership was a distant last of seven runners still standing four fences from home when he refused.

Samlee was a nine-year-old who came to prominence after winning the Becher Chase over one circuit of the Aintree Grand National course in November, having been second in the Scottish Grand National earlier in the year. Another victory in a modest 3 mile 6 furlong chase at Sandown followed in December before finishing third to Earth Summit in the Welsh National and third again in the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February. Two-time winning rider Richard Dunwoody, who was also the most experienced rider in this year's contest, took the ride with the pairing sent off as 8/1 joint-second favourite. Samlee was in touch for a circuit and a half, jumped the Canal Turn in fifth place, and although his position improved to third after two of those ahead of him fell he was unable to make any headway on the two leaders and was a distance behind them turning back onto the racecourse before being nursed home in third place.

Rough Quest was the only former winner in the field, having won the race with Mick Fitzgerald in 1996. This season he had been second in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock in December before finishing third in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day behind Challenger Du Luc. A fall in the Cheltenham Gold Cup 16 days before the National did not deter the public from making him the favourite on the morning of the race before drifting to 11/1 at the off. Fitzgerald again took the ride but the ground was always against the former champion who began to struggle at the Canal Turn on the second circuit before being pulled up four fences from home when lying a distant sixth.