2007 Grand National Winner
Silver Birch
The 160th running of the Grand National took place on April 14th 2007 and attracted a maximum forty runners battling it out for a total prize fund of £700,000, the winner receiving £399,140. Silver Birch became Grand National winner by three-quarters of a length ahead of McKelvey, the winner ridden by Robbie Power at odds of 33/1. Joint 8/1 favourite Point Barrow fell at the first.
An estimated 16 million punters bet on the 2007 Grand National and the race itself was attended by around 70,000 spectators. Prior to the race, Scottish National winner Joe’s Edge had been ante-post favourite for a considerable length of time, however Point Barrow had been tipped by numerous national newspapers on the morning of the race and the betting public reacted by backing the 2006 Irish National winner into joint-favourite alongside Point Barrow and Monkerhostin at 8/1 apiece.
The winning owner-trainer-rider combination had little Grand National experience with just one National between them. Gordon Elliott was youngest trainer in the race while owner Brian Walsh had only purchased the horse for 20,000 guineas twelve months previously. Indeed at 26 and 29 years of age respectively, Walsh and Elliott were the youngest Grand National owner and trainer to send a runner into the race. The bookies cleaned up with only one other horse placed at shorter odds than the 33/1 winner, most of the £250 million gambled on the race from within the UK being retained by the bookmakers.
Perfect racing conditions at Aintree racecourse undoubtedly contributed to the fact that no less than 30 of the 40 starters successfully completed the first circuit and twelve ultimately made it across the finish line, including previous two winners Numbersixvalverde and Hedgehunter who came in sixth and ninth respectively.
The race was broadcast live on the BBC for the 48th successive year.
Finishing Order
1: Silver Birch
2: McKelvey
3: Slim Pickings
4: Philson Run
5: Libertine
6: Numbersixvalverde
7: Longshanks
8: Puntal
9: Hedgehunter
10: L’Ami