2021 Grand National at Aintree to go ahead as planned, Jockey Club confirms

The Randox Grand National will go ahead as planned on Saturday after the BHA and the Jockey Club confirmed the meeting would not be postponed following the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh on Friday.

Confirming racing would go ahead, the Jockey Club, owner of Aintree, said: "Jockey Club Racecourses has held discussions with the British Horseracing Authority regarding the staging of Randox Grand National day tomorrow at Aintree racecourse. Following consultation with government, we can confirm it will go ahead on Saturday.

"Following the sad news of the death of The Duke of Edinburgh a two-minute silence will be held on course ahead of the 173rd Grand National, jockeys will be invited to wear black armbands and flags will be flown at half-mast at the racecourse."

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, dies aged 99

Terrestrial television coverage of Friday's racing at Aintree was switched to ITV4 from the main channel following Prince Philip's death, but the Jockey Club added the fixture would remain on ITV on Saturday.

"ITV will broadcast its coverage of Randox Grand National day on its main channel as scheduled," it said in a statement.

As well as the four-hour broadcast from Aintree on Saturday, ITV Racing confirmed the Virtual Grand National, which was watched by nearly five million people last year after the main event was cancelled due to Covid-19, would be broadcast at 8pm on ITV4 on Friday, with a re-run being shown at 1pm on the same channel on Saturday.

"The Randox Grand National will remain on the main channel on Saturday, April 10 from 2-6.15pm as scheduled," a spokeswoman for ITV Racing said.

Prince Philip: seven decades at the Queen's side at the Derby and Royal Ascot

Prince Philip, who died at Windsor Castle aged 99, was an honorary member of the Jockey Club, whose patron is the Queen, a passionate and long-standing owner-breeder in British racing.

Racing continued following the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 2002. Jockeys at Aintree wore black armbands on Friday while flags were flown at half-mast and a two-minute silence was also held.

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