Mr Frisk – 1990 Grand National Winner – Will His Record Ever Be Broken?
The 1990 Grand National was run at Aintree on 7 April 1990, with 38 runners going to post for the 4½‑mile test over 30 fences.
The winter of 1989/90 had been notably dry, and Aintree turned up officially firm, an unusually quick surface for the National that immediately put proven fast‑ground horses in the spotlight.
Those conditions suited 11‑year‑old Mr Frisk perfectly; he was known as a long, low gelding with powerful hindquarters who thrived on firm going and relished the chance to bowl along in front.
The favourite on the day was Brown Windsor at 7/1, a high‑class chaser who had landed the Whitbread Gold Cup and finished a close second in the Hennessy during the season.
Other leading fancies included Durham Edition, a seasoned Aintree campaigner with placed form in previous Nationals, and Bonanza Boy, a top‑weight staying chaser.
The winner: Mr Frisk
Mr Frisk was an 11‑year‑old gelding trained in the Cotswolds by Kim Bailey and owned by American Lois (often recorded as Harry J.) Duffey.
He went off at 16/1, carrying 10st 6lb, and was already established as a bold, exuberant jumper who could be something of a handful but stayed thoroughly when he got his conditions.
In the saddle was amateur jockey Marcus Armytage, a racing journalist who combined riding with his work as a correspondent for the Daily Telegraph.
His victory made him the first amateur to win the race since Dick Saunders on Grittar in 1982, and for more than three decades, he remained the last amateur to land the Grand National, a distinction only later matched by riders such as Sam Waley‑Cohen and Patrick Mullins.
How The 1990 Grand National Unfolded
From an early stage, Mr Frisk was prominent, jumping with fluency and enthusiasm that allowed him to hold a position near the head of the field without ever seeming rushed.
The strong pace on firm ground quickly put pressure on jumping, and 20 of the 38 starters would eventually complete, an above‑average figure but achieved at real speed.
The race had its inevitable share of drama and tragedy. Roll‑A‑Joint fell fatally at the first Canal Turn, while Hungary Hur was pulled up at the 19th fence and later died, underlining that even in a record‑breaking renewal, the National’s risks remained very real.
As the field thinned out, established Aintree performers such as Durham Edition and West Tip loomed in behind, but Mr Frisk was travelling notably well as they headed out on the second circuit.
At Becher’s on the second circuit, Mr Frisk moved decisively to the front, capitalising when Uncle Merlin unseated his rider and leaving no obvious challenger in close attendance.
Crossing the Melling Road, Durham Edition, ridden by Chris Grant, began to creep into contention, setting up a duel from the second‑last that would define the race.
The Finish And Winning Time
Turning for home, Mr Frisk was still in front and jumping accurately, but Durham Edition closed steadily between the last two fences.
Over the final obstacle, the leader was only a length to the good, and on the long Aintree run‑in, Armytage had to ask for everything, driving his mount right to the line as Durham Edition lunged on the outside.
After a thrilling final furlong, Mr Frisk held on by three‑quarters of a length, with Rinus staying on for third and Brown Windsor, the well‑backed favourite, fading into fourth.
The clock told the full story of what had unfolded. Mr Frisk stopped the watch at 8 minutes 47.8 seconds, smashing Red Rum’s long‑standing 1973 record of 9 minutes 1.9 seconds by more than 14 seconds.
And, until 2015, it was the only Grand National completed in under nine minutes. Many Clouds gave it a shot, finishing in 8m 56.8s, just nine seconds slower.
Finishing Order
| Pos | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr Frisk | Kim Bailey | Mr M Armytage | 16/1 |
| 2 | Durham Edition | W A Stephenson | C Grant | 9/1 |
| 3 | Rinus | G Richards | N Doughty | 13/1 |
| 4 | Brown Windsor | Nicky Henderson | J White | 7/1 |
| 5 | Lastofthebrownies | M F Morris | Charlie Swan | 20/1 |
| 6 | Bigsun | D Nicholson | R Dunwoody | 15/2 |
| 7 | Call Collect | Raymund S Martin | Mr R Martin | 14/1 |
| 8 | Bartres | D J G Murray Smith | M Bowlby | 66/1 |
| 9 | Sir Jest | W A Stephenson | B Storey | 66/1 |
| 10 | West Tip | M Oliver | Peter Hobbs | 20/1 |
| 11 | Team Challenge I | Mrs J Pitman | B De Haan | 50/1 |
| 12 | Charter Hardware | J A C Edwards | Norman Williamson | 66/1 |
| 13 | Gallic Prince | Philip Hobbs | Mr J Simo | 100/1 |
| 14 | Ghofar | David Elsworth | B Powell Snr | 14/1 |
| 15 | Course Hunter | D J G Murray Smith | Graham Bradley | 66/1 |
| 16 | Bonanza Boy | M C Pipe | Peter Scudamore | 16/1 |
| 17 | Solares | Les Eyre | Mr P McMahon | 150/1 |
| 18 | Gee-A | G A Hubbard | D Murphy | 66/1 |
| 19 | Mick's Star | Mrs J Pitman | S J O'Neill | 66/1 |
| 20 | Bob Tisdall | N A Gaselee | K Mooney | 66/1 |
| CO | Monanore | Nigel Tinkler | T J Taaffe | 100/1 |
| F | Roll-A-Joint | C L Popham | S McNeill | 28/1 |
| F | Gainsay I | Mrs J Pitman | M Pitman | 66/1 |
| F | Conclusive I | G Richards | Steve Smith-Eccles | 28/1 |
| F | Gala's Image | J C McConnochie | J Shortt | 66/1 |
| F | Huntworth | M C Pipe | Mr A Walter | 66/1 |
| F | Lanavoe | F J Lacy | P Leech | 100/1 |
| F | Thinking Cap | A L T Moore | P L Malone | 100/1 |
| PU | Torside | M C Pipe | J Frost | 66/1 |
| PU | Against The Grain I | D Nicholson | Jamie Osborne | 25/1 |
| PU | Young Driver | Dennis Bell | J Duggan | 150/1 |
| PU | Polyfemus | Michael O Robinson | R Rowe | 18/1 |
| PU | Star's Delight | M C Pipe | J Lower | 50/1 |
| PU | Hungary Hur | J E Mulhern | T Carmody | 50/1 |
| UR | Pukka Major (USA) | T Thomson Jones | M Richards | 50/1 |
| UR | Nautical Joke | W A Stephenson | Kenny Johnson | 66/1 |
| UR | Joint Sovereignty | Philip Hobbs | Lorcan Wyer | 50/1 |
| UR | Uncle Merlin (USA) | T A Forster | H Davies | 16/1 |
A total of 20 horses finished the 1990 Grand National, reflecting the strong pace but also solid jumping from many of the principals.
Significance and the Whitbread Double
The 1990 renewal is remembered first and foremost for its time: Mr Frisk’s 8:47.8 remains one of the most striking statistical outliers in Grand National history.
The combination of firm ground, an aggressive pace, and a boldly ridden, accurate jumper created a performance that subsequent Nationals on slower or more forgiving surfaces have been unable to match.
Mr Frisk followed up three weeks later by winning the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown, completing a rare and celebrated National–Whitbread double.
Remarkably, Durham Edition chased him home in second at Sandown as well, underlining the depth of form produced at Aintree that spring.
Only a handful of horses have managed that particular double, and Mr Frisk stands alone as the only one to do it in a record‑time National.
For Armytage, the success secured his place in racing folklore as the last amateur to win the Grand National, and as a journalist‑rider whose day job was reporting on the sport he had just conquered.
For Kim Bailey, it was an early career landmark that pre‑dated later big‑race wins and confirmed his skill with staying chasers, while for Lois Duffey it delivered a first‑time owner’s dream: an American octogenarian sending a horse to Aintree and walking away with the sport’s most famous prize.
