Upcoming Meeting : Aintree |
| Race Description |
Date |
Race Type |
Type |
| October Meeting, 2010 |
23/10/2010 |
Jump |
Standard |
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The Grand National is one of the largest and most celebrated horse races in the country. It is held at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool each April on a specially selected Saturday afternoon. The Grand National is just over four miles long and includes thirty jumps making it an exciting and gripping race.
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The Grand National winners can expect to receive a hefty financial prize as well as fame and respect as The Grand National is the most valuable meet in the National Hunt calendar, with the 2009 prize fund being an estimated £900,000. The next closet contender is the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a respectable prize fund in 2009 of £450,000.
The first Grand National took place at Aintree Racecourse in 1839; the course was very different from the one we know today with the horses jumping over stone walls, across ploughed fields and finishing over two hurdles. The race was known as the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase with the gallant racehorse Lottery winning the race.
The Grand National race is run on Aintree's National Course with competing racehorses completing two laps, each of which has sixteen fences.
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The Chair which is The Grand Nationals tallest jump at 5 feet 2 inches is scaled only once as is the dreaded Water Jump. The Chair and Becher's Brook are the most notorious jumps during The Grand National and have resulted in several fatalities during recent years, including Brown Trix and Seeandem who died at Aintree Racecourse in 1989.
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An estimated 600 million viewers tune into watch The Grand National every year, making it one of the top ten sporting events in the world.
The Grand National has a certain magic about it with millions of people placing bets on their favourite runners, many of who would never normally watch or gamble on a horse race at other times of the year. The Grand National is the jewel in the crown of the three day racing meet at Aintree Racecourse and has grown into a Great British institution.
One of the most famous names associated with The Grand National is the racehorse Red Rum. Red Rum is an iconic figure at Aintree Racecourse winning The Grand National Race no less than three times with his most memorable win being in 1977 when Tommy Stack rode him to victory.
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Red Rum has become one of the best known and most loved Racehorses in history and is buried beside the winning post at Aintree where fans can read these words, "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."
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George Stephens is the most successful jockey to ride in The Grand National winning it five times on Freetrader in 1856, Emblem in 1863, Emblematic in 1864 and the Colonel in both 1869 and 1970.
The leading trainers with four wins each are Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain who won with Red Rum in 1973, 1974 and 1977 then returned to victory in 2004 with Amberleigh House.
James Machell is the most successful owner of racehorses for The Grand National as he has won the race three times with Disturbance in 1873, Reugny in 1874 and Regal in 1876.
The Grand National is the world's greatest steeplechase and Aintree Racecourse has become a tourist attraction in its own right.
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Take a trip to Aintree and discover what happens behind the scenes at The Grand National at the award winning visitors centre, join s tour of Aintree's Weighing Room and sit in the chair where the jockeys are weighed, visit the winner's enclosure, marvel at the stable and pay your respects at Red Rum's graveside. The Grand National may only happen once a year but the magic of the world's greatest steeplechase is there, year round at Aintree Racecourse.
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