Aintree Racecourse

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UK Racecourse
Aintree
Aintree Racecourse Logo
Official site
Location	Aintree, Merseyside
Owned by	The Jockey Club
Date opened	July 7, 1829
Screened on	Racing UK
Course type	National Hunt
Notable Races	Grand National
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Aintree Racecourse is a British horse racing venue in Aintree, Liverpool, on Merseyside.

1 The Course
2 The Grand National
3 Other Events
4 In the News
5 External Links

[edit] The Course

The course is home to the world-renowned Grand National steeplechase, prior to the event being held at Aintree, the race was ran in the nearby town of Maghull. It is regarded as one of the most difficult of all courses to successfully complete, with 16 steeplechase fences including The Chair, Canal Turn and Becher's Brook; these being so infamous that even the names of these fences strike fear into the most professional of jockeys. All fences bar the water jump are covered with spruce unlike any other course in British national hunt racing. Four other races take place over the National fences. These are the Topham Chase (formerly known as the John Hughes Trophy Chase) and the Fox Hunters' Chase at the Grand National meeting and the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase and Becher Handicap Chase in the November meeting. Within the large National course there is also the smaller Mildmay course containing hurdles and fences. These fences are made of traditional national hunt material. The only fence common to the National and Mildmay courses is the water jump.

[edit] The Grand National

The Grand National is run over four and a half miles, sometimes on soft ground, which makes the race all the more demanding on stamina and jumping. The race is one of the most demanding steeplechases in the world. The lead has often changed hands during the 494 yard run-in after the final fence. There are usually 40 horses taking part in the race but fewer than 10 may in fact complete the course. In one year, 69 horses started and only one finished the course. The record for the most victories in the Grand National is held by Red Rum, who won three times in the 1970s.

[edit] Other Events

[edit] Motor Racing

Aintree motor racing circuit 3 mile

Aintree has also been used as a venue for motor racing. The British Grand Prix was staged there on five occasions, in 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961 and 1962. Aintree was the location for the famous race in 1955 in which Stirling Moss won his first British Grand Prix, driving a Mercedes. Two years later, he became the first British driver to win a British Grand Prix whilst driving a British car, a Vanwall. The full Grand Prix circuit was last raced on in 1964, but part of it (the 1.64-mile Club Circuit) is still open and was used for racing until the early 1980s. A limited amount of motor sport continues today in the form of car sprints, track days and motorcycle racing. A Festival of Historic Motorsport was held in November 2004 but building work on the Grand Prix side of the circuit has made future events unlikely, though the full Grand Prix circuit basically exists. Liverpool Motor club continue to use the circuit for Sprints and Track Days.

[edit] Music

Michael Jackson performed in concert to 125,000 fans on September 11, 1988, as part of his Bad World Tour.

[edit] Golf

The racecourse contains a 9-hole golf course and driving range within its bounaries. Golfers have the chance to see the famous track from a different perspective and famous features such as Becher's Brook are incorporated into the course. It is accessed from Melling Road, which bisects the racecourse. Because of this, the golf facilities are closed when the course is used for horse or motor racing.

[edit] In the News

On 8 April 2006 security officials began investigating a reported security breach at the Aintree Racecourse, a day before the Grand National. According to initial reports, a newspaper journalist gained access to the horse box belonging to Hedgehunter, a former winner of the Grand National, and posed for a photograph.