Grand National History

The Grand National history has almost 200 years, making it one of the oldest national hunt horse races in England. Legend has it that the Grand National owes its survival to one William Lynn, a Liverpudlian innkeeper who used money earned through hare racing to rent a piece of land in Aintree from Lord Sefton to host horseracing.
Racing historians remain engaged in a bitter debate over which year marked the first running of the Grand National. It is known that the first steeplechase at Aintree was organised by Lynn in 1835
The 20th century saw the Grand National raise in popularity and importance while also facing severe challenges to its future. In the 1940s Aintree racecourse was sold by Lord Sefton to the Topham family who initially invested heavily in the development of the venue before passing it into the hands of property developer Bill Davies when the popularity of the Grand National showed signs of waning in the
In the late 1970s the Grand National was rescued by the Jockey Club, who ended years of speculation on the fate of the event by purchasing Aintree racecourse. The Jockey Club then entered into a partnership with bookmaker Ladbrokes to revitalise the Aintree racecourse facilities and its headliner event, ushering in the most successful era in Grand National history to date.
The revitalisation of Aintree was further boosted by the performances of a new generation of heroic racehorses. In 1981 the unfavoured Aldaniti, ridden by cancer-survivor Bob Champion, took the Grand National emphasising all that is best about this great race, and inspiring a Hollywood film. Today the future of the Grand National stands guaranteed with the race enjoys a high profile in the media and profiting from a major redevelopment of Aintree racecourse.