Each year, the country stops and witnesses 40 horses line-up and tackle the unforgiving Aintree course. Four & half miles, with 30 fence jumps, the Grand National Festival is without doubt the toughest test of horse and jockey in the world.
The race is now less than three weeks away and Saturday 10th April 2010 will see Aintree racecourse packed out for the latest renewal of the John Smith’s Grand National, England’s most famous and prestigious horse race.
The race’s history is responsible for some of the true horse racing greats and everybody has a story and memory of their first Grand National Festival.
Red Rum, Bindaree, Hedgehunter, Miinnehoma, Party Politics, the list of famous winners goes on and on.
When 100/1 shot Mon Mome landed last year’s renewal, punters were given a sharp reminder that anything can happen in the Grand National and ever since it’s first running in 1839 the race has provided drama after drama.
The biggest social event on the calendar, this year’s John Smith’s Grand National meeting will run from Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th April.
As the 20 racehorses thunder away from the start line, the crowd of 50,000 roars its enthusiasm.
Then, as the rainbow blur of satin-shirted riders start to jockey for early positions in the stampede, the spectators are quickly quiet again.
Some are fidgeting with their betting slips, while others take a fortifying gulp of stout, or draw on their cigarettes.
It’s a sea of tweed, flat-caps and Barbour, with the odd posh frock, and more than a few over-sized green hats as the large Irish contingent celebrates St Patrick’s Day.
The pinnacle of the UK jump racing season, the festival is big business.
Attracting the very best horses, more than 200,000 people will attend this year’s festival in total, with millions more watching on television.
And this means good news for the bookmakers.
“It’s a proper bonanza for us,” says Paddy Power, head of communications for the Irish bookmaker that bares his name.
“During Cheltenham we see more business in the four days than we normally get in three weeks. There is nothing else like it.”
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