The Aintree Grand National Festival,
which takes place annually in early April, of course revolves around
the most famous horse race in the world, the Grand National itself.
However, the three-day festival also includes a total of ten Grade
One, or “championship” races, at varying distances over hurdles
and fences. The Aintree Grand National Festival comes hot on the
heels of the Cheltenham Festival, in mid-March, so participants have
little time to recover from their exertions at Prestbury Park.
Day One
Day one, unsurprisingly christened
“Grand Opening Day”, is a little less formal than days two and
three, but nevertheless features four Grade One races and the
Foxhunters’ Chase, which gives spectators their first glimpse of
the celebrated National Course. In terms of quality, though, the
Betway Bowl Chase – run over 3 miles 1 furlong on the Mildmay
Course and one of just four races of its kind in Britain – is the
highlight of day one. Inaugurated, in 1984, as a consolation race for
the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Betway Bowl was promoted to Grade One
status in 2010.
Day Two
Day two, a.k.a. “Ladies’ Day”,
features three more Grade One races, including the Melling Chase,
which has been won in recent years by such luminaries as Master
Minded, Sprinter Sacre and Don Cossack, and the second race of the
week over the Grand National fences, the Topham Chase. As the name
suggests, Ladies’ Day is also a major social occasion on
Merseyside, drawing thousands of glamorous ladies seeking to
demonstrate their fashion sense and, perhaps, win the coveted style
award for best-dressed female.
Day Three
Day three, or “Grand National Day”,
opens with three consecutive Grade One races, which are high-quality
events in their own right, but also serve as hors d’oeuvres for the
mouthwatering entrée that is the Grand National. Run over 4 miles 3½
furlongs and 16 unique spruce fences, all bar two of which are jumped
twice, the Grand National presents an incomparable test for horse and
rider. Many winning horses, jockeys and trainers and even some of the
fences – Becher’s Brook, The Canal Turn and The Chair, to name
but three – have become household names. The most famous Grand
National horse, though, was Red Rum, who won the race in 1973, 1974
and 1977, as well as finishing second in 1975 and 1976.
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