Bobbyjo and the 1999 Grand National: The Day Ireland Took Back Aintree
Bobbyjo’s 1999 Grand National victory was a landmark Irish success that ended a 24‑year drought and helped usher in a new era of Irish dominance at Aintree.
Run in drying spring ground on 10 April 1999, the race produced a decisive 10‑length winner and a story steeped in family history.
The ground was described as good, on the quick side of spring going, after a drying spell that suited sound jumpers and horses with enough pace to hold a position.
Bobbyjo came into the race as a 9‑year‑old Irish‑bred bay gelding by Bustineto out of Markup, trained in County Meath by former top jockey Tommy Carberry and owned by Robert “Bobby” Burke.
He had already advertised his stamina and jumping by winning the 1998 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, but at that time Irish National form was not widely seen as a strong pointer to Aintree, given the long run without Irish‑trained winners in Liverpool.
The Irish were under pressure heading into 1999, having not won the Grand National since L’Escargot’s victory in 1975, a gap of 24 years.
As a result, Bobbyjo was heavily backed on the day and went off as a well‑supported 10/1 shot, reflecting sustained confidence from Irish punters who believed the drought could finally be broken.
Carberry Family History
One of the defining subplots was the Carberry family connection. Trainer Tommy Carberry had ridden L’Escargot to that previous Irish‑trained National win in 1975, beating the legendary Red Rum.
In 1999, he saddled Bobbyjo to be ridden by his son, the mercurial and naturally talented Paul Carberry, renowned for his patient style and ability to nurse a jumper into a race.
That father‑and‑son combination gave the race a strong narrative even before the tapes went up. Tommy was attempting to win the race as both rider and trainer, while Paul had the chance to emulate his father in the very race that had made him a household name.
When Bobbyjo duly obliged, it completed a rare Aintree double across generations that resonated strongly with Irish racing fans.
How The Race Played Out
A full field set off over the National fences at a decent but not frenetic gallop, with prominent racers like Cyborgo, General Wolfe, and Blue Charm taking turns at the head through the early stages.
The first circuit was largely incident‑free by National standards, although the notoriously tricky obstacles still claimed their share of casualties, including fancied runners such as Double Thriller, who fell at the very first fence.
Blue Charm, trained by Sue Bradburne and ridden by Lorcan Wyer, got into a great rhythm and made much of the running, particularly from the fifth fence onwards, and was back in front after the 21st despite pecking at Becher’s Brook second time.
Horses like Nahthen Lad, Call It A Day, and General Wolfe were all in the leading group at different points, but the tempo and the unique demands of the course gradually whittled down the field as jumping errors and fatigue took effect.
Through all this, Bobbyjo was always kept in touch, racing handily rather than being dropped right out the back.
Paul Carberry allowed him to travel within himself over the big fences, conserving energy, and the gelding’s accurate, economical jumping meant he avoided the worst of the trouble while never losing sight of the pace.
1999 Grand National Finishing Order
| Pos | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobbyjo (IRE) | Thomas Carberry | Paul Carberry | 10/1 |
| 2 | Blue Charm (IRE) | Sue Bradburne | Lorcan Wyer | 25/1 |
| 3 | Call It A Day (IRE) | D Nicholson | R Dunwoody | 7/1 |
| 4 | Addington Boy (IRE) | Ferdy Murphy | Adrian Maguire | 10/1 |
| 5 | Feels Like Gold (IRE) | Nicky Richards | Brian Harding | 50/1 |
| 6 | Brave Highlander (IRE) | J T Gifford | Philip Hide | 50/1 |
| 7 | Kendal Cavalier | Nigel Hawke | Barry Fenton | 28/1 |
| 8 | Earth Summit | Nigel Twiston-Davies | Carl Llewellyn | 16/1 |
| 9 | St Mellion Fairway (IRE) | M C Pipe | J Frost | 200/1 |
| 10 | Samlee (IRE) | Philip Hobbs | R Farrant | 50/1 |
| 11 | Nahthen Lad (IRE) | Mrs J Pitman | Andrew Thornton | 14/1 |
| 12 | General Wolfe | Venetia Williams | Norman Williamson | 18/1 |
| 13 | Suny Bay (IRE) | Simon Sherwood | Graham Bradley | 12/1 |
| 14 | Back Bar I (IRE) | D McCain | D Gallagher | 200/1 |
| 15 | Strong Chairman (IRE) | Paul Nicholls | Robert Thornton | 50/1 |
| 16 | Merry People (IRE) | John Queally | G Cotter | 200/1 |
| 17 | Avro Anson | Julie Camacho | Tony Dobbin | 40/1 |
| 18 | Coome Hill (IRE) | W W Dennis | S Wynne | 25/1 |
| BD | Camelot Knight | Nigel Twiston-Davies | C Maude | 200/1 |
| F | Double Thriller | Paul Nicholls | Joe Tizzard | 7/1 |
| F | Frazer Island (IRE) | Richard Rowe | Richard Guest | 200/1 |
| F | Baronet (IRE) | D Nicholson | Richard Johnson | 12/1 |
| F | Fiddling The Facts (IRE) | Nicky Henderson | Mick Fitzgerald | 6/1F |
| F | Eudipe (FR) | M C Pipe | A P McCoy | 10/1 |
| F | Tamarindo (FR) | M C Pipe | Timmy Murphy | 66/1 |
| PU | Commercial Artist | D McCain | T Jenks | 200/1 |
| PU | Bells Life I (IRE) | Philip Hobbs | G Tormey | 66/1 |
| PU | Cyborgo (FR) | M C Pipe | Conor O’Dwyer | 50/1 |
| PU | Cavalero | H J Manners | Sean Curran | 50/1 |
| UR | Mudahim | Philip Hobbs | B Powell Snr | 100/1 |
| UR | Choisty (IRE) | H Edward Haynes | Mr R Widger | 200/1 |
| UR | Castle Coin (IRE) | Howard Johnson | A S Smith | 200/1 |
The race began to crystallise on the second circuit as the field thinned and the early exuberance took its toll. Commercial Artist and Cyborgo were among those pulled up as the relentless test exposed their limits, while Call It A Day, a strong stayer, moved smoothly into contention to the delight of the Aintree crowd.
From the elbow on the long run‑in, there was only one winner. Bobbyjo continued to draw away, relishing the drying ground, and passed the post 10 lengths clear of Blue Charm, with Call It A Day plugging on for third. He stopped the clock in 9 minutes 14.1 seconds, an impressive time that underlined both the sound surface and the efficiency of his performance.
In all, 18 horses finished the race, a respectable number for a modern‑era National and testament to the conditions and the general standard of jumping on the day.
Bobbyjo’s Subsequent Career
Bobbyjo’s win cemented his status as one of Ireland’s most popular staying chasers of the late 1990s.
Previously no more than a useful hurdler, he had been transformed by fences and extreme trips, with the combination of Fairyhouse and Aintree Nationals marking him out as a proven marathon performer.
He returned to Aintree in 2000 to defend his crown but was unable to repeat the feat, completing the course but finishing well beaten in a race dominated by Papillon, another Irish‑trained winner, and also the horse he had beaten in the 1998 Irish National.
His career was cut short in 2001 when he broke a knee at Fairyhouse; the injury proved incurable, and he was humanely put down shortly afterward.
To honour his memory, Fairyhouse introduced the Bobbyjo Chase in 2003, a graded staying chase used as a trial for the Grand National and other big spring handicaps.
Significance for Irish Racing
From a historical perspective, the 1999 Grand National was a turning point rather than a one‑off. Bobbyjo’s victory ended the 24‑year wait for an Irish‑trained winner and restored belief among Irish trainers and owners that they could once again target Aintree with serious expectations rather than hopeful long shots.
In the decade that followed, Irish‑trained horses became increasingly influential in the National, with subsequent successes such as Papillon, Monty’s Pass, Hedgehunter, Numbersixvalverde, and Silver Birch, all reflecting a broader shift in power in National Hunt racing.
Bobbyjo’s win, achieved under astute family‑run training and a perfectly judged ride, is often cited as the catalyst for that modern Irish resurgence over the National fences.
From a racing‑purist point of view, the 1999 running stands up as a clean, truly‑run renewal: solid ground, a sound time, a big field, and a winner who jumped, travelled, and stayed better than his rivals on the day.
For many Irish fans, and for the Carberry family in particular, Bobbyjo will always be remembered as the horse who brought the Grand National “home” again after nearly a quarter of a century.
