How many times between them did John Francome, Peter Scudamore and Richard Johnson with the Grand National?
Collectively, John Francome, Peter Scudamore and Richard Johnson won the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship 19 times and rode 6,634 winners. However, as far as the Grand National was concerned, their aggregate total was nil; not only did none of them manage to win the world famous steeplechase but, from 34 attempts between them, they could muster only five placed horses.
In fairness to the other two, Richard Johnson was, far and away, the main culprit when it came to losing rides in the Grand National. In fact, he rode in the National a record 21 times, but the closest he came to winning was second on What’s Up Boys in 2002 and second again on Balthazar King in 2014.
By contrast, Scudamore rode in the National just three times and achieved his best placing, third, on the 1983 Grand National winner, Corbiere, in 1985. Deputising for the injured Ben de Haan, but nursing a badly bruised, and heavily strapped, left leg, Scudamore said later that thought he might win from the third last fence but, ultimately, Corbiere could not withstand the lightly-weighted pair Last Suspect and Mr. Snugfit in the closing stages.
John Francome rode ten times in the Grand National, finishing third on the fading Rough And Tumble in 1979 and second, albeit beaten 20 lengths, on the same horse in 1980. He did, however, turn down on the 1976 winner, Rag Trade, after finishing tenth and last on the same horse in 1975.