THIS year marks the 45th anniversary of one of the most exciting Grand Nationals in memory, when five horses still had a chance approaching the Elbow. Fortunes swung wildly like an acrobat at a rave in the closing stages, before John Cook guided Specify up the rail from off the pace to nab Black Secret inside the last 50 yards by a neck.

As ever, it was an unforgettable day for the victors, particularly as Cook would suffer a broken leg later that year that would bring the curtain down on his career.