Dick Saunders did not take it easy after giving up race riding, continuing to run a farm, taking senior positions within The Jockey Club – including chief steward at Aintree – and becoming chairman of Burghley Horse Trials and a coordinator of the Royal International Horse Show.

Gilman, who died at the age of 78, 11 years after Grittar's great Aintree triumph, remains the most recent permit holder to win the National. Cousin Pascal, trained in Cheshire by Joe O'Shea, has been a revelation for Clifton since being bought cheaply by the Shropshire farmer at the end of 2020. Grittar was foaled in 1973, a son of the stallion Grisaille out of Tarama (Tamerlane), one of the first mares bought by Gilman. Neither of his two conquerors made it to Cheltenham with Oscar Barton suffering a career-ending injury, whilst Prince De Beauchene was ineligible, and at Prestpury Park, On The Fringe put in one of his best displays to prevail by 17 lengths. He went on to stand four stallions, including Spartan General who he bought from Fred Rimell [a triple-winning Grand National trainer], and he was farming and breeding horses.

Dick's debut, at an end-of-season Garthorpe meeting resulted in victory in a five-runner confined race which Grittar won by a distance.

Jane was in the saddle for that run, but her father, who was 50, held the reins otherwise, recording wins initially at Kempton, and Leicester (where Nicky Henderson rode runner-up Rolls Rambler). Yet his Aintree victory in 1982 is not remembered for being the most recent occasion when a hunter chaser won 'the National'.

Ted Walsh’s stable star was a former high-class chaser as a Grade 2 winner who had got within a length of Grade 1 success in the 2015 Hennessy at Leopardstown. Julians SPK1000 Malta, is licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority under Licence Number MGA/CRP/131/2006 (issued on 01 August 2018). The book details every aspect of the subject, and is of particular value, for it is the only one of its kind published for many years. The Irish were out of luck at both Cheltenham and Aintree, with Burning Ambition getting closest at Liverpool, having to settle for second despite looking the likely winner approaching the famous elbow. Spartan Missile was put down and buried at Windsor House Stables [Nicky Henderson's base before he gained Seven Barrows], and I've been going there most years since to visit the grave and clean the headstone.

In 1980, despite recording an unseat on his first start in a hunters' chase the progression continued. Fifteen horses lined up, half a dozen runners departed at the first, and when Spartan Missile cruised down to Becher's Brook he had just three rivals.Conceding weight he made a promising start when third and then second in handicap chases at Leicester and Ascot, was then switched back to hunter chasing for victory in a three-runner jog around at Leicester and then took his place in Cheltenham's feature race. PPB Counterparty Services Limited, having its registered address at Level 2, Spinola Park, Mikiel Ang.