70,000 crowd expected again as Grand National returns to £1m prize-money mark

Aintree signalled on Wednesday that racing is slowly heading back to normal by revealing that the Randox Grand National is returning to its pre-pandemic value of £1 million.

It has also reintroduced the traditional weights ceremony and reported that ticket sales are booming for a race that will be run in front of a crowd for the first time since 2019.

The National was worth £750,000 when it was won by Rachael Blackmore on Minella Times last April but will have a seven-figure purse this year and Jockey Club north-west regional director Dickon White said: "We're delighted that we're putting the race back to £1m with Randox's support.

The weights for the Grand National have been unveiled at a special ceremony since 1977Credit: Aintree racecourse

"The prize-money level across the three days is incredibly important to us. We want to reward the best horses to come and run at Aintree."

A full house of 70,000 is expected on April 9 for a race that was run behind closed doors last year and not staged at all in 2020.

"The demand for admission tickets and for hospitality is higher than it's ever been before," White said. "That is possibly in part down to the Rachael Blackmore factor, after her win last year.

Rachael Blackmore makes history on 11-1 Minella Times in 2021 Grand National

"We're really thrilled with the interest in people coming to attend and we're planning towards a full crowd but we are in constant discussions with our local authority and our director of public health about the Covid situation in and around Merseyside. We'll ensure we have the protocols in place to deliver what's required."

The weights for the 2021 National were revealed from Aintree via Racing TV but will be unveiled this year at a ceremony at the Rum Warehouse in Liverpool on February 15.

White said: "We are planning for an event but are very aware that if the situation changes and additional restrictions are put in place, we will change plans.

"But the event is incredibly important for the Randox Grand National. It's been a big part of the promotion of the event. Over the last 20 or 25 years the horsemen have become really engaged with the whole three days at Aintree and this is an integral part of it.

Dickon White: 'We are planning for an event but are very aware that if the situation changes and additional restrictions are put in place, we will change plans'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"The Rum Warehouse is one of the great event spaces we have in Liverpool since it was capital of culture in 2008. We're looking to run an event of a similar size to those we have historically but it's a large room and we'll social distance people as best we can."

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