On which racecourse is The Grand National run?

In short, Aintree racecourse. As the home of the world famous Grand National, Aintree Racecourse, on the outskirts of Liverpool, requires little introduction. Despite a raft to changes to the course, entry criteria and so on in recent years, the Grand National remains a tough, but fair, challenge for horse and rider and attracts an estimated audience of 800 million worldwide.

The Grand National circuit is a flat, left-handed triangle, two and a quarter miles in extent and featuring 16 distinctive, spruce-topped fences. Nowadays, the Grand National is run over a distance of four miles and two and a half furlongs, but must still negotiate 14 fences – including formidable obstacles such as Becher’s Brook, the Canal Turn, and the Chair – twice, before setting off up the infamously long run-in.

The Grand National is, in fact, just one of five races run over the National fences during the season. The other four are the Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase and Topham Chase, which are run during the three-day Grand National Festival, and the Becher Chase and Grand Sefton Chase, which are run on the same day in December.

Inside the Grand National circuit, the Mildmay Course is a similarly flat, but much shorter, at one mile and three furlongs in extent and is characterised by its sharpness. The fences, while stiffer than they once were, are of the conventional birch variety. Seasonal highlights on the Mildmay Course include the Old Roan Chase, in early November, and the Aintree Bowl and the Melling Chase, in early April.