One of the North of England’s biggest events, the Grand National, is set to return this year with excitement building from horse racing fans and punters all over the country. It is held just outside of Liverpool, at Aintree Racecourse, one of the world’s most iconic purpose-built horse racing venues. The world’s best horses and jockeys compete in a four-mile steeplechase which includes 30 jumps over two laps. Many of the fences are infamous for prematurely ending the race for some competitors, leading many experts to believe it is the most difficult race of the year. It is famous for landmark moments such as last year’s champion, Rachael Blackmore, becoming the first women to ever win it, or Red Rum making history as the first horse to ever win three Grand National’s, in the 70s. The prestigious race is now part of a three-day festival, over 20 other events taking place over the weekend such as The Liverpool Hurdle, The Marsh Steeple Chase and Betway Bowl. As well as the hundreds of thousands of fans expected to attend the festival, millions more will be following at home with TV coverage, with ITV providing live footage, as well as pre and post-race interviews. The Grand National is also popular in the betting industry, with sites like oddschecker providing expert tips and lists of sites offering free bets that can be used during the festival.
Despite being held in Liverpool, the Grand National is also a major event for Manchester, and not just because of the proximity between the two cities. The race’s history is scattered with native and adopted Mancunians who’ve made a major impact over the years, right since its inception.
Manchester’s role in the growth of the Grand National
The Grand National would have never been created if it wasn’t for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway line, the world’s first inter-city railway line. It was opened in 1830 to become one of the world’s first transport systems that didn’t use horses or any other animal for power. John Kennedy, owner of Manchester’s biggest and most important spinning mill was one of the original promoters of the project and played an important role in establishing the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company.
The Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, the precursor to the Grand National, was launched six years later, with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway playing a big part in transporting horses, jockeys and fans to the event. This first version of the race and the following to editions are not officially recognised as “Grand Nationals” due to the fact they were smaller scale events with most of the competitors and spectators coming from the North of England. However, things changed in 1939 when the Manchester and Liverpool Railway line was supplemented by the London to Birmingham line, which enabled attendees to reach the race from more parts of the country, making the race a national event.
The Manchester and Birmingham Railway, which opened in 1940, provided a further transport link to Aintree, increasing the profile and prestige of the race. These transport links helped the event capture the imagination of the British public as radio reporters and newspaper journalists were also able to attend, which was vital in a time before the invention of television.
Sir Alex Ferguson
Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson is a well-known racehorse owner having begun the passion during his time as manager of the Red Devils. He famously owned Rock of Gibraltar, a horse that earned over £1,000,000 in winnings with wins at Longchamp, Goodwood, Ascot and Newmarket. He has had plenty of runners at the Grand National weekend over the years, but last year he enjoyed what he described as his “best day” at the races after three of his horses recorded wins on the first day. It started with Protektorat who won in the Manifesto Novices Chase despite being heavily unfancied at 17-2, before Monmiral proved his status as 10-11 favourite was justified with a win in the Doom Bar Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle. The historical treble was completed just half an hour later as Clan des Obeaux won in the Betway Bowl. As an adopted Mancunian who still lives locally, he was delighted to win in Liverpool. In the post-race interview, he said “It’s been fantastic, great. Winning is the name of the game. Winning on Merseyside, they will all be happy over there.”, in what was an obvious reference to the unhappiness he caused Liverpool fans over the years with his many wins and Anfield with Manchester United.
United fans will be hoping their team can match Ferguson’s Merseyside win, as they are scheduled to face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday 9th April, Grand National Day. With live sporting events usually shown on TVs at Aintree, United fans will be able to watch their team at the event. Manchester City are also scheduled to face Liverpool at the same time so fans of both Manchester clubs could potentially enjoy victories over the Scousers, while on their turf.
Travelling to the Grand National from Manchester
There are many ways to get to Aintree Racecourse from Manchester and all of them are fairly simple. The previously mentioned Manchester to Liverpool railway line that helped make the Grand National what it is today is still operational, and is used for the faster, non-stop service that runs directly to Liverpool from Manchester Victoria Station. There is also an all-stations service that stops at various stations between the two cities for those who live outside the city. There is also a second line that goes from Wilmslow to Liverpool Lime Street, with stops at Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly, and Manchester Oxford Road, although this can take up to two hours.
Another option is driving, there are two main routes to Aintree from Manchester. Drivers can take either the M62 or the M58, with travel times ranging from an hour to an hour and 45 minutes depending on traffic. There is parking available at the racecourse, however it can be crowded and complicated to find spaces, so driving isn’t recommended. There are also coach services running between the two cities by National Express that are available to purchase separately, or as part of a package deal via the official Grand National website. Coach travel is chosen by many as it is reasonably priced and the most environmentally friendly method of getting to the event.
