The 1979 Grand National may not be one of the first races mentioned when people talk about Aintree classics, but it certainly had no shortage of stories.
There was a historic Scottish winner, a 34-runner field, the second woman ever to ride in the National, a huge pile-up at The Chair and, sadly, two equine fatalities. By the end of it all, just seven horses had completed the course.
Standing above the chaos was Rubstic, a relatively small ten-year-old who started at 25/1 and gave trainer John Leadbetter, jockey Maurice Barnes and owner John Douglas a Grand National victory at their first attempt.
More importantly for racing north of the border, Rubstic became the first Scottish-trained winner of the race.
Rubstic Was No Overnight Success
Although Rubstic was not one of the leading names in the betting at Aintree, he was far from an unknown staying chaser.
Owned by former Scotland rugby international John Douglas, Rubstic had already twice finished second in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr. Douglas had bought him as a three-year-old in 1971 for 1,000 guineas, and the horse developed into exactly the sort of tough, dependable stayer needed for Aintree.
Douglas himself had quite a sporting background. He won 12 caps for Scotland at rugby union and toured South Africa with the British & Irish Lions in 1962. He was also a good boxer and golfer, making ownership of a Grand National winner another fairly impressive entry on his sporting CV.
Rubstic was trained by John Leadbetter from his small yard in Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders. He was not the imposing type usually associated with the National and was among the smallest horses in the field, but he had stamina and experience on his side.
He also had just 10st to carry!
A Grand National With History Before It Even Started
The 1979 race took place on March 31st and had 34 runners, but there was already plenty of interest surrounding Jenny Hembrow, who became only the second woman to ride in the Grand National.
Charlotte Brew had broken that barrier two years earlier aboard Barony Fort, who refused at the 26th fence in 1977.
Hembrow's participation proved brief. Her 100/1 chance Sandwilan fell at the very first fence, though she returned with the same horse in 1980, when the pair got much further before being pulled up.
Wayward Scot was another first-fence faller. He had been trained for the National by Ginger McCain and was owned by Liverpool footballer Emlyn Hughes, adding another unusual sporting link to the race.
Rubstic, meanwhile, was safely into his rhythm near the front of the field. There were a few scares along the way, but Maurice Barnes kept him in a handy position without getting dragged into an early battle for the lead.
Chaos at The Chair
The first circuit was completely changed by what happened at The Chair. Two loose horses moved across the approaching field, causing one of the biggest incidents seen at the fence. Horses fell, were brought down or refused as the runners scattered around them.
Kintai was among those brought down and later had to be put down because of his injuries. The incident was serious enough to lead to changes at Aintree, with bypass arrangements introduced so loose horses could avoid The Chair rather than being forced towards the fence.
Rubstic and Barnes managed to avoid the worst of it and continued towards the second circuit, their chances very much alive.
Sadly, there was more tragedy to come. Race favourite Alverton had won the Cheltenham Gold Cup only a little over two weeks earlier and was trying to become the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to win the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season.
Alverton was still going strongly when he fell at Becher's Brook on the second circuit. He suffered a fatal injury in the fall.
Rubstic Takes His Chance
Through all of this, Rubstic kept plugging away. As the remaining runners headed towards home, it became a proper contest. Zongalero, Rough And Tumble and Rubstic were all involved, while The Pilgarlic was also still there late in the race.
Rough And Tumble actually led over the final fence, with Rubstic and Zongalero close behind. That was when stamina really began to tell.
Rough And Tumble started to tire on the long run from the last, while Rubstic gradually got the better of Zongalero. Barnes sent his horse on approaching the famous Elbow and Rubstic kept finding enough all the way to the line.
He beat Zongalero by around a length and a half, with Rough And Tumble third and The Pilgarlic fourth. Only seven of the original 34 runners completed the course.
For Barnes, the win had an extra family connection. His father Tommy Barnes had finished second aboard Wyndburgh in the 1962 Grand National. Seventeen years later, Maurice went one better on his own first ride in the race.
Scotland Finally Had Its Grand National Winner
Rubstic's win mattered far beyond Leadbetter's small stable. For all Scotland's long racing history, no Scottish-trained horse had previously won the Grand National. Rubstic changed that in 1979.
His return home became a proper local celebration, and he was welcomed back to Denholm in Roxburghshire with a piper leading the way, a fitting reception for Scotland's first Aintree hero.
It would take another 38 years before Scotland supplied another winner, when Lucinda Russell trained One For Arthur to victory in 2017.
Rubstic himself returned to Aintree twice more. He fell at The Chair in 1980, then came back as a 12-year-old in 1981 and completed the course in seventh behind Aldaniti. Remarkably, that 1980 fall was reported as the only fall of his entire racing career.
After racing he enjoyed a long retirement under the care of John Leadbetter, eventually dying in January 1995 at the age of 26.
For a horse who was not especially big, did not start among the favourites and came from a small Scottish stable, Rubstic left quite a mark on Grand National history.
When the National finally came down to a test of stamina after the last, Rubstic was still there, still running and, when it mattered most, stronger than the rest.
BETFRED
