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The Grand National is a

National Hunt In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...

horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap steeplechase over an official distance of about 4 miles and 2½ furlongs (), with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps.''

British Racing and Racecourses ''British Racing and Racecourses'' () published in 1971 with a first print run of 10,000,''Mum's the word for this lady racing expert'' Evening Telegraph – Tuesday, 16 March 1971 was written by the female equestrian writer, Marion Rose Halpenny, ...

'' () by

Marion Rose Halpenny Marion Rose Halpenny is an equestrian writer and horsewoman, born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, and known as the ''Lincolnshire turf authoress'',Your Chance for some horse trading – Racing by Geoff Ford – Evening Telegraph – Tuesday, 29 January 1 ...

– Page 167 It is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million in 2017.Grand National Prize Money , 2017 Grand National , Aintree Racecourse
/ref> An event that is prominent in

British culture British culture is influenced by the combined nations' history; its historically Christian religious life, its interaction with the cultures of Europe, the traditions of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and the impact of the British Empire ...

, the race is popular amongst many people who do not normally watch or bet on horse racing at other times of the year. The course over which the race is run features much larger fences than those found on conventional National Hunt tracks. Many of these fences, particularly

Becher's Brook Becher's Brook ( ) is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the and fence, as well as on four other occasions ...

, The Chair and the

Canal Turn The Canal Turn is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is jumped during the Grand National steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse, located near Liverpool, England. Named for the Leeds & Liverpool Canal which pas ...

, have become famous in their own right and, combined with the distance of the event, create what has been called "the ultimate test of horse and rider". The Grand National has been broadcast live on

free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...

terrestrial television in the United Kingdom since 1960. From then until 2012 it was broadcast by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

broadcast the event between 2013 and 2016: UK broadcasting rights were transferred to

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

from 2017. An estimated 500 to 600 million people watch the Grand National in over 140 countries. The race has also been broadcast on radio since 1927;

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

held exclusive rights until 2013. Talksport acquired radio commentary rights in 2014: Both the BBC and Talksport currently broadcast the race in full. The most recent running of the race, in 2022, was won by Noble Yeats. Since 2017, the race and accompanying festival have been sponsored by

Randox Randox is an international health and toxicology company in the ''in vitro'' diagnostics industry headquartered in the UK, and owned by Peter FitzGerald. The company develops diagnostic solutions for hospitals, clinical, research and molecular l ...

History

Founding and early Nationals (1829–1850)

The Grand National was founded by William Lynn, a syndicate head and proprietor of the

Waterloo Hotel The Waterloo Hotel is a historical hotel located on Waterloo Place in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the first large scale purpose built hotel in Edinburgh, trading from 1819 to 1898. The Waterloo Hotel, Tavern and Coffee House The category A list ...

, on land he leased in

Aintree Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England. I ...

from

William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton (18 September 1772 – 20 November 1838), also known as Lord Dashalong, was a sportsman, gambler and a friend of the Prince Regent. Personal life Born in 1772, Lord Sefton was the only son of Charles ...

. Lynn set out a course, built a grandstand, and Lord Sefton laid the foundation stone on 7 February 1829. There is much debate regarding the first official Grand National; most leading published historians, including John Pinfold, now prefer the idea that the first running was in 1836 and was won by The Duke. This same horse won again in 1837, while Sir William was the winner in 1838.Grand National History 1839 – 1836
. The-grand-national.co.uk. Retrieved on 11 March 2011. These races have long been disregarded because of the belief that they took place at

Maghull Maghull ( ) is a town and civil parish in Sefton, Merseyside (historically a part of Lancashire). The town is north of Liverpool and west of Kirkby. The area also contains Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a population of 20,444 at the 2011 Cens ...

and not Aintree. However, some historians have unearthed evidence in recent years that suggests those three races were run over the same course at Aintree and were regarded as having been Grand Nationals up until the mid-1860s. Contemporary newspaper reports place all the 1836–38 races at Aintree although the 1839 race is the first described as "national".The Grand National Anomaly 1836–1838
. www.skittishlibrary.co.uk. 28 March 2015. However, calls for the Nationals of 1836–1838 to be restored to the record books have been unsuccessful. In 1838 and 1839 three significant events occurred to transform the race from a small local affair to a national event. Firstly, the Great St. Albans Chase, which had clashed with the steeplechase at Aintree, was not renewed after 1838, leaving a major hole in the chasing calendar. Secondly, the railway, opened from Manchester to Liverpool in 1830, was linked to a line from London and Birmingham in 1839 enabling rail transport to the Liverpool area from large parts of the country for the first time. Finally, a committee was formed to better organise the event. These factors led to a more highly publicised race in 1839 which attracted a larger field of top quality horses and riders, greater press coverage, and increased attendance on race day. Over time the first three runnings of the event were quickly forgotten to secure the 1839 race its place in history as the first official Grand National. The 1839 race was won by rider

Jem Mason James "Jem" Mason (1816 – 1866) was a champion English jockey. On 26 February 1839 he won the Grand National in Liverpool on a brown-bay racehorse called Lottery. Born in Stilton, Cambridgeshire to a horse-dealing family he started riding ...

on the aptly named,

Lottery A lottery is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of ...

.Haywood, Linda. (4 April 2008
A Big Long History of the Grand National
. Popular Nostalgia. Retrieved on 11 March 2011.The Jockey Club, The History of The Grand National (December 2019)
/ref> The Duke was ridden by

Martin Becher Martin William Becher (1797 – 12 October 1864) was a former soldier and steeplechase jockey in whose memory the Becher's Brook obstacle at Aintree Racecourse is named.

. The fence

is named after him and is where he fell in the race.History of Victorian Liverpool
''historyofliverpool.com'' By the 1840s, Lynn's ill-health blunted his enthusiasm for Aintree. Edward Topham, a respected handicapper and prominent member of Lynn's syndicate, began to exert greater influence over the National. He turned the chase into a handicap in 1843 after it had been a weight-for-age race for the first four years, and took over the land lease in 1848. One century later, the Topham family bought the course outright. Later in the century, the race was the setting of a thriller by the popular novelist

Henry Hawley Smart Henry Hawley Smart (1833–1893) was an English army officer and novelist, who wrote as Capt. Hawley Smart. He was praised for his realistic racing and hunting scenes, and depictions of military incidents. Family Smart was born in Dover, Kent ...

War National Steeplechase (1916–1918)

For three years during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, while Aintree Racecourse was taken over by the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

, an alternative race was run at

Gatwick Racecourse Gatwick Racecourse was a racecourse in the county of Surrey, England near to Horley and Lowfield Heath. It was in use from 1891 to 1940 when it was closed at the start of the Second World War. The land is now part of London Gatwick Airport. ...

, a now disused course on land now occupied by

Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after H ...

. The first of these races, in 1916, was called the Racecourse Association Steeplechase, and in 1917 and 1918 the race was called the War National Steeplechase. The races at Gatwick are not always recognised as "Grand Nationals" and their results are often omitted from winners' lists.

Tipperary Tim (1928)

On the day of the 1928 Grand National, before the race had begun,

Tipperary Tim Tipperary Tim (foaled 1918) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1928 Grand National. He was foaled in Ireland and was a descendant of the undefeated St. Simon. Tipperary Tim was owned by Harold Kenyon and trained in Shropshire by ...

's jockey William Dutton heard a friend call out to him: "Billy boy, you'll only win if all the others fall down!" These words turned out to be true, as 41 of the 42 starters fell during the race. That year's National was run during misty weather conditions with the going very heavy. As the field approached the

on the first circuit,

Easter Hero Easter Hero (1920–1948) was an Irish-bred British-trained racehorse who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1929 and 1930 and made three unsuccessful attempts to win the Grand National. He showed little early promise and was passed from owner to o ...

fell, causing a pile-up from which only seven horses emerged with seated jockeys. By the penultimate fence, this number had reduced to three, with Great Span looking most likely to win ahead of

Billy Barton Billy may refer to: * Billy (name), a name (and list of people with the name) Animals * Billy (dog), a dog breed * Billy (pigeon), awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945 * Billy (pygmy hippo), a pet of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge * Billy, a young ...

and Tipperary Tim. Great Span's saddle then slipped, leaving Billy Barton in the lead until he too then fell. Although Billy Barton's jockey Tommy Cullinan managed to remount and complete the race, it was Tipperary Tim who came in first at outside odds of 100/1. With only two riders completing the course, this remains a record for the lowest number of finishers.

Second World War and the 1950s

Although the Grand National was run as normal in 1940 and most other major horse races around the world were able to be held throughout the war, the

commandeering Commandeering is an act of appropriation by the military or police whereby they take possession of the property of a member of the public. In the United States In United States law, it also refers to federal government actions which would force ...

of Aintree Racecourse for defence use in 1941 meant no Grand National could be held from 1941 to 1945. It recommenced in 1946, when it was run on a Friday, and from 1947 was moved to a Saturday, at the urging of the

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national s ...

James Chuter Ede, who thought this would make it more accessible to working people. It has normally been run on a Saturday ever since. During the 1950s the Grand National was dominated by

Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in a worldwide poll hosted by the ''Racing Post''. In ...

, who trained different winners of the race for three consecutive years between 1953 and 1955. Early Mist secured O'Brien's first victory in 1953; Royal Tan won in 1954, and Quare Times completed the Irish trainer's hat-trick in 1955. The running of the 1956 Grand National witnessed one of the chase's most bizarre incidents.

Devon Loch Devon Loch (1946–1963) was a racehorse, which fell on the final straight while leading the 1956 Grand National. Owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and ridden by Dick Francis, Devon Loch had won two races already that season and finishe ...

, owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, had cleared the final fence in the leading position, five lengths clear of E.S.B. Forty yards from what seemed like certain victory, Devon Loch suddenly, and inexplicably, half-jumped into the air and collapsed in a belly-flop on the turf. Despite efforts by jockey

Dick Francis Richard Stanley Francis (31 October 1920 – 14 February 2010) was a British steeplechase jockey and crime writer whose novels centre on horse racing in England. After wartime service in the RAF, Francis became a full-time jump-jockey, wi ...

, Devon Loch was unable to complete the race, leaving E.S.B. to cross the finishing line first. Responding to the commiserations of E.S.B.’s owner, the Queen Mother famously commented: "Oh, that's racing!" Had Devon Loch completed the race he might have set a new record for the fastest finishing time, which E.S.B. missed by only four-fifths of a second. Many explanations have been offered for Devon Loch's behaviour on the run-in, but the incident remains inexplicable. The incident became part of the folklore of the event, and by extension British sporting culture. In modern language, the phrase "to do a Devon Loch" is often used to describe a last-minute failure to achieve an expected victory.

Foinavon (1967)

In the 1967 Grand National, most of the field were hampered or dismounted in a mêlée at the 23rd fence, allowing a rank-outsider,

Foinavon Foinavon (1958–1971) was an Irish racehorse. He won the Grand National in 1967 at odds of 100/1 after the rest of the field fell, refused or were hampered or brought down in a mêlée at the 23rd fence. The fence was officially named afte ...

, to become a surprise winner at odds of 100/1. A loose horse named Popham Down, who had unseated his rider at the first jump, suddenly veered across the leading group at the 23rd, causing them to either stop, refuse or unseat their riders. Racing journalist

Lord Oaksey Geoffrey Lawrence, 3rd Baron Trevethin, 1st Baron Oaksey, (2 December 1880 – 28 August 1971) was the main British judge during the Nuremberg trials after Second World War, and President of the Judicial group. Biography The Lawrence family c ...

described the resulting pile-up by saying that Popham Down had "cut down the leaders like a row of thistles". Some horses even started running in the wrong direction, back the way they had come. Foinavon, whose owner had such little faith in him that he had travelled to Worcester that day instead, had been lagging some 100 yards behind the leading pack, giving his jockey, John Buckingham, time to steer his mount wide of the havoc and make a clean jump of the fence on the outside. Although 17 jockeys remounted and some made up considerable ground, particularly

Josh Gifford Josh Gifford (3 August 1941 – 9 February 2012) was a jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was a four-time Champion Jockey, riding 642 winners in his career. He retired from training in 2002, aged 60, and his son Nick Gifford too ...

on 15/2 favourite Honey End, none had time to catch Foinavon before he crossed the finishing line. The 7th/23rd fence was officially named the 'Foinavon fence' in 1984.

1970s and Red Rum

The 1970s were mixed years for the Grand National. In 1973, eight years after Mrs.

Mirabel Topham Mirabel Topham (15 August 1891 – 28 May 1980) was chairman and managing director of Topham Ltd for 36 years to 1973 and owner of Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England, where the Grand National horse steeplechase is held. She was one of the ...

announced she was seeking a buyer, the racecourse was finally sold to property developer Bill Davies. Davies tripled the admission prices, and consequently, the attendance at the 1975 race, won by L'Escargot, was the smallest in living memory. It was after this that bookmaker

Ladbrokes Ladbrokes Coral is a British gambling company founded in 1886. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. The business is split into two divisions, UK and International. UK operations are c ...

made an offer, signing an agreement with Davies allowing them to manage the Grand National. During this period,

Red Rum Red Rum (3 May 1965 – 18 October 1995) was a champion Thoroughbred steeplechaser. He achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years, 1975 ...

was breaking all records to become the most successful racehorse in Grand National history. Originally bought as a yearling in 1966 for 400

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

(£420), he passed through various training yards before being bought for 6,000 guineas (£6,300) by

Ginger McCain Donald "Ginger" McCain (21 September 1930 – 19 September 2011) was an English horse trainer who led the champion steeplechaser Red Rum to three Grand National victories in the 1970s. A former national serviceman in the Royal Air Force as a mo ...

on behalf of Noel le Mare. Two days after the purchase while trotting the horse on Southport beach, McCain noticed that Red Rum appeared lame. The horse was suffering from

pedal osteitis Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates and is found mostly in horses and cattle. Clinical signs include foot tenderness progressing to inability to walk, increased digital pulses, and increased temperature in the hooves. Sever ...

, an inflammatory bone disorder. McCain had witnessed many lame carthorses reconditioned by being galloped in sea-water. He successfully used this treatment on his newly acquired racehorse. Red Rum became, and remains as of 2018, the only horse to have won the Grand National three times, in 1973, 1974, and 1977. He also finished second in the two intervening years, 1975 and 1976. In 1973, he was in second place at the last fence, 15 lengths behind champion horse Crisp, who was carrying 23 lbs more. Red Rum made up the ground on the run-in and, two strides from the finishing post, he pipped the tiring Crisp to win by three-quarters of a length in what is arguably the most memorable Grand National of all time. Red Rum finished in 9 minutes 1.9 seconds, taking 18.3 seconds off the previous record for the National which had been set in 1935 by Reynoldstown. His record was to stand for the next seventeen years.

Bob Champion's National (1981)

Two years before the 1981 Grand National, jockey

Bob Champion Robert Champion (born 4 June 1948) is an English former jump jockey, who won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti. His triumph, while recovering from cancer, was made into the 1984 film ''Champions'', with John Hurt portraying Champion. The f ...

had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and given only months to live by doctors. But by 1981 he had recovered and was passed fit to ride in the Grand National. He rode Aldaniti, a horse deprived in its youth and which had only recently recovered from chronic leg problems. Despite a poor start, the pair went on to win lengths ahead of the much-fancied Spartan Missile, ridden by amateur jockey and 54-year-old grandfather John Thorne. Champion and Aldaniti were instantly propelled to celebrity status, and within two years, their story had been re-created in the film ''

Champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

'', starring

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...

Seagram's sponsorship (1984–1991)

From 1984 to 1991,

Seagram The Seagram Company Ltd. (which traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Originally a distiller of Canadian whisky based in Waterloo, Ontario, it was once (in the 1990s) the ...

sponsored the Grand National. The Canadian distiller provided a solid foundation on which the race's revival could be built, firstly enabling the course to be bought from Davies and to be run and managed by the Jockey Club. It is said that Ivan Straker, Seagram's UK chairman, became interested in the potential opportunity after reading a passionate newspaper article written by journalist Lord Oaksey, who, in his riding days, had come within three-quarters of a length of winning the 1963 National. The last Seagram-sponsored Grand National was in 1991. Coincidentally, the race was won by a horse named Seagram. Martell, then a Seagram subsidiary, took over sponsorship of the Aintree meeting for an initial seven years from 1992, in a £4 million deal.

The race that never was (1993)

The result of the 1993 Grand National was declared void after a series of incidents commentator

Peter O'Sullevan Sir Peter O'Sullevan (3 March 1918 – 29 July 2015) was an Irish-British horse racing commentator for the BBC, and a correspondent for the Press Association, the ''Daily Express'', and ''Today''. He was the BBC's leading horse racing comme ...

later called "the greatest disaster in the history of the Grand National." While under starter's orders, one jockey was tangled in the starting tape which had failed to rise correctly. A false start was declared, but due to a lack of communication between course officials, 30 of the 39 jockeys did not realise this and began the race. Course officials tried to stop the runners by waving red flags, but many jockeys continued to race, believing that they were protesters (a group of whom had invaded the course earlier), while

Peter Scudamore Peter Scudamore MBE (born 29 June 1958), often known as 'Scu', is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was an eight-time Champion Jockey (including one title shared with John Francome), riding 1,678 winning horses in his c ...

only stopped because he saw his trainer,

Martin Pipe Martin Charles Pipe (born 29 May 1945), is an English former racehorse trainer credited with professionalising the British racehorse training industry, and as of 2021 the most successful trainer in British jump racing. The son of a West-Coun ...

, waving frantically at him. Seven horses completed the course, meaning the result was void. The first past the post was Esha Ness (in the second-fastest time ever), ridden by John White, trained by

Jenny Pitman Jenny may refer to: * Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people * Jenny (surname), a family name Animals * Jenny (donkey), a female donkey * Jenny (gorilla), the oldest gorilla in captivity at the time of h ...

and owned by Patrick Bancroft.BBC ON THIS DAY , 3 , 1993: Grand National ends in 'shambles'
. BBC News (3 April 1996). Retrieved on 11 March 2011.

The Monday National (1997)

The 1997 Grand National was postponed after two coded bomb threats were received from the

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reu ...

. The course was secured by police who then evacuated jockeys, race personnel, and local residents along with 60,000 spectators. Cars and coaches were locked in the course grounds, leaving some 20,000 people without their vehicles over the weekend. With limited accommodation available in the city, local residents opened their doors and took in many of those stranded. This prompted tabloid headlines such as "''We'll fight them on the Becher's''", in reference to Winston Churchill's war-time speech.BBC Sport , Other Sports , Horse Racing , Grand National 2002 , Aintree grabs the headlines
. BBC News (28 March 2002). Retrieved on 11 March 2011. The race was run 48 hours later on the Monday, with the meeting organisers offering 20,000 tickets with free admission.

Recent history (2004–present)

Red Rum's trainer

returned to the Grand National in 2004, 31 years after Red Rum's epic run-in defeat of Crisp to secure his first of three wins. McCain's

Amberleigh House Amberleigh House (24 May 1992 – 27 April 2017) was the horse that won the 2004 Grand National. Staff Amberleigh House was trained by Ginger McCain, and was usually ridden by jockey Graham Lee, amongst others. Lee rode Amberleigh House t ...

came home first, ridden by Graham Lee, overtaking Clan Royal on the final straight.

Hedgehunter Hedgehunter (born 25 January 1996) is an Irish race horse, who won the 2005 Grand National steeplechase, ridden by Ruby Walsh and trained by Willie Mullins. He had fallen at the final fence the previous year when well placed. He then finished se ...

, who would go on to win in 2005, fell at the last while leading. McCain had equalled George Dockeray and

Fred Rimell Thomas Frederic Rimell (24 June 1913 – 12 July 1981), better known as Fred Rimell, was a British champion National Hunt racing jockey and horse trainer. He was champion jockey three times and leading trainer five times. Rimell was the fi ...

's record feat of training four Grand National winners. In 2005 John Smith's took over from Martell as main sponsors of the Grand National and many of the other races at the three-day Aintree meeting for the first time. In 2006 John Smith's launched the John Smith's People's Race which gave ten members of the public the chance to ride in a flat race at Aintree on Grand National day. In total, thirty members of the public took part in the event before it was discontinued in 2010. In 2009,

Mon Mome Mon Mome is an AQPS racehorse, which won the 2009 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, run on April 4, 2009. It was ridden by Liam Treadwell and trained by Venetia Williams. He won by 12-lengths at odds of 100–1, making Mon Mom ...

became the longest-priced winner of the National for 42 years when he defied outside odds of 100/1 to win by 12 lengths. The victory was also the first for trainer

Venetia Williams Venetia Williams (born 10 May 1960) is an English racehorse trainer specialising in National Hunt racing. She is based at stables at Aramstone in Herefordshire, England. Williams was born at Scorrier House, Cornwall and began as a racehorse tra ...

, the first female trainer to triumph since

in 1995. The race was also the first National ride for

Liam Treadwell Liam Treadwell (3 January 198623 June 2020) was an English National Hunt jockey, who won over 300 races between 2009 and 2019. He won the 2009 Grand National on Mon Mome at odds of 100/1, and also won the United House Gold Cup, Byrne Group P ...

. In 2010 the National became the first horse race to be televised in high-definition in the UK. In August 2013

Crabbie's Crabbie's is a Scottish brand traditionally known for its green ginger wine and blended whiskies produced at John Crabbie & Co's extensive premises in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. That company has changed its name and its business is unr ...

was announced as the new sponsor of the Grand National. The three-year deal between the alcoholic ginger beer producer and Aintree saw the race run for a record purse of £1 million in 2014. In March 2016 it was announced that

Randox Health Randox is an international health and toxicology company in the ''in vitro'' diagnostics industry headquartered in the UK, and owned by Peter FitzGerald. The company develops diagnostic solutions for hospitals, clinical, research and molecular l ...

would take over from Crabbie's as official partners of the Grand National festival from 2017, for at least five years. The sponsorship award was controversial as Aintree's chairwoman,

Rose Paterson Rose Emily Paterson (; 13 August 1956 – 24 June 2020) was a British business executive, fundraiser, and the chairman of Aintree Racecourse. Early life Rose Emily Paterson was born on 13 August 1956 in Northumberland. She was the daughter of ...

, was married to

Owen Paterson Owen William Paterson (born 24 June 1956) is a British former politician who served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2010 to 2012 and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2012 to 2014 under Prime Minist ...

, a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

(MP) who also earns a £50,000 annual fee as a consultant for Randox. The 2020 race was not run owing to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

; in its place, a virtual race was produced using CGI technology and based on algorithms of the 40 horses most likely to have competed. The virtual race was won by Potters Corner, winner of the 2019

Welsh Grand National The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of abo ...

. (Another computer-generated virtual race was made also, whose runners were many horses who had won the Grand National in past years, each shown with its performance as at its racing prime: it i
on Youtube
Its winner was

by less than a length, having just passed Manifesto.) In December 2020 Randox Health announced they had extended their sponsorship for a further 5 years which will make them sponsors to 2026. In 2021,

Rachael Blackmore Rachael Blackmore (born 11 July 1989) is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. In 2021, she became the first female jockey to win the Grand National in the 182-year history of the race. She also became the first woman to be lea ...

became the first female jockey to win the race, on the horse Minella Times.

The course

The Grand National is run over the National Course at Aintree and consists of two laps of 16 fences, the first 14 of which are jumped twice. Horses completing the race cover a distance of , the longest of any National Hunt race in Britain. As part of a review of safety following the 2012 running of the event, from 2013 to 2015 the start was moved forward away from the crowds and grandstands, reducing the race distance by from the historical . The course has one of the longest run-ins from the final fence of any steeplechase, at . The Grand National was designed as a cross-country steeplechase when it was first officially run in 1839. The runners started at a lane on the edge of the racecourse and raced away from the course out over open countryside towards the

Leeds and Liverpool Canal The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...

. The gates, hedges, and ditches that they met along the way were flagged to provide them with the obstacles to be jumped along the way with posts and rails erected at the two points where the runners jumped a brook. The runners returned towards the racecourse by running along the edge of the canal before re-entering the course at the opposite end. The runners then ran the length of the racecourse before embarking on a second circuit before finishing in front of the stands. The majority of the race, therefore, took place not on the actual Aintree Racecourse but instead in the adjoining countryside. That countryside was incorporated into the modern course but commentators still often refer to it as "the country".

Fences

There are 16 fences on the National Course topped with spruce from the Lake District. The cores of 12 fences were rebuilt in 2012 and they are now made of a flexible plastic material which is more forgiving than the traditional wooden core fences. They are still topped with at least of spruce for the horses to knock off. Some of the jumps carry names from the history of the race. All 16 are jumped on the first lap, but on the final lap, the runners bear to the right onto the run-in for home, avoiding The Chair and the Water Jump. The following is a summary of all 16 fences on the course:About The Grand National
. Grand-national-guide.co.uk. Retrieved on 11 March 2011.Grand National Fences – Beechers Brook – The Chair
. Aintree-grand-national.net. Retrieved on 11 March 2011.Aintree Course and Fences
The Jockey Club and The Grand National. ;Fence 1 & 17 Height:
Often met at great speed, which can lead to several falls, the highest being 12 runners in 1951. The drop on the landing side was reduced after the 2011 Grand National. It was bypassed in 2019 on the final lap, after an equine casualty. ;Fence 2 & 18 Height:
Before 1888 the first two fences were located approximately halfway between the first to second and second to third jumps. The second became known as The Fan, after a

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than fo ...

who refused the obstacle three years in succession. The name fell out of favour with the relocation of the fences. ;Fence 3 & 19 – open ditch Height: ; fronted by a ditch
The first big test in the race as horses are still adapting to the obstacles. In 2022, the race was shortened to 29 fences by bypassing this fence following a fatality. ;Fence 4 & 20 Height:
A testing obstacle that often leads to falls and unseated riders. In 2011 the 20th became the first fence in Grand National history to be bypassed on the final lap, following an equine fatality. ;Fence 5 & 21 Height:
A plain obstacle which precedes the most famous fence on the course. It was bypassed on the final lap for the first time in 2012 so that medics could treat a jockey who fell from his mount on the first lap and had broken a leg. ;Fence 6 & 22 –

Height: , with the landing side to lower than the takeoff side
The drop at this fence often catches runners by surprise. Becher's has always been a popular vantage point as it can present one of the most spectacular displays of jumping when the horse and rider meet the fence right. Jockeys must sit back in their saddles and use their body weight as ballast to counter the steep drop. It takes its name from

Captain Martin Becher Martin William Becher (1797 – 12 October 1864) was a former soldier and steeplechase jockey in whose memory the Becher's Brook obstacle at Aintree Racecourse is named.

who fell there in the first Grand National and took shelter in the small brook running along the landing side of the fence while the remainder of the field thundered over. It is said that Becher later reflected: "Water tastes disgusting without the benefits of whisky." It was bypassed in 2011 along with fence 20, after an equine casualty, and again in 2018 after a jockey was attended by doctors, both occurring on the final lap. ;Fence 7 & 23 –

Height:
One of the smallest on the course, it was named in 1984 after the 1967 winner who avoided a mêlée at the fence to go on and win the race at outside odds of 100/1. ;Fence 8 & 24 –

Height:
Noted for its sharp 90-degree left turn immediately after landing. Before the

it was not uncommon for loose horses to continue straight ahead after the jump and end up in the

itself. There was once a ditch before the fence but this was filled in after a mêlée in the 1928 race. It was bypassed for the first time in 2015 on the final lap as vets arrived to treat a horse who fell on the first lap. ;Fence 9 & 25 –

Valentine's Brook Valentine's Brook is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is jumped during the Grand National steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse, located near Liverpool, England. Originally named as the Second Brook, it w ...

Height: with a brook
The fence was originally known as the Second Brook but was renamed after a horse named Valentine was reputed to have jumped the fence hind legs first in 1840. A grandstand was erected alongside the fence in the early part of the 20th century but fell into decline after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and was torn down in the 1970s. ;Fence 10 & 26 Height:
A plain obstacle that leads the runners alongside the canal towards two ditches. ;Fence 11 & 27 – open ditch Height: , with a ditch on the takeoff side ;Fence 12 & 28 – ditch Height: , with a ditch on the landing side The runners then cross the Melling Road near to the Anchor Bridge, a popular vantage point since the earliest days of the race. This also marks the point where the runners are said to be re-entering the "racecourse proper". In the early days of the race, it is thought there was an obstacle near this point known as the Table Jump, which may have resembled a bank similar to those still seen at

Punchestown Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish Nationa ...

in Ireland. In the 1840s the Melling Road was also flanked by hedges and the runners had to jump into the road and then back out of it. ;Fence 13 & 29 Height:
A plain obstacle that comes at a point when the runners are usually in a good rhythm and thus rarely causes problems. ;Fence 14 & 30 Height:
The last fence on the final lap and which has often seen very tired horses fall. Despite some tired runners falling on the 30th and appearing injured, no horse deaths have occurred at the 30th fence to date. On the first lap of the race, runners continue around the course to negotiate two fences which are only jumped once: ;Fence 15 – The Chair Height: , preceded by a 6 ft (1.83 m) wide ditch
This fence is the site of the accident that claimed the only human life in the National's history: in 1862, Joe Wynne fell here and died from his injuries, although a coroner's inquest revealed that the rider was in a gravely weakened condition through

consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...

. This brought about the ditch on the take-off side of the fence in an effort to slow the horses on approach. The fence was the location where a distance judge sat in the earliest days of the race. On the second circuit, he would record the finishing order from his position and declare any horse that had not passed him before the previous runner passed the finishing post as "distanced", meaning a non-finisher. The practice was done away with in the 1850s, but the monument where the chair stood is still there. The ground on the landing side is six inches higher than on the takeoff side, creating the opposite effect to the drop at Becher's. The fence was originally known as the Monument Jump, but "The Chair" came into more frequent use in the 1930s. Today it is one of the most popular jumps on the course for spectators. ;Fence 16 – Water Jump Height:
Originally a stone wall in the very early Nationals. The Water Jump was one of the most popular jumps on the course, presenting a great jumping spectacle for those in the stands and was always a major feature in the

newsreel A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a cinema, newsreels were a source of current affairs, inform ...

s' coverage of the race. As the newsreels made way for television in the 1960s, so, in turn, did the Water Jump fall under the shadow of its neighbour, The Chair, in popularity as an obstacle. On the final lap, after the 30th fence, the remaining runners bear right, avoiding The Chair and Water Jump, to head onto a "run-in" to the finishing post. The run-in is not perfectly straight: an "elbow" requires jockeys to make a slight right before finding themselves truly on the home straight. It is on this run-in—one of the longest in the United Kingdom at —that many potential winners have had victory snatched away, such as

in 1956, Crisp in 1973,

What's Up Boys What or WHAT may refer to: * What, an interrogative pronoun and adverb * "What?", one of the Five Ws used in journalism Film and television * ''What!'' (film) or ''The Whip and the Body'', a 1963 Italian film directed by Mario Bava * '' What ...

in 2002 and Sunnyhillboy in 2012.

Records

Leading horse: *

– 3 wins ( 1973, 1974, 1977) ---- Leading jockey: *

George Stevens George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer.Obituary '' Variety'', March 12, 1975, page 79. Films he produced were nominated for the Academy Award for ...

– 5 wins (Freetrader, 1856; Emblem 1863; Emblematic, 1864; The Colonel, 1869, 1870) ---- Leading trainers: * George Dockeray – 4 wins (

, 1839; Jerry, 1840; Gaylad, 1842; Miss Mowbray, 1852) *

– 4 wins (E.S.B., 1956; Nicolaus Silver, 1961; Gay Trip, 1970;

Rag Trade The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry. Industry process Cotton manufacturi ...

, 1976) *

– 4 wins (Red Rum, 1973, 1974, 1977;

, 2004) ---- Leading owners: *

James Octavius Machell Captain James Octavius Machell (1837–1902) was an influential figure in British horse racing during the final decades of the 19th century. He was a respected judge of horses and an astute and highly successful gambler. During a career that ...

– 3 wins (Disturbance, 1873; Reugny, 1874; Regal, 1876) * Sir Charles Assheton-Smith (previously Charles Duff) – 3 wins (Cloister, 1893, Jerry M, 1912, Covertcoat, 1913) * Noel Le Mare – 3 wins (

, 1973, 1974, 1977) *

Trevor Hemmings Trevor James Hemmings (11 June 1935 – 11 October 2021) was a British billionaire businessman. Early life Hemmings was born in Woolwich, London, the son of a Royal Ordnance factory worker father. During the Second World War, part of the Roya ...

– 3 wins (

, 2005;

Ballabriggs Ballabriggs (foaled 20 April 2001) is a retired Grand National-winning National Hunt racehorse trained by Donald McCain, Jr. in Cholmondeley, Cheshire and owned by Trevor Hemmings. Racing career Ballabriggs' racecourse debut was in a 2-mile N ...

, 2011,

Many Clouds Many Clouds (21 April 2007 – 28 January 2017) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2015 Grand National. After being sold as a foal, he was sent to England and trained for a National Hunt racing ...

, 2015) * Gigginstown House Stud – 3 wins ( Rule The World, 2016;

Tiger Roll Tiger Roll (foaled 14 March 2010) is a retired Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing and won the Grand National in 2018 and 2019. He has also won five times at the Cheltenham Festival: the Triumph Hurdle in 2014 ...

, 2018, 2019) ---- * Fastest winning time:

Mr Frisk Mr Frisk (c.1979 – September 2000) was a Thoroughbred racehorse, famous for his victory in the 1990 Grand National. He completed the course in record time of 8 minutes and 47.80 seconds, ridden by Marcus Armytage; this still stands, even ...

( 1990); 8:47.80 *Slowest winning time:

(1839); 14:53 * Oldest winning horse: Peter Simple ( 1853); aged 15 * Youngest winning horse: Alcibiade ( 1865), Regal ( 1876), Austerlitz ( 1877), Empress ( 1880), Lutteur III ( 1909); all aged five * Oldest winning jockey: Dick Saunders ( 1982); aged 48 * Youngest winning jockey:

Bruce Hobbs Bruce Robertson Hobbs (December 27, 1920 – November 22, 2005) was an English jockey and racehorse trainer. Born on Long Island, New York, Hobbs became the youngest jockey ever to ride the winner of the English Grand National when successful ...

( 1938); aged 17 * Longest odds winner:

( 1928), Gregalach ( 1929), Caughoo ( 1947),

( 1967),

( 2009); all 100/1 * Shortest odds winner: Poethlyn ( 1919); 11/4 * Largest field: 66 runners (1929) * Smallest field: 10 runners (

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

) * Most horses to finish: 23 ( 1984) * Fewest horses to finish: 2 (1928) * Most rides in the race: 21 (

Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to: Academics * Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic * Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering * Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...

, 1997-2019) * Most rides without winning: 21 (

, 1997-2019)

Winners

The following table lists the winners of the last ten Grand Nationals:

Jockeys

When the concept of the Grand National was first envisaged it was designed as a race for gentlemen riders, meaning men who were not paid to compete, and while this was written into the conditions of the early races many of the riders who weighed out for the 1839 race were professionals for hire. Throughout the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

the line between the amateur and professional sportsman existed only in terms of the rider's status, and the engagement of an amateur to ride in the race was rarely considered a handicap to a contender's chances of winning. Many gentleman riders won the race before the First World War. Although the number of amateurs remained high between the wars their ability to match their professional counterparts gradually receded. After the Second World War, it became rare for any more than four or five amateurs to take part in any given year. The last amateur rider to win the Grand National was Mr Sam Waley-Cohen in 2022 on Noble Yeats. The penultimate amateur to win the race is

Marcus Armytage Marcus Armytage orn is a journalist and former National Hunt jockey who won the Grand National as an amateur in 1990, riding Mr Frisk. He was educated at Eton College. Armytage's win in the 1990 Grand National on Mr Frisk came in a record time ...

, who set the still-standing course record of 8:47.80, when winning on

in 1990. By the 21st century, however, openings for amateur riders had become very rare with some years passing with no amateur riders at all taking part. Those that do in the modern era are most usually talented young riders who are often close to turning professional. In the past, such amateur riders would have been joined by army officers, such as David Campbell who won in 1896, and sporting aristocrats, farmers or local huntsmen and point to point riders, who usually opted to ride their own mounts. But all these genres of rider have faded out in the last quarter of a century with no riders of military rank or aristocratic title having taken a mount since 1982. The

Sex Discrimination Act 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (c. 65) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which protected men and women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marital status. The Act concerned employment, training, education, harassmen ...

made it possible for female jockeys to enter the race. The first female jockey to enter the race was Charlotte Brew on the 200/1 outsider Barony Fort in the 1977 race. The first female jockey to complete the race was Geraldine Rees on Cheers in 1982. The 21st century has not seen a significant increase in female riders but it has seen them gain rides on mounts considered to have a genuine chance of winning. In 2005, Carrie Ford finished fifth on the 8/1 second-favourite Forest Gunner. In 2012, Katie Walsh achieved what was at the time the best result yet for a female jockey, finishing third on the 8/1 joint-favourite Seabass. In 2015,

Nina Carberry Nina Carberry (born 19 July 1984) is a retired Irish female National Hunt jockey. She hails from a racing family and is the daughter of jockey Tommy Carberry. Career Carberry got her first Cheltenham Festival win in 2005 on Dabiroun in the Fred ...

became the first female jockey to take a fifth ride in the Grand National, her best placing being seventh in 2010.

became the first female jockey to win the Grand National aboard Minella Times in 2021. Professionals now hold dominance in the Grand National and better training, dietary habits and protective clothing have ensured that riders' careers last much longer and offer more opportunities to ride in the race. Of the 34 riders who have enjoyed 13 or more rides in the race, 19 had their first ride in the 20th century and 11 had careers that continued into or started in the 21st century. Despite that, a long-standing record of 19 rides in the race was set by

Tom Olliver Thomas Olliver (1812 – 7 January 1874), born Oliver or Olivere, was a steeplechase jockey and racehorse trainer who won three Grand Nationals as a rider in the 1840s and 1850s. Olliver began riding at the age of six, not uncommon for the tim ...

back in 1859 and was not equalled until 2014 by

A. P. McCoy Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...

. This has since been topped by Richard Johnson. Longevity is no guarantee of success, however, as 13 of the 34 never tasted the glory of winning the race. McCoy is the only rider to successfully remove himself from the list after winning at the 15th attempt in 2010.

set a new record of 21 failed attempts to win the race from 1997 to 2019, having finished second twice. The other 13 riders who never won or have not as yet won, having had more than 12 rides in the race are: *

Tom Scudamore Tom Scudamore (born 22 May 1982) is a third-generation British flat and steeplechase jockey. He is the son of eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore; his grandfather Michael won the Grand National on Oxo in 1959.Noel Fehily Noel Fehily (born 24 December 1975) is a retired Irish professional horse racing jockey. Throughout his professional career, he has enjoyed substantial success including the King George VI Chase and Champion Hurdle, despite enduring significant ...

(2001–2017): never in first three in 15 attempts * David Casey (1997–2015): finished third once in 15 attempts * Jeff King (1964–1980): finished third once in 15 attempts * Graham Bradley (1983–1999): finished second once in 14 attempts * Bill Parvin (1926–1939): finished second once in 14 attempts * Robert Thornton (1997–2011): never in first three in 14 attempts *

Andrew Thornton Andrew Thornton is a retired National Hunt jockey. Early life He was born on 28 October 1972 in Cleveland and schooled at Barnard Castle School in County Durham. He is not related to another English jockey, Robert Thornton. Riding career He ro ...

(1996–2016): never in first three in 14 attempts * Chris Grant (1980–1994): finished second thrice in 13 attempts * Stan Mellor (1956–1971): finished second once in 13 attempts * George Waddington (1861–1882): finished second once in 13 attempts * Walter White (1854–1869): finished second once in 13 attempts * David Nicholson (1957–1973): never in first three in 13 attempts

technically lined up for thirteen Grand Nationals without winning but the last of those was the void race of 1993, which meant that he officially competed in twelve Nationals. Many other well-known jockeys have failed to win the Grand National. These include champion jockeys such as

Terry Biddlecombe Terry Biddlecombe (2 February 1941 – 5 January 2014) was an English National Hunt racing jockey in the 1960s and 1970s. He was Champion Jockey in 1965, 1966 and 1969. Biddlecombe was born in Hartpury, Gloucester on 2 February 1941. He rode 1 ...

John Francome John Francome (born 13 December 1952) is a retired 7 time British Champion Jump Jockey. In addition to being a successful jockey, Francome was previously a racing trainer, broadcaster with Channel 4 and an author. Racing career Francome fir ...

, Stan Mellor, Jonjo O'Neill (who never finished the race) and

. Three jockeys who led over the last fence in the National but lost the race on the run-in ended up as television commentators:

(on Carrickbeg in 1963),

Norman Williamson Norman Williamson (born 16 January 1969) is a retired professional jockey in the Irish National Hunt. He was top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival in 1995 with 4 wins. These wins includes the Champion Hurdle on Alderbrook and the Cheltenham Gold ...

(on Mely Moss in 2000), and

Richard Pitman Richard Thomas Pitman (born 21 January 1943) is a retired British jump jockey who rode 427 winners in his career, including Lanzarote in the 1974 Champion Hurdle. He won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse twice, the Whitbread ...

(on Crisp in 1973). Dick Francis also never won the Grand National in 8 attempts although he did lead over the last fence on Devon Loch in the 1956 race, only for the horse to collapse under him when well in front only 40 yards from the winning post. Pitman's son Mark also led over the last fence, only to be pipped at the post when riding

Garrison Savannah The Garrison Savannah in the country of Barbados, is a horse racing venue located within the Garrison Historic Area, just outside the capital-city Bridgetown. A clockwise grass course, the Garrison Savannah is known internationally for the annual ...

in 1991. David Dick won the 1956 Grand National on E.S.B. when Devon Loch collapsed and he also holds the record for the number of clear rounds – nine times. Since 1986, any jockey making five or more clear rounds has been awarded the Aintree Clear Rounds Award.

Horse welfare

Over the years, Aintree officials have worked in conjunction with animal welfare organisations to reduce the severity of some fences and to improve veterinary facilities. In 2008, a new veterinary surgery was constructed in the stable yard which has two large treatment boxes, an X-ray unit, video endoscopy, equine solarium, and sandpit facilities. Further changes in set-up and procedure allow vets to treat horses more rapidly and in better surroundings. Those requiring more specialist care can be transported by specialist horse ambulances, under police escort, to the nearby Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital at the University of Liverpool at Leahurst. A mobile on-course X-ray machine assists in the prompt diagnosis of leg injuries when horses are pulled up, and oxygen and water are available by the final fence and finishing post.Horse Welfare
. Aintree.co.uk. Retrieved on 11 March 2011.Aintree Racecourse – Grand National Fences
. Aintree-grand-national.net. Retrieved on 11 March 2011. Five vets remain mobile on the course during the running of the race and can initiate treatment of injured fallers at the fence. Additional vets are stationed at the pull-up area, finishing post, and in the surgery. Some of the National's most challenging fences have also been modified, while still preserving them as formidable obstacles. After the 1989 Grand National, in which two horses died in incidents at

, Aintree began the most significant of its modifications to the course. The brook on the landing side of Becher's was filled in and, after the 2011 race which also saw an equine fatality at the obstacle, the incline on the landing side was levelled out and the drop on was reduced by between 4 and 5 inches (10–13 cm) to slow the runners. Other fences have also been reduced in height over the years, and the entry requirements for the race have been made stricter. Screening at the

now prevents horses from being able to see the sharp left turn and encourages jockeys to spread out along the fence, rather than take the tight left-side route. Additionally, work has been carried out to smooth the core post infrastructure of the fences with protective padding to reduce impact upon contact, and the height of the toe-boards on all fences has been increased to . These orange-coloured boards are positioned at the base of each fence and provide a clear ground line to assist horses in determining the base of the fence. Parts of the course were widened in 2009 to allow runners to bypass fences if required. This was utilised for the first time during the 2011 race as casualties at fences 4 and 6 (Becher's Brook) resulted in marshals diverting the remaining contenders around those fences on the final lap. Welfare groups have suggested a reduction in the size of the field (currently limited to a maximum of 40 horses) should be implemented. Opponents point to previous unhappy experience with smaller fields such as only 29 runners at the 1954 Grand National, only 31 runners in 1975, and a fatality each at the 1996 and 1999 Nationals despite smaller fields and the possible ramifications concerning the speed of such races in addition to recent course modifications (part of the "speed kills" argument). Some within the horseracing community, including those with notable achievements in the Grand National such as

and

, have argued that the lowering of fences and the narrowing of ditches, primarily designed to increase horse safety, has made matters worse by encouraging the runners to race faster. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Grand National saw a total of 12 horses die (half of which were at Becher's Brook); in the next 20-year period from 1990 to 2010, when modifications to the course were most significant, there were 17 equine fatalities. The 2011 and 2012 races each yielded two deaths, including one each at Becher's Brook. In 2013, when further changes were made to introduce a more flexible fence structure, there were no fatalities in the race itself although two horses died in run-up races over the same course. The animal welfare charity

League Against Cruel Sports The League Against Cruel Sports, formerly known as the League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports, is a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to stop blood sports such as fox hunting, hare and deer hunting; game bird shooting; and anim ...

counts the number of horse deaths over the three-day meeting from the year 2000 to 2013 at 40. There were no equine fatalities in the main Grand National race for seven years until 2019, when one horse died at the first fence. In 2021, one horse was euthanised after the race after suffering an injury on a flat section between fences. Two more were euthanised after suffering injuries in the 2022 event. One of the incidents came at fence 3, the other on the gallop between fences 12 and 13.

Grand National Legends

In 2009, the race sponsors John Smith's launched a poll to determine five personalities to be inducted into the inaugural ''Grand National Legends'' initiative. The winners were announced on the day of the 2010 Grand National and inscribed on commemorative plaques at Aintree. They were: *

and his record three-time winning horse

; * John Buckingham and

, the unlikely winners in 1967; *Manifesto, who holds the record for most runs in the race, eight including two victories; *

, the first woman to train the winner of the race in 1983; and *Sir

, the commentator who called home the winners of fifty Grand Nationals on radio and television from 1947 to 1997. A panel of experts also selected three additional legends: *

, the record five-time winning rider between 1856 and 1870; *Captain

Martin Becher Martin William Becher (1797 – 12 October 1864) was a former soldier and steeplechase jockey in whose memory the Becher's Brook obstacle at Aintree Racecourse is named.

, who played a major part in bringing the National to Liverpool, rode the winner of the first precursor to the National in 1836 and was the first rider to fall into the brook at the sixth fence, which forever took his name after 1839; and *Edward Topham, who was assigned the task of framing the weights for the handicap from 1847 and whose descendants played a major role in the race for the next 125 years. In 2011, nine additional legends were added: *

and Aldaniti, the winners of the 1981 Grand National; * West Tip, who ran in six consecutive Nationals and won once in 1986; *

Richard Dunwoody Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE (born 18 January 1964 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a retired British jockey in National Hunt racing. He was a three-time Champion Jockey. Racing career Dunwoody's race victories include the King George VI Cha ...

, the jockey who rode West Tip and

Miinnehoma Miinnehoma (1983 – July 2012) was an Irish bred and British trained Thoroughbred racehorse most famous for his victory in the 1994 Grand National at Aintree, ridden by Richard Dunwoody, trained by Martin Pipe and owned by Freddie Starr. ...

to victory and who competed in 14 Grand Nationals, being placed in eight; *

Brian Fletcher Brian Fletcher (18 May 1947 – 11 January 2017) was an English jockey known for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 and 1974 and for second place in 1975. He first won the Grand National at the age of 20, in 1968 ridin ...

, a jockey who won the race three times (including Red Rum's first victory in 1973, and finished second once and third three times); *

, who trained three consecutive winners of the race in the 1950s; *

, who rode in nineteen Nationals, including seventeen consecutively, and won three times, as well as finishing second three times and third once; * Count Karl Kinsky, the first international winner of the race, and at his first attempt, on board the mare Zoedone in 1883; *

Jack Anthony Jack Anthony may refer to: *Jack Anthony (hurler) (1886–1964), Kilkenny sportsperson *Jack Anthony (jockey) (1890–1954), Welsh champion jockey * Jack Anthony (musician) (born 1982), American singer-songwriter, composer and musician *Jack Anthon ...

, three-time winning jockey in 1911, 1915 and 1920; and *

Peter Bromley Peter Bromley (30 April 1929 – 3 June 2003) was BBC Radio's voice of horse racing for 40 years, and one of the most famous and recognised sports broadcasters in the United Kingdom. Early life Born at Heswall on the Wirral (then in Cheshire) ...

, the BBC radio commentator who covered 42 Nationals until his retirement in the summer of 2001. John Smith's also added five "people's legends" who were introduced on Liverpool Day, the first day of the Grand National meeting. The five were: *Arthur Ferrie, who worked as a groundsman during the 1970s and 1980s; *Edie Roche, a Melling Road resident, who opened her home to jockeys, spectators and members of the media when the course was evacuated following a bomb threat in 1997; *Ian Stewart, a fan who had travelled from Coventry every year to watch the race and was attending his fiftieth National in 2010; *Police Constable Ken Lawson, who was celebrating thirty-one years of service in the mounted section of Merseyside Police and was set to escort his third National winner in 2010; and *Tony Roberts, whose first visit to the National had been in 1948 and who had steadily spread the word to family and friends about the race, regularly bringing a party of up to thirty people to the course. A public vote announced at the 2012 Grand National saw five more additions to the Legends hall: *

Fred Winter Frederick Thomas Winter, (20 September 1926 – 5 April 2004) was a British National Hunt racing racehorse jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Jockey four times and British jump racing Champion Trainer eight times. He is th ...

, who rode two National winners and trained two more; *

Carl Llewellyn Carl Llewellyn (born 29 July 1965) is an assistant racehorse trainer to Nigel Twiston-Davies and a retired Welsh professional National Hunt jockey. Llewellyn won the Grand National on two occasions along with the Welsh Grand National and Scottish ...

, jockey who won two Nationals, on

Party Politics A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

in 1992 and

Earth Summit The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992. Earth Su ...

in 1998, the latter being the only horse to have won the Grand National and the Scottish and Welsh Nationals; *

, the trainer of four different National winning horses, including Nicolaus Silver, one of only three greys to have won the race; *

Michael Scudamore Michael Scudamore (17 July 1932 – 7 July 2014) was an English National Hunt racing jockey in the 1950s and 1960s. He rode in 16 consecutive Grand Nationals, with one win on Oxo in 1959. He also rode Linwell, the winner of the 1957 Gold Cup ...

, rider in sixteen consecutive Grand Nationals from 1951, finishing first in 1959 and also achieving a second and a third-place; *

Tommy Carberry Tommy Carberry (15 September 1941 – 12 July 2017) was a Irish jockey who rode mostly in National Hunt races. He was Irish jump racing Champion Jockey four times. He is best known for winning the 1975 Grand National on L'Escargot. He rode a to ...

, the jockey who stopped Red Rum's attempt at a third success in 1975 by winning on L'Escargot, also finished second and third before going on to train the winner in 1999. The selection panel also inducted three more competitors: *Tommy Pickernell, who rode in seventeen Grand Nationals in the 19th century and won three. He allegedly turned down a substantial bribe during the 1860 race from the second-placed jockey and instead rode on to win; * Battleship, the only horse to have won both the Grand National and the

American Grand National The Grand National Hurdle Stakes is an American National Steeplechase Association sanctioned steeplechase race run each fall at Far Hills, New Jersey. It is a Grade 1 event run over miles. It has been known by a variety of names over the years, i ...

, and his jockey

, who remains the youngest jockey to win the Aintree race; *George Dockeray, who alongside Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell trained four National winners, starting with

in the first official Grand National in 1839.

Sponsorship

Since 1984 it has been sponsored by 5 different companies.

Notes

Favourites

In the 70 races of the post-war era (excluding the void race in 1993), the favourite or joint-favourite have only won the race ten times (in 1950, 1960, 1973, 1982, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2019) and have failed to complete the course in 37 Nationals.

Mares

Since its inception, 13

s have won the race, most recently in 1951:2009_pages
''www.aintree.co.uk'' * Charity (1841) * Miss Mowbray (1852) * Anatis (1860) * Jealousy (1861) * Emblem (1863) * Emblematic (1864) * Casse Tete (1872) * Empress (1880) * Zoedone (1883) * Frigate (1889) * Shannon Lass (1902) * Sheila's Cottage (1948) * Nickel Coin (1951)

Greys

Three

grey Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...

s have won: *The Lamb (1868, 1871) *Nicolaus Silver (1961) *

Neptune Collonges Neptune Collonges (foaled on 25 April 2001) is a retired AQPS racehorse. He was bred in France as an AQPS (a selle-français warmblood with predominantly thoroughbred parents) and trained in Great Britain. His most noted success came when win ...

( 2012)

Female jockeys

Since 1977, women have ridden in 24 Grand Nationals. Geraldine Rees became the first to complete the course, in 1982. In 2012 Katie Walsh became the first female jockey to earn a placed finish in the race, finishing third. Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win in 2021.

International winners

* Two French-trained horses have won the Grand National: Huntsman (1862) and Cortolvin (1867). Six other winners were bred in France — Alcibiade (1865), Reugny (1874), Lutteur III (1909),

( 2009),

( 2012), and

Pineau De Re Pineau de Re (foaled 8 May 2003) is a French-bred, British-trained AQPS racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Grand National. Background Pineau de Re is a bay gelding with no white markings bred in France by Michel Hardy. His sire Marres ...

( 2014). * In 1923, Sergeant Murphy became the first U.S.-bred horse to win the race. He is also the joint-second oldest horse to win, at age 13, alongside Why Not (1884). The U.S.-bred Battleship, son of the famous

Man o' War Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and t ...

, became the first (and so far only) horse to have won both the Grand National (in 1938) and the

(which he won four years earlier). Both Jay Trump (1965) and Ben Nevis II (1980) won the

Maryland Hunt Cup The Maryland Hunt Cup is a Timber race, which is an American Steeplechase. It was first run on May 26 1894 and won by Johnny Miller. Eight horses have won the race three times but no horse has won it four times. It is considered one of the most ...

before winning the Grand National. * Jockey William Watkinson recorded the first riding success for Australia in 1926. He was killed at Bogside, Scotland, less than three weeks after winning the National. * 1991 was the seventh and final year that the Grand National was sponsored by

. Aptly, the race was won by a horse named Seagram, bred in New Zealand. 1997 saw another New Zealand-bred winner in Lord Gyllene. * Count Karl Kinsky recorded the first riding success for Austria when he won the 1883 Grand National while riding his own horse Zoedone.

Other British winners

* The only Welsh-trained horse to win was Kirkland in 1905. *

Rubstic Rubstic (1969-1995) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. Rubstic was owned by the former Scottish international rugby player John Douglas. He became the first Scottish-trained horse to win the Grand ...

, trained by John Leadbetter in Roxburghshire, became the first Scottish-trained winner, with victory in 1979. The only other Scottish winner was One For Arthur in 2017.

Irish winners

* Irish-trained horses have enjoyed by far the most success of international participants, with 18 winners since 1900, including ten since 1999:

Famous owners

The 1900 winner Ambush II was owned by HRH Prince of Wales, later to become

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

. In 1950

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...

had her first runner in the race in Monaveen, who finished fifth. Six years later she would witness her

collapse on the run-in, just yards from a certain victory. The favourite for the 1968 race, Different Class, was owned by actor Gregory Peck. The 1963 winner Ayala and the 1976 winner

were both part-owned by celebrity hairdresser

Raymond Bessone Peter Carlo Bessone Raymond (born Raimondo Pietro Carlo Bessone; 11 May 1911 – 17 April 1992), known as Raymond Bessone and also as Mr Teasy-Weasy, Teasie Weasie Raymond and various combinations of these, was a British hairdresser from the 19 ...

. 1994 winner

was owned by comedian

Freddie Starr Freddie Starr (born Frederick Leslie Fowell; 9 January 1943 – 9 May 2019) was an English stand up comedian, impressionist, singer and actor. Starr was the lead singer of Merseybeat rock and roll group the Midniters during the early 1960s, an ...

. What A Friend ran in 2011 and 2013 when part-owned by Alex Ferguson, the former manager of Manchester United.

References

* Racing Post: **, , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , , , , , , ** *

Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by t ...

: *
2017
Notes Sources
Winners 1886–present

Aintree Grand National
on horseracinghistory.co.uk
Grand National – Aintree
om pedigreequery.com

on tbheritage.com
grandnational.org.uk Grand National Reviews
on GrandNational.org
The Grand National Official Site
on thejockeyclub.co.uk

External links

Aintree Grand National Stats and Trends

BBC history of Grand NationalFilm footage of the 1967 Grand National great pile up
{{coord, 53, 28, 37, N, 2, 56, 30, W, type:landmark_scale:10000_region:GB, display=title National Hunt races in Great Britain Aintree Racecourse National Hunt chases Sport in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton Tourist attractions in Liverpool Recurring sporting events established in 1839 Annual sporting events in the United Kingdom 1839 establishments in England April sporting events