Grand National Festival Races, Format & History

A Complete History of the Grand National Festival

In the world of horse racing there are certain events which truly transcend the sport, attracting the attention of even those sections of the general public who wouldn’t generally consider themselves to be racing fans. Such events feature on the front and back of the newspapers and they are few and far between.

The Cheltenham Festival does this to some degree, as does the Epsom Derby. Dwarfing them all though is the racing and betting titan that is the Aintree Grand National. Quite simply the most famous horse race in the world, bar none.

It’s not all about the big one at Aintree in April though, with the headline act benefitting from a full three days of supporting action, including no fewer than 11 Grade 1 events. Here we run through the chronology of this great race and the festival which has grown around it.

1836 – The First National?

Depending upon whose interpretation of the history books you consult, the year 1836 either does, or doesn’t, mark the very first edition of the Grand National. What is certain is that there was a marathon steeplechase which took place in the Merseyside area in this year. The dispute centres upon whether the race was held at Aintree or nearby Maghull.

The winner of this 1836 event was a runner by the name of The Duke, who then promptly confirmed his liking for the venue – whether that was Aintree or Maghull! – when following up in 1837.

1839 – It’s A Lottery: The First Recognised National

The general consensus amongst most historians is that the first Grand National proper was actually run at Aintree in 1839. Given the big field and large luck element historically associated with the National, the first winner could hardly have been more aptly named, going, as he did, by the name of Lottery!

The course as a whole differed markedly from the layout we know and love today, featuring a large ploughed field, natural brooks and a stone wall to be jumped. Try getting a stone wall past health and safety these days! There was however one obstacle in evidence which still exists – Becher’s Brook. It is in fact from that inaugural running of the race that this most famous of fences gained its name.

Coming down at the fence in that 1839 event, a horse by the name of Conrad deposited his jockey – one Captain Martin Becher – straight into the brook. Fearful of being trampled by the remainder of the field, the Captain hid in the brook until the danger had passed and etched his name into racing folklore.

1843 – Handicapping The Field

The next key step in the development of what was to become the biggest horse race in the world came in 1843. This was the year in which the conditions of the race moved from being a weight for age affair to a traditional handicap, with the weights being determined by the perceived ability of the runners.

The man behind this major shift was a certain Mr Edward William Topham. A prominent handicapper at the time, Mr Topham’s name now lives on through the Topham Chase which is held on the second day of this meeting.

1916-18 – The War Nationals

The First World War did interfere with the Grand National, but it didn’t manage to halt it completely. Aintree racecourse itself was out of action at the time, but the course at Gatwick – on the site that is now Gatwick airport – was remodelled to resemble the Merseyside venue and staged the race between 1916 and 1918.

1927 – All Ears For The National

It would be another 33 years until pictures of the Aintree spectacular were beamed into homes around the country, but 1927 marked the year when those not at the track were brought a little closer to the action via the first radio broadcast of the race.

1928 – They All Fall Down

“You’ll only win if all the others all fall down!”. They were the words of encouragement issued to jockey William Dutton on the day before the 1928 National. A sign of the level of confidence behind his mount Tipperary Tim. Sure enough the other 41 runners did indeed all fall down, as Tipperary Tim came home alone at odds of 100/1.

1941-45 – National Defence

The second World War marks the only significant break in the history of the Grand National. No race was held between the years of 1941 and 1945 due to the track being used in the country’s defensive effort.

1949 – First Edition Of The Topham Chase

Held over the Grand National fences but over the significantly shorter trip of 2m5f, this Grade 3 handicap contest is one of the big highlights of Day 2 at this meeting.

Interestingly, no Topham winner (as of 2019) has ever returned to Aintree to land the big one itself. The jump in distance is clearly a significant reason for that and in fact very few Topham horses even attempt the National.

1954 – Maghull Makes Its Debut

Of the 11 Grade 1s on offer at this meeting – only Cheltenham boasts more – the first to enter the fray was this two-mile event for the Novice Chasers. The race has been won by a number of real top-notch horses over the years – none better than 2012 champ Sprinter Sacre, the third highest rated chaser of all time according to Timeform.

1956 – Devon Disaster

Throughout her life The Queen Mother was perhaps the Royal who most loved her racing, particularly the National Hunt game. In 1956 her Royal Highness looked all set to land the biggest prize of them all, as Dick Francis drove her horse Devon Loch five lengths clear on the run to the line. Nothing could stop Devon Loch now. Could it?

It turns out that the horse had his own ideas as to exactly how he would enter racing folklore. Rather than simply win the race, the bay gelding instead opted to execute what can only be described as a belly flop 40 yards from the line. With Francis unable to recover the momentum, E.S.B. swept past for the win. Check out the footage, it really is quite remarkable.

1960 – A Global Audience

1960 marked the year when the Grand National made its TV debut. Now broadcast to an estimated 500-600 million viewers in over 140 different countries, the race is one of the most watched sporting events on the planet.

1960 – First Anniversary

The next Grade 1 to join the Aintree party also came in 1960, with the first ever edition of the 4-Y-O Anniversary Hurdle. Introduced as an event for the most promising hurdlers in the game, the race has certainly lived up to that billing, with previous winners, Katchit, Hors La Loi III and Binocular all going on to land the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

1967 – Foinavon

The 121st edition of the National in 1967 saw one of the most famous incidents in the race’s history. The 23rd fence may be the smallest on the course, but that didn’t prevent it from becoming the scene of utter chaos when the rider-less Popham Down veered right across the field in front of the fence, practically bringing every runner to a standstill. All bar a runner by the name of Foinavon that is…

A 100/1 outsider for the race, Foinavon was, perhaps predictably, a little way behind the field as the carnage developed. It all worked to his benefit though, as without breaking stride he managed to spot a gap and become the only runner to jump the fence at the first time of asking. By the time the other jockeys had regathered their mounts, Foinavon was away and gone, eventually coming home a 15-length winner. 17 years later in 1984 the fence was officially renamed in his honour.

1974 – Inaugural Liverpool Hurdle

The 1970s marked the decade when this meeting really began to grow, with the introduction of no fewer than four Grade 1 events. First up was this staying contest over 3m½f. One of the standout contests of the week, the race regularly attracts the main contenders from the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Big Buck’s dominated both contests for a prolonged period and won four Liverpool Hurdles in a row between 2009 and 2012.

1976 – Aintree Hurdle Makes Its Bow

In terms of class of winner at this meeting, this 2m4f event may well come top of the pile – at least when it comes to the hurdling division. Legends such as Night Nurse, Morley Street, Dawn Run and Istabraq all feature on the roll of honour, with Buveur d’Air and Annie Power winning in more recent years.

1976 – Top Addition To The Meeting

Run over the same distance, and attracting the same type of runner as the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Top Novice’s Hurdle is effectively Aintree’s version of the Cheltenham Festival opener. Upgraded to a Grade 1 in 2016, that year’s race was promptly landed by future dual Champion Hurdler, Buveur d’Air.

1977 – Red Rum Makes It Three

There are many Grand Nationals which live long in the memory, and bear repeated viewing, but there are surely none to have been relived quite so frequently as the 1977 edition.

Already having secured his place in both the nation’s heart and racing folklore with back to back successes in the 1973 and 1974 renewals of the Grand National, Red Rum then finished a gallant second in both 1975 and 1976. Returning at the grand old age of 12 in 1977, one of the most popular horses of all time turned back the clock to storm up the hill and become the first – and so far only – horse to win the big race three times. That may, of course, change in 2020, of which more later.

1977 – First Mersey Novices’ Hurdle

Those Novice Hurdlers who require a sterner test of stamina than that offered by the Top Novices’ Hurdle were also first catered for in the year of Red Rum’s historic success. Held over a 2m4f trip, the race counts the King George winner Wayward Lad, and Gold Cup king Best Mate amongst its previous winners.

1977 – Ladies First

1977 was a busy year for the Grand National meeting as it also marked the first time a female jockey took part in the feature race. The National was generally perceived to be such a physical test and so dangerous that in less enlightened times it was certainly thought to be no place for a woman!

Charlotte Brew was the person making history and Barony Fort was the horse. Sadly things didn’t go to plan and the duo didn’t finish the race. Brew returned in 1982 on board Martinstown but was unseated, yielding the same result.

1981 – Just Champion For Bob And Aldaniti

Possibly the most heart-warming story in the entire history of this great race came in 1981, in one of the greatest sporting tales of triumph over adversity. Always a promising chaser, Aldaniti’s career looked to be over in 1976 due to chronic leg issues, whilst jockey Bob Champion faced an altogether more serious battle when diagnosed with cancer in 1979.

That Champion and Aldaniti even lined up together at the start of the 1981 renewal was something of a miracle. The fact that they then went on to win the world’s greatest steeplechase was the stuff of Hollywood, and did in fact make it to the big screen with the release of the movie Champions in 1984.

1981 – Mildmay Enters The Fray

The Mildmay Novices Chase for the fledgling staying chasers has been graced by a number of future stars since its 1981 debut, including dual King George winner Silviniaco Conti and Gold Cup champ Native River.

1982 – Cheers!

This year Geraldine Rees and her mount Cheers made history, Rees becoming the first woman to finish the Grand National.

1983 – Jenny The First Lady Of Aintree

It took just under 150 years, but 1983 marked the year when a female trainer finally sent out the Grand National winner. Corbiere was the horse, and Jenny Pitman the trainer – and just to prove there was no fluke about it, Pitman repeated the feat in 1995 with Royal Athlete.

1984 – First Edition of The Aintree Bowl

The Grand National may be by some way the most famous chase contest at this meeting, but it isn’t the classiest. That honour belongs to this Grade 1 event held over 3m1f

Won by the legendary Desert Orchid in 1988, other greats such as Florida Pearl, Wayward Lad, Silviniaco Conti and Cue Card have entered the winner’s enclosure over the years. The race finally attained a deserved Grade 1 status in 2010 and offers well over £100,000 to winning connections.

1988 – Sefton Joins The Show

1988 saw a further expansion to the top-class Novice Hurdle programme at the meeting with the introduction of the Grade 1 Sefton Novices Hurdle. Held over 3m½f the event aims to provide a target for those inexperienced hurdlers who boast stamina as their forte.

1991 – Melling Chase Makes Debut

Named after the town of Melling – which also lends its name to the famous road which crosses the racecourse – this 2m4f Grade 1 Chase regularly attracts a high-class field featuring runners from both the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Blazing Walker blazed to glory in the inaugural running but since then we have seen a higher class of winner, with Moscow Flyer, Voy Por Ustedes, Master Minded and Sprinter Sacre all claiming this one.

1993 – Esha Ness And The Race That Never Was

The most embarrassing moment in the history of the Grand National came in 1993 when – with the world watching – the officials failed to correctly enforce a false start, resulting in 30 of the 39 runners taking the first fence and carrying on regardless.

Reality dawned on the majority of the field eventually, but seven horses did go on to complete the full course – Esha Ness coming home in front in what would have been the second fastest time in Grand National history. Esha Ness’s name does not appear in the record books though, as the race was declared void.

1997 – Monday National

From the most farcical National in history to one of the most genuinely scary editions. Just under an hour before the official start time, two separate bomb threats were issued by the IRA stating there was an explosive device at the course. With the threat believed to be genuine there was little option but to evacuate 60,000 spectators from the track and postpone the race.

In an act of defiance the show still went on, albeit two days later on the Monday, with 20,000 turning up to watch Lord Gyllene romp to victory.

2009 – A New Manifesto

The most recent Grade 1 to be added to the festival is the 2m4f Manifesto Novices Chase. Named in honour of a two-time Grand National winner, the race was initially a Grade 2 affair before being upgraded to the top level in 2012.

2010 – 15th Time Lucky for AP

AP McCoy had won just about every big race going but for a long, long time, the Grand National evaded the man from County Antrim. Finally, in 2010, at the 15th attempt, the great jockey managed to taste Grand National success, riding Don’t Push It for JP McManus.

2012 – Walsh Makes the Podium but Wait for a Woman to Win Goes on

At the time of writing (ahead of the 2020 renewal) a woman is yet to ride a horse to Grand National victory. Katie Walsh, daughter of Ted and sister of Ruby, came closest in 2012 at her first attempt. She has ridden in the National five times now but has not bettered her try on board Seabass.

2012 – Big Buck’s Makes It Four

As far as achievements outside of the big race at this meeting go, the exploits of the Paul Nicholls star Big Buck’s are tough to beat. Widely recognised as the greatest staying hurdler in history, Big Buck’s won a record 18 consecutive races, including, as said, four editions of the Liverpool Hurdle between 2009 and 2012.

2014 – The £1million Race

As one of the most prestigious and well-known contests in the sport, the Grand National has never really scrimped when it comes to monetary reward. Having steadily increased over the years, 2014 marked the watershed moment when the total prize money on offer surpassed the £1million mark.

2019 – Tiger Triumphs Again

Tiger Roll had won the 2018 Grand National in fine style, Davy Russel giving the 10/1 shot a magnificent ride. That year they had won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase and when Tiger Roll made the 2019 edition of the Cheltenham roller coaster look like a procession, many fancied him strongly for a National repeat as well.

Sent off at odds of just 4/1, everyone knew Tiger Roll was a class act but few thought such short odds could be justified. Russel and this brilliant little horse proved otherwise, making it look all too easy once again. Tiger Roll became the first winning favourite since 2008 and the first horse since Red Rum back in 1974 to retain his crown. Will this son of Authorized be back for thirds in 2020? We certainly hope so!