Aintree Racecourse

When the discussion is about the most challenging racecourses, Aintree is the first name to spring into most people’s minds. It is one of the most popular racecourses in the world and perhaps the most difficult one to tread on.

Location: The Aintree Racecourse is located in Liverpool city, Lancashire, in North West England, by the River Mersey. It is currently owned by the Jockey Club Racecourses. Apart from popular horse races, Aintree also plays host to several other events, including motor racing, and boasts of an excellent motor racing circuit as well as a 9 hole golf course. But it is the celebrated horse-racing sport that this place is famous for.

History of the racecourse: This racecourse was inaugurated in the year 1829. Until the 1960s, it was under the servitude of the Aintree Racecourse Railway Station, which was eventually shut down. Before, steeplechase races used to be held in a nearby district, Maghull. It was in 1839 that steeplechase made its debut on the Aintree racecourse.

Nature of the racecourse: The Aintree Racecourse is known for its National Hunt course type. It is considered to be one of the toughest courses for horseracing and only the best of the jockeys manage to complete the race successfully. The course boasts of 16 strategically placed steeplechase fences, including the Canal Turn, The Chair and the Brecher’s Brook. These fences offer the most exciting challenges for the jockeys, and enthralling experiences for the audience.

Features of the racecourse: The Aintree racecourse spans approximately 2 ¼ miles and houses 16, extremely tough fences.

  • Fence 1 – This fence stands 4ft 7 inches high. It is the smallest of all the fellow fences, but records highest number of fall rates.
  • Fence 2 – It measures as high as the first fence, but is comparatively wider.
  • Westhead – With this fence starts the challenging test. It stands 5ft tall and has a 6ft deep trench located in the front.
  • Fence 4 – It stands about 4ft 10 inches high.
  • Fence 5 – This fence stands 5ft tall and 3ft 6 inches wide and is enclosed by needle-like spruce.
  • Becher’s Brook – This fence is infamous for the 6ft 9 inch drop across a stream.
  • Foinavan Fence – Though one of the shortest of the fences at 4ft 6 inches, it is quite a challenge.
  • Canal Turn – This fence is one the toughest fences on the course where the riders face the challenge of a canal forcing them to take a 90 degree turn.
  • Valentine’s Brook – This fence is 5ft high and the horses have to clear a brook while landing.
  • Fence 10 – This is a thorn fence standing 5ft high
  • The Booth – It stands 5ft high and around 3ft wide with a 6ft trench on the takeoff side
  • Fence 12 – This fence stands 5ft high
  • Fence 13 – This is a regulation fence standing 4ft 7inches high
  • Fence 14 – This fence is relatively an easy one to cross standing at 4ft 7 in
  • The Chair – This fence is 5ft 3 inches high with a 6ft trench on its approach side, which requires the rider to clear a staggering distance of 9 ft
  • The Water Jump – This fence is the lowest one on the course but requires the racers to jump over a 6ft water hazard on its landing side.

Races: This course is host to one of the most prestigious races in the world, namely the Grand National steeplechase. The Grand National race spans a distance of around 4 ½ miles, and is considered to be the most difficult of all the steeplechases held across the world. The fact that this race is sometimes run on soft ground makes it all the more trying in terms of stamina and strength. About 40 horses generally take part in this race, but less than 10 horses can actually manage to finish the race. Going by these statistics, one can imagine how treacherous the path really is. Red Rum takes credit for recording maximum victories in the Grand National race, by having won the race three times.

Apart from the Grand National race, other races like the Topham Chase, Fox Hunter’s Chase, Becher Handicap Chase and Sefton Handicap Chase are also held on the Aintree racecourse.