1994 Grand National

Moorcroft Boy was installed as favourite on race day after an impressive season which had seen him finish first or second in nine consecutive long-distance chases, including a victory in the Warwick National in January and a second place to Master Oats in the Greenhalls Gold Cup at Kempton in February. This impressive run and very lenient treatment from the handicapper, who allotted him nine stone and 8 lbs and ensured he would not be giving weight to any of his rivals, led the public to back him down to 5/1 at the off. Adrian Maguire who had partnered him in the most recent four of those nine outings took the mount as his second ride in the National, having also been part of the previous year's void race. Maguire was also the leading rider at the meeting with three wins going into the National, although he had been handed a three-day riding ban after the first race of the day for over use of the whip. The ban would not take effect at the Aintree meeting however.

Maguire kept the horse out of trouble in mid-division for most of the race before gradually moving through the fallers and tiring horses to lie fifth at the second jump of Becher's Brook. The favourite moved up to join the three leaders turning for home and jumped the second-last disputing the lead with Miinnehoma. When Maguire asked the horse to quicken into the last fence he jumped two lengths clear, but weakened on the 494-yard run-in to finish 21 lengths back in third. After the race it emerged that Moorcroft Boy had broken a blood vessel within strides of the last fence and raced up the run-in choking. He later suffered a broken neck when falling in the Becher Chase the following November but was nursed back to health to win the 1996 Scottish Grand National, his final race before retiring.^[3][4]

Double Silk was another hunter chaser who went to Aintree on the back of a run of ten consecutive victories, which included the 1993 Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters chases, the former of which had seen him secure a second consecutive victory over Moorcroft Boy. The remainder of his wins had been in small hunter chases before returning to Cheltenham three weeks before the National to successfully defend his Foxhunters title. Like the favourite, he was lightly treated by the handicapper, carrying ten stone and 4 lbs, and was heavily backed down to a starting price of 6/1 at the off. Amateur rider Ron Treloggan, who had partnered the horse in all of his previous fourteen starts, became one of nine riders making their Grand National debut, including future winning riders, Paul Carberry and Tony Dobbin. Double Silk was sent to the front right at the start and stayed there until the 13th fence when, for the only time in a career that spanned 31 races, he fell, having possibly been unsighted by a loose horse.^[5] Neither horse nor rider took part in the National again.^[6]

Master Oats was backed heavily after beating Moorcroft Boy in the Greenhall's Gold cup at Kempton in February and was sent off at 9/1, giving Norman Williamson his fourth ride in the race. The pair were moving up into the front rank when they fell at the 13th fence. The horse went on to win his next five races including the Welsh Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup.^[7][8]

The Fellow was aiming to be the first French-trained horse to win the race for 85 years and also the second horse ever to win the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season, and was sent off at 9/1 after his victory in the Blue Ribband three weeks earlier. The French raider was providing Polish rider Adam Kondrat with his only ride in the race and was lying fourth going into the second circuit and moved up into second on the way down to Becher's Brook for the second time. Mistakes at Becher's and the 23rd saw him drop back to a close fourth when he fell at the Canal Turn. The Cheltenham champion returned to France to win the Prix Millionaire II in May.^[9]

Miinnehoma was a popular runner among locals, being owned by Liverpool comedian Freddie Starr, and was sent off at 16/1 after finishing seventh behind The Fellow in the Gold Cup. The winner of the 1992 Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham had lost his regular partner Peter Scudamore to retirement and had had four different riders since. Only Richard Dunwoody had won and he took the ride at Aintree as his tenth National ride, having won the race previously in 1986. The pair were prominent throughout, moving into third place at the 14th fence and then going up to dispute the lead at the start of the second circuit. Miinnehoma survived a bad mistake at Becher's second time but remained at the head of the race from there until being headed by Moorcroft Boy going to the last fence. He regained the lead when the favourite broke a blood vessel, going on to survive the late challenge of Just So to win by 1+1⁄4 lengths.^[10][11] He failed to complete the course in his defence of the title in 1995.

Mr. Boston was backed at 16/1 on the back of a quartet of long-distance victories in minor handicaps and provided Peter Niven with his fifth National ride. The pair were always towards the rear until falling at the 13th fence.

Young Hustler was also 16/1 after winning the Sun Alliance Chase and finishing third to The Fellow in the Gold Cup but lost his regular rider Carl Llewellyn to injury.^[12] David Bridgwater was drafted in to make his Grand National debut. The pair were tracking the leaders in fourth place when they were brought down by the loose running Henry Mann. Young Hustler continued riderless and actually passed the post first, coming perilously close to stopping the eventual winner at the last fence in the process.

Zeta's Lad was also sent off at 16/1 having won the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January.^[13] He had previously completed a circuit of the previous year's void National before pulling up with Robbie Supple in the saddle. Supple again took the ride as his fourth National mount but the pair were never in contention and was tailed off when falling at the final fence with the horse returning lame.

39 were declared to run but Bishop's Hall, Windy Ways and Rifle Range all scratched on the morning of the race to leave 36 starting.

Simon Morant started his first Grand National, after the retirement of Keith Brown who was partly blamed for the 1993 void race.

The parade was led by three-time winner Red Rum. The contestants had won 285 races between them, earning over £3,500,000 in their careers to that date.