The 2006 Grand National, sponsored by John Smith's, was the 159th running of the race, and was staged over the traditional 4m4f at Aintree on 8 April 2006.
A full field of 40 went to post, reflecting the race’s status as Britain’s biggest betting event of the year, with bookmakers estimating hundreds of millions of pounds wagered across shops, phones, and online.
Overnight and raceday rain turned the going testing, conditions which would ultimately play to the strengths of a proven stayer coming from off the pace.
On paper, it was one of the strongest Nationals of the decade. Heading the weights and the market were the previous year’s winner Hedgehunter and the luckless Clan Royal, sent off joint-favourites at 5/1, backed by a public keen on established Aintree form.
Behind them came a raft of seasoned staying chasers, including Nil Desperandum, Risk Accessor, Joes Edge, Forest Gunner, and others, giving the race notable depth.
Numbersixvalverde: The Winner
Numbersixvalverde, a 10‑year‑old gelding, was trained in County Kildare by Martin Brassil and owned by Bernard Carroll, who named him after his villa in Portugal.
He came into the race with an ideal staying profile, having captured the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in 2005 while still a novice, a victory that marked him out as a thorough stayer with the temperament for a big field handicap.
His trainer had also followed a familiar Irish route by running him over hurdles in the lead‑up to Aintree to protect his chasing handicap mark before the weights were framed.
In the 2006 Grand National he carried 10st 8lb, a significant 18lb less than top‑weight Hedgehunter, who shouldered 11st 12lb as reigning champion.
Sent off at 11/1, Numbersixvalverde was well‑respected but not burdened by the weight of public expectation that surrounded the favourites.
Connections also opted for young Irish rider Niall “Slippers” Madden, taking his very first ride in the race in only his first season as a professional, a booking that would prove inspired.
How The Race Unfolded
Brassil and Madden had a clear plan: drop the horse in, survive the first circuit, and only think about winning once the field thinned out after Becher’s and the Canal Turn second time.
From the tapes, Numbersixvalverde was anchored towards the rear, jumping neatly but without being asked to lay up with the early leaders.
The first circuit was incident‑strewn, with several fancied runners departing: Innox, Tyneandthyneagain, and Royal Auclair were among those to fall at the opening fence, while others exited at various obstacles in the early stages.
By the time the field crossed the Melling Road for the second time, many had either fallen, unseated, or been pulled up, including prominent names such as Silver Birch at the fifteenth, Amberleigh House at the twenty‑first, and Ballycassidy at the twenty‑fifth.
From fence seventeen onwards, Madden gradually allowed Numbersixvalverde to creep into contention as the relentless pace and demanding ground began to tell.
Hedgehunter, under Ruby Walsh, had been ridden positively, moving into a leading role with three to jump, appearing for a time to be in command as he attempted to emulate Red Rum with back‑to‑back Aintree wins.
Clan Royal, the other joint‑favourite, was still in the mix but could not sustain his effort to the line in the same way.
Approaching the final fence, Madden produced Numbersixvalverde with a well‑timed challenge, having kept something in reserve for the long run‑in.
The pair jumped the last fluently and immediately went after Hedgehunter, whose big weight and earlier exertions in the ground were beginning to bite.
On the rain‑softened run‑in, the lighter‑weighted Irish National winner stayed on strongly, edging clear to score by six lengths, with Hedgehunter gallant but decisively held in second.
Result And Key Finishers
Numbersixvalverde’s success completed the Aintree–Fairyhouse double, one of the most coveted staying chase combinations in the calendar.
Behind him, Hedgehunter (11st 12lb) filled the runner‑up spot, confirming his love for Aintree despite the burden of top weight on bad ground.
Clan Royal, the other 5/1 joint‑favourite, finished in the frame, while Nil Desperandum, Risk Accessor, Puntal, Joes Edge, Inca Trail, and Forest Gunner were among those listed as completing behind the placed horses.
| Pos | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbersixvalverde (IRE) | Martin Brassil | Niall P Madden | 11/1 |
| 2 | Hedgehunter (IRE) | W P Mullins | R Walsh | 5/1J |
| 3 | Clan Royal (FR) | Jonjo O'Neill | A P McCoy | 5/1J |
| 4 | Nil Desperandum I (IRE) | Ms F M Crowley | Tommy Treacy | 33/1 |
| 5 | Risk Accessor (IRE) | Jonjo O'Neill | Noel Fehily | 66/1 |
| 6 | Puntal (FR) | M C Pipe | Barry Geraghty | 66/1 |
| 7 | Joes Edge (IRE) | Ferdy Murphy | Davy Russell | 20/1 |
| 8 | Inca Trail (IRE) | D McCain | Brian Harding | 40/1 |
| 9 | Forest Gunner | Richard Ford | Ms N Carberry | 33/1 |
| F | Haut De Gamme I (FR) | Ferdy Murphy | Keith Mercer | 25/1 |
| F | Innox (FR) | F Doumen | Robert Thornton | 10/1 |
| F | Tyneandthyneagain | Howard Johnson | Peter Buchanan | 100/1 |
| F | Royal Auclair (FR) | Paul Nicholls | Christian Williams | 33/1 |
| F | Ballycassidy (IRE) | Peter Bowen | Leighton Aspell | 80/1 |
| F | Just In Debt (IRE) | Martin Todhunter | Alan Dempsey | 50/1 |
| F | Ebony Light (IRE) | D McCain | Stephen Craine | 50/1 |
| F | Ross Comm | Sue Smith | Dominic Elsworth | 16/1 |
| F | Sir Oj (IRE) | Noel Meade | Paul Carberry | 33/1 |
| F | Silver Birch (IRE) | Paul Nicholls | Sam Thomas | 40/1 |
| F | Juveigneur (FR) | Nicky Henderson | Mick Fitzgerald | 25/1 |
| PU | Amberleigh House (IRE) | D McCain | Graham Lee | 50/1 |
| PU | Shotgun Willy (IRE) | Richard Guest | Andrew Tinkler | 33/1 |
| PU | Garvivonnian (IRE) | Edward P Mitchell | G Cotter | 11/1 |
| PU | Iris Royal (FR) | Nicky Henderson | Marcus Foley | 100/1 |
| PU | It Takes Time I (IRE) | M C Pipe | Timmy Murphy | 50/1 |
| PU | Iznogoud (FR) | M C Pipe | Tom Scudamore | 200/1 |
| PU | Direct Access (IRE) | Nicky Richards | Tony Dobbin | 25/1 |
| PU | Colnel Rayburn (IRE) | Paul Nolan | John Cullen | 50/1 |
| PU | Le Roi Miguel (FR) | Paul Nicholls | Liam Heard | 150/1 |
| PU | Cornish Rebel (IRE) | Paul Nicholls | Joe Tizzard | 22/1 |
| PU | Lord Of Illusion (IRE) | Tom George | Jason Maguire | 33/1 |
| PU | Therealbandit (IRE) | M C Pipe | Richard Johnson | 50/1 |
| REF | Rince Ri (IRE) | T M Walsh | Andrew J McNamara | 100/1 |
| REF | Native Upmanship (IRE) | A L T Moore | Conor O'Dwyer | 100/1 |
| UR | First Gold (FR) | F Doumen | Richie McGrath | 100/1 |
| UR | Jack High (IRE) | T M Walsh | D J Casey | 9/1 |
| UR | Heros Collonges (FR) | Paul Nicholls | John McNamara | 66/1 |
| UR | Le Duc I (FR) | Paul Nicholls | Jamie Moore | 33/1 |
| UR | Whispered Secret (GER) | M C Pipe | Rodi Greene | 100/1 |
| UR | Baron Windrush | Nigel Twiston-Davies | Carl Llewellyn | 66/1 |
The race had its usual high casualty rate over the unique fences. Notable departures included Silver Birch, who fell before returning to win the National the following year.
The 2006 Grand National
Numbersixvalverde’s win is still widely regarded as coming in one of the classiest fields of recent Nationals, with multiple previous and future winners, top‑level staying handicappers, and graded performers lining up.
For Niall Madden, it was a dream first ride in the race, instantly placing him in the record books and cementing his reputation on the biggest stage.
The 2006 edition also reinforced the excellent recent record of Irish‑trained runners in the National, with Numbersixvalverde following Hedgehunter and others in a sequence of cross‑channel successes.
In the years since, the race has been remembered by form students as a high‑class staying test where ground, weight and patience combined perfectly for a tough, well‑handicapped Irish National winner hitting peak form at exactly the right time.
