AINTREE RACECOURSE GUIDE

Aintree racecourse, on the outskirts of Liverpool, showcases National Hunt racing over hurdles and fences only and is most famous as the home of the Grand National, which was first run in 1839 and is the longest jumps race in Britain. The track has two courses – the National course with its famous spruce fences and the smaller Mildmay course that has regulation fences and is used for most races. Aintree racecourse is a typical flat track with sharp left-handed bends at either end of the track.

Aintree is renowned for its spruce fences, iconically used in the Grand National. The Grand National fences have become famous in their own right, mainly due to how difficult they are to tackle. However, these fences are also used for other top-class chases such as the Topham Chase (formerly known as the John Hughes Trophy Chase), the Fox Hunters’ Chase at the Grand National meeting, the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase and the Becher Chase.

Having once been a rundown racecourse that could have been lost forever, Aintree is now owned by the Jockey Club and has had the investment to bring its facilities up to the level expected of the host venue of the sport’s biggest race. The three-day Aintree Grand National Festival sees 150,000 spectators in attendance and is one of the biggest National Hunt festivals either side of the Irish sea. However, Aintree plays host to a number of other race meetings each year including a handful of other high-profile races.

The Grand National

This marathon steeplechase, run over four miles and two and a half furlongs, is run on the Saturday proceeding Easter weekend each year in April and is one of the highlights of the jumps calendar. The Grand National attracts a huge television audience and crowds in excess of 70,000 every year.

The Grand National course is regarded as one of the most challenging in jump racing, with its 16 fences including renowned obstacles such as Becher’s Brook, The Chair, Foinavon, Valentine’s and the Canal Turn. See our full Grand National fences guide for an in-depth breakdown of the obstacles facing the runners and riders.

The Melling Chase

The three-day Grand National meeting also features a string of other high-class races. On the opening Thursday, the 2m4f Grade 1 Melling Chase takes centre stage. The race often attracts runners from the previous month’s Cheltenham Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase, including some of the best chasers in the country such as Sprinter Sacre and Min. Among the star studded honour roll is Don Cossack, who won the race in 2015 before landing the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following year.

The Betway Bowl

The feature race on the Friday of the Aintree Festival, is the 3m1f Grade 1 Betway Bowl. The race typically attracts those who run in the previous month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and has been won by some of the best staying chasers around. The likes of Silviniaco Conti and Cue Card feature among the recent winners, having contested the Gold Cup as does dual King George VI Chase winner Clan Des Obeaux, who scored in impressive fashion last year.

The Many Clouds Chase

The Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase is a winter highlight for Aintree in early December. Once a Listed contest, the race was renamed and promoted to Grade 2 to honour the late Many Clouds, the popular chaser who won the 2016 running and the 2015 Grand National Chase.