Welcome to the 2008 John Smith’s Grand National

Aintree Racecourse is the home of the world's most celebrated, most talked about, most magical race, the John Smith’s Grand National. No other racecourse can compare to the sheer romance of Aintree. The mere mention of the name conjures up memories of triumph and tragedy, of battle and bravery, of victory and conquering the odds.

This years meeting takes place on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of April at Aintree racecourse Liverpool, with the race itself on Saturday the 14th. News, betting and the history of the world's most famous steeplechase can be found in this informative website, dedicated to providing all you need to know about the Grand National.

The Grand National which has ran each spring for over 160 years has a massive worldwide audience and is the one race of the year that draws attention from everyone regardless of their interest in horse racing.

The race which is run over four and a half miles, includes famous fences such as "Becher's Brook", "The Canal Turn", "The Chair" and "Valentine's Brook" which have provided some long lasting memories over the years and each have their own story to tell.

A maximum of 40 horses are allowed to compete each year all needing to jump 30 fences in total to finish the race with 14 of those jumped twice and two fences "The Chair" which is the tallest and broadest fence at 5 feet 2 inches and "The Water Jump" each being jumped once going into the final sprint of just under 500 yards to that illustrious winning post.