Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. The racecourse is best known for annually holding the world-famous Grand National steeplechase.
The Grand National meeting takes place in April over 3 days. Aintree also holds meetings in May and June (both on Friday evenings), October (Sunday), November and December (both Saturdays).
The course is home of the Grand National steeplechase, one of the most famous races in the world. Steeplechasing at Aintree was introduced in 1836, though flat racing had taken place there for many years prior to this. It is regarded as the most difficult of all courses to complete successfully, with 16 steeplechase fences including renowned obstacles the Chair, Foinavon, Valentine’s, Canal Turn and Becher’s Brook. All fences bar the water jump are covered with spruce, unlike at any other course in British National Hunt racing.
Four other races take place over the National fences. These are the Topham Chase (formerly known as the John Hughes Trophy Chase) and the Fox Hunters’ Chase at the Grand National meeting, and the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase and Becher Chase in the December meeting. Within the large National course there is also the smaller Mildmay course containing hurdles and fences. These fences are made of traditional National Hunt material. The National and Mildmay courses used to share the water jump, but the water jump is no longer used on the Mildmay course.