You can now listen to Antigua News articles!
by Mick the Ram
Arguably the most exciting horse race in the world takes place on Saturday 13 April with the 176th running of the Grand National Steeplechase, at the Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool.
It will be broadcast to over 140 countries, capturing the attention of millions of viewers worldwide, making it one of the most-watched horse races on the planet.
The astonishing spectacle is one of the UK’s premier annual sporting occasions and is contested over a gruelling 4 miles, 2.5 furlongs. In recent years the race has had a limit of 40 runners, but this number has been reduced to 34 this year in a bid to improve animal welfare.
That is one of 5 major changes that have been brought in which also includes moving the first fence closer to the start line and making it a standing start, designed to stop the field arriving at the first too fast, and avoid horses being brought down unnecessarily.
There is an mammoth £1m up for grabs, with more than half that sum going to the winner. The race was won last year by Corach Rambler who is pre-race favourite to retain his crown.
Unique test
The race is one of a unique test of horsemanship for the jockey and a test of a stamina and agility for the horse.
The £1 million prize money is divided amongst the top ten finishers, although only the top three receive what might be described as significant amounts, with the winning owner scooping a cool £561,300; the runner-up gallops off with £211,100 and third place collects a tidy £105,500.
Demanding course
The horses have to negotiate 30 obstacles when completing two circuits of the celebrated old course. They are made from Sitka spruce or Norway spruce and take around three weeks to construct.
There are actually only 16 fences of which 14 are jumped twice. Two are tackled only once, these being the biggest fence of all – The Chair, and the Water Jump. What makes these fences so special is their drop, with the landing side being lower than the take off side, which is a unique test of both jockey and horse.
Having slogged around course twice and made it over all the jumps, the closing stages then very often becomes the downfall of many, with a demanding 494 yard run to the finishing line.
Other than The Chair – which actually is the exception to the rule of all the other fences in that its landing side is higher than the take off – there are also several very famous fences, including: Becher’s Brook, Valentine’s Brook, The Canal Turn, and the Foinavon Fence – named after a 100/1 shot who avoided a calamitous pile-up in 1967 and went on to win the race.
Changes introduced
The 2023 race was disrupted by protesters who got onto the course causing a 14 minute delay. One horse was fatally injured at the first fence last year and the delay is thought to have contributed with five fallers at that obstacle.
This has prompted 5 significant changes to this year’s race. As well as the reduction in horse numbers to 34 and alterations at the start and first fence, the actual starting time has been brought forward by 75 minutes to 4pm. There will also be no parade in front of the stands as it is thought this tradition can be unsettling to many of the field.
Notable races from past
The first official running of the Grand National was in 1839 and won by a horse called Lottery – quite fitting in some ways as very often that is what the race becomes. In the last 50 years there have been some very memorable races, with possibly the 1977 standing out above all others. That was Red Rum’s record breaking third victory after successes in 1973 and 1974. He also was runner- up in the 1975 and 1976, making him rightly regarded as the National’s greatest of all time.
In 1981 a horse called Aldaniti won after recovering from what was believed to be a career-ending injury, ridden by jockey Bob Champion who himself had only just recovered from cancer. It was later made into a blockbuster movie.
In 1993 the race had to be declared void after a second false start was not heard by half of the jockeys who went on to complete a full circuit of the track. Four years later on what should have been the 150th running of the race, another bizarre story unfolded when a bomb scare meant that the course had to be evacuated. The race was postponed until the following Monday.
Trends to spot
There are some key trends to look out for when trying to pick a winner of the Grand National. Seven of the last eight successful horses have been aged 8 or 9 and every one of them bar one had run at least 10 times over fences.
All but one of the last 30 winners have raced within the previous 55 days and where experience used to be thought to be advantageous, that trend seems to be dying out as 13 of the last 15 winners were having their first run in the race.
Irish-bred horses seem to have a liking for the National with 19 of the last 24 coming from across the water. The course does not seem to be a favourite for mares, with the last winner coming all the way back in 1951.
Plenty in with a shout at winning
Although installed as favourite, last year’s winner, Corach Rambler is likely to find it tougher this time around, but that is not to say he is without a chance. The horse who chased him home in 2023, Vanillier, has received a lot of support to turn the tables and others such as: I Am Maximus and Meetingofthewaters are also strongly fancied.
Mr Incredible was travelling really well on the second circuit last time, but unluckily his saddle slipped and unseated his jockey and he is attracting plenty of betting activity for this year’s race and is high on some expert tipsters prediction lists.
It is possible to make a case for more than half the runners in the race, with the likes of Mahler Mission, Kitty’s Light, Delta Work and 2022 winner Noble Yeats all in with a genuine shout; however given the unpredictability of the Grand National, any of the entries could cross the line first.
0 Comments