He went through the whole meeting with fancied rides and didn't ride a winner until he eventually won the County Hurdle - the last race of the meeting - on Thumbs Up.

BBC: A Festival to remember

Going into 2010, McCoy had won every major horse race, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase, but the world's most famous race - the Grand National - had eluded him.

BBC: Jockey McCoy 'humbled' by Sports Personality award

In 2008 Jones was favored to win the 100-meter hurdles and led the race but tripped on the penultimate hurdle and finished seventh.

WSJ: Menu

He beat Solwhit by a length-and-a-half in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle after Zaidpour's win in the previous race.

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For reasons that range from the speed at which runners approach to the style of the fences at Aintree, history suggests one of the surest bets in this long-odds race is that someone's race will be ended at the first hurdle.

WSJ: Why They Fear Aintree's First