Come November it will be 50 years since the legendary Australian steeplechaser , Crisp , well and truly avenged his defeat the previous April by another great jumper , Red Rum , in the 1973 English Grand National Steeplechase .

In the world ’ s greatest steeple race the previous March at Aintree , Crisp had to hump a whopping 76kg ( 12 stones ) whereas Red Rum , who caught him on the line , carried a mere 65.7kgs ( 10 stones 5lbs ).

Crisp , giving Red Run a mammoth 10.4kgs ( 23lbs ) in weight and after leading by 15 lengths over the last of the 30 jumps , was left with a pain-wracking 450 metres to reach the winning post .

It was obvious as Roy Higgins wielding the persuader that Red Rum was finishing much the stronger , but the Aussie champion kept grinding away and even gave a late kick but was overhauled to go down by three quarters of a length .

A tremendous effort by both jumping champions , both of which are regarded as the two greatest steeplechasers to grace the English turf .

Before I get onto Crisp ’ s square up with Red Rum , let ’ s put that ’ 73 Grand National into the right perspective .

The time-honoured race – it was first run in 1839 – is contested over a mindboggling 6.907km ( 4 miles 514 yards ) – crikey , I ’ d get tired driving that far !

The 38 jumpers who toed the line that year had to leap over 30 fences , some of which were so tough , the great pole vaulter , Sergey Bubka , would have had

trouble getting over them ! In fact , 21 of the 38 starters didn ’ t ! Now , let ’ s turn our attention to the records of Red Rum , and the third placegetter , L ’ Escargot , who was certainly no snail at the jumping caper too .

American-bred L ’ Escargot won the Grand National two years later , beating Red Rum , adding to his previous major victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup ( twice ) and back in his birthplace , the prestigious Meadow Brook Steeplechase .

L ’ Escargot won 15 of his 53 starts and was placed on another 20 occasions and is an inductee in the United States Racing Hall of Fame . Yet this outstanding jumper , humping the same weight as Crisp , finished 25 lengths behind him in the ’ 73 Grand National . Red Rum ’ s career is just amazing . He sported silks on 100 occasions between 1967-77 for 24 wins and 38 placings – the victories included those Grand National wins in 1973 , 1974 and 1977 and two of those placings were for second in the ’ 75 and ’ 76 Grand Nationals .

Red Rum was being prepared for the 1978 Grand National when he sustained a hairline fracture , however he bid farewell to his career and legion of fans by cantering down the straight the day before big race .

The grand old horse died , aged 30 , on October 18 , 1995 , and was buried at the Aintree Racecourse winning post .

His epitaph reads : Respect this place , this hallowed ground , a legend here , his rest has found , his feet would fly , our spirits soar , he earned our love , for evermore .

The records of those two champions gives you an idea of Crisp ’ s talent !

Foaled in 1963 , Crisp was by Rose Argent and was bred to race over sprint distances but showed little talent as a two and three-year-old on the flat .

In 1968 , leading trainer , Des Judd , put him over the hurdles and he won five races before switching to the larger fences in steeplechases .

He carried huge weights to record impressive wins the 1969 and 1970 Hiskens Steeple at Moonee Valley , winning by 20 lengths under 70kg in ’ 69 and by 12 lengths humping 76.5kg the following season .

Weighted out of racing in Australia , Crisp ’ s owner , Sir Edward Manifold , despatched the horse to England where he was trained by the best in the business , Fred Winter .

His first major victory was in 1971 Queen Mother Champion Chase , for the best two-mile chasers around , trouncing his first-rate opposition with a 25-length victory .

Crisp quickly established himself with English racegoers as an outstanding jumper , hence the gruelling 76kg allotted him in the ’ 73 Grand National .

A measure of his performance that day is indicated by the fact he and Red Rum smashed the 40-year-old race record by 19 seconds ! Crisp had three more outings that season .

He had a warm-up outing over the hurdles and then won a ‘ chase at Newbury which brings us to Crisp ’ s square-up with

Red Rum .

That was in a steeplechase at Doncaster where just Crisp and Red Rum were the only starters after the rest of the acceptors withdrew from the event , making it a twohorse match race .

This time , both champions carried the same weight and Crisp blitzed his great rival , winning by an extending 10 lengths despite sustaining an injury during the run .

The equine wonder was then retired from racing after facing the starter in 41 races , winning 20 and being placed 10 times .

Not much is known about the great horse ’ s life following his retirement but in an interview in 2003 , Crisp ’ s regular rider , Richard Pitman , said he believed the horse was ridden in hunts for eight years before passing around 1981 .

He was buried at the entrance of his then owner ’ s estate – a cherry tree was planted over his grave , which still flowers at Grand National time .

SAD MARKS : The passing of great jockey , Ray Selkrig . Ray won over 1800 races including the 1961 Melbourne Cup , four AJC Derbies and a host of other Group races . He tipped me a horse he was riding at a Wagga Gold Cup meeting . “ Harpo , you ’ ll get 5 / 2 this bloke and he should be tens on ”. It won by five lengths .