The Grand National has been run at the Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, since 1838. The race carries the biggest prize fund of any National Hunt race in the UK, with the winning horse claiming a prize of over half a million pounds.
The race takes place annually on a Saturday afternoon (usually at approximately 4pm) in early April. It is run over a distance of 4 and a half miles, over which the horses must jump 30 challenging fences.
While trainers and jockeys alike all dream of winning the Grand National, the race also attracts attention from individuals who would not normally gamble or watch horse racing. The Grand National is always the most backed event in the horse racing calander. It is estimated that over 600 million people watch the Grand National every year around the world.
The Grand National is also one of the more controversial events in the British sporting calander - with many horses having lost their lives during the race. In the 162 races which have taken place there have been 58 horse fatalities. In recent years the severity of the fences, in particular The Chair and Becher’s Brook, has been reduced to try and reduce the number of deaths each year.
Very few horses have been able to record more than one victory in the Grand National. One horse in particular stands out in Grand National history as being the greatest of all time. Red Rum won the race three times - in 1973, 1974 and again in 1977. The horse also came second in the 2 years in between.
There have been several incidents that have lead to the race being cancelled. In 1993 the race was declared void following a false start which was not acknowledged by many of the jockey’s. 30 out of the 39 entrants failed to recognise the false start, which was caused by some horses being caught up in the starting line tape, and continued to race around the course. Meanwhile, in 1997 the entire racing card on the Saturday was cancelled following bomb threats.
