There has never been a racehorse who has captured the nation’s hearts quite like Red Rum.
Still the only horse to win the Grand National three times, the thoroughbred became a household name for his exploits on the racetrack.
Stabled in a Southport back street, Red Rum was a familiar sight training on the resort’s famous golden sands. Between 1973 and 1977 he won the Grand National three times, finishing runner-up on the other two occasions.
Such was Red Rum’s fame, when his retirement was announced in 1978 it was the lead story on that night’s BBC news and made the front page of the following morning’s newspapers.
By that time the steeplechaser had earned celebrity status and continued to make regular television and public appearances.
He became the first animal to switch on Blackpool illuminations in 1977, and helped open countless supermarkets, bookmakers, summer fetes and other events always drawing a crowd.
Red Rum died on October 18, 1995, aged 30, and he was buried at the winning post of the Aintree Racecourse.