Grand National

The Grand National is a handicap steeplechase for National Hunt horses, run each year at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool in Merseyside, England. The race covers about four and a half miles, with the field jumping thirty fences over two laps of a course known for large obstacles such as Becher's Brook, The Chair and the Canal Turn. It was first run in 1839 as the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, although some historians argue that earlier races at the same venue between 1836 and 1838 should count. The hotelier William Lynn founded the course on land leased from the Earl of Sefton, and railway links and better organisation turned a local meeting into a national event. It is the most valuable jump race in Europe and has been broadcast on British television since 1960, drawing an estimated audience of hundreds of millions worldwide.