Grand National

The world-famous Grand National is held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. It is a handicap steeplechase over 4 miles 3½ furlongs with horses jumping 30 fences during two circuits. The National is currently sponsored by Randox Health and is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million.

Grand National winner One For Arthur retired

When is the 2023 Grand National?

The 2023 running of the world’s most famous steeplechase will get underway at 5.15pm on Saturday, 15 April.

Who won the 2022 race?

The 2022 renewal of the race provided a fairytale ending for amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, as he passed the winning post first aboard Noble Yeats, after announcing earlier in the week that he was going to retire after his ride.

Why is the Grand National different to most races?

The fences in the race differ from the typical steeplechase fences used in Britain, as the cores are topped with at least 14 inches of spruce.

In 2013 a number of changes were made to the race in response to the deaths of four horses in the previous two meetings. These included changing the core of the fences from traditional wooden stakes to birch and plastic cores in an attempt to make the fences more ‘horse friendly’ and moving the start.

There have been four equine fatalities since the changes; in 2019 a horse was brought down by a fellow runner during the race, while in 2021 a horse broke a hindleg while galloping between fences. Two horses suffered fatal injuries during the running of the 2022 race; Discorama was put down after being pulled up with an injury between the 12th and 13th fences, while Eclair Surf died after receiving expert veterinary care for “a traumatic head injury” sustained at the third fence.