the pair were never in contention and was tailed off when falling at the final fence with the horse returning lame. Finishing order 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. Non-finishers Media coverage and aftermath The race was broadcast live on BBC One in the United Kingdom for the 35th consecutive year as part of its regular Saturday afternoon sports programme Grandstand. The entire five-hour-long programme was presented from the course as a Grand National Grandstand special, presented by Des Lynam, and featured interviews with the connections of the runners and features on some of the competitors as well as looking back at the history of the race and interviews with celebrities and racegoers on the course. Three other races on the Aintree card were broadcast on the programme before Lynam handed over to Richard Pitman and Peter Scudamore who presented the build-up to the big race itself, which included live scenes from inside the jockeys' weighing room. Bill Smith also interviewed many of the connections of the runners in the saddling boxes and paddock before the race, while betting shows were read by Graham Rock. Julian Wilson was at the start in case any incidents similar to the false start of the previous year occurred. Once the runners were on the course and had paraded, the commentary was handed over to Jim McGrath, John Hanmer and lead commentator Peter O'Sullevan who was commentating a National for the BBC for the 49th time and had called home the winners of all the televised Nationals. Lynam conducted the post-race interviews with trainer Martin Pipe and jockey Richard Dunwoody as well as the first instance of an interview over a mobile phone as Lynam talked briefly with owner and comedian Freddie Starr in front of a bemused audience unable to hear Starr's comments. Pipe explained that Starr had been unable to attend Aintree due to television commitments. Lynam also interviewed Rosemary Henderson who, at the age of 52, became the first woman to collect Grand National