For many horse racing fans, equestrian events don’t come bigger than the Grand National festival at Aintree. Set to run over the weekend of 12 to 14 April 2018 and with entrants from trainers around the globe, the festival is one of the most watched horse racing events not only in the UK, but the world over. As such, because it is the main event of the weekend the Grand National is the most popular jumps race on the calendar and draws a deservedly big audience.
According to the Grand National organisation an astonishing number of over 600 million people tune in to watch the races each April and if you plan to be one of them here’s everything you need to know about the year’s biggest race:
What is the Grand National?
As mentioned above, the Grand National is the biggest jumps event in the horse racing calendar with an estimated 150,000 racegoers attending over the course of each weekend every year. The racecourse is situated in Aintree, Liverpool and represents one of the most daunting obstacle courses over 30 fences for 40 runners to take on. The Aintree racecourse has hosted the event since 1839.
When is the Grand National and where can I Watch It?
This year the Grand National will be run in April as it is every year and will be held on Saturday 14 April 2018. While a total of 21 races take place during the Grand National meeting, the main event itself is scheduled to start at 5:15pm. For those unable to make it to Aintree there are lots of ways to watch the race live. Free to air channel ITV holds the broadcasting rights and will be showing the race live with Ed Chamberlain as the main presenter.
There are lots of other ways to watch the race too, including many local pubs and high street bookmakers. In addition a number of bookies such as British bookmakers – Williamhill offer punters the opportunity to watch livestreams of the race on their mobile devices in return for a minimum bet which can be as low as £1. ITV itself will also be hosting a livestream of the race online.
Which Horses are running and what are the Odds?
This year’s final field of 40 runners is yet to be selected but all that are chosen get assigned a weight handicap by the official British Horse Racing Authorities. Current favourites include Native River, Total Recall, Definitely Red, and Blaklion. Because the final list of runners is yet to be confirmed, odds are difficult to come by leading to bookmakers offering what is referred to as ‘Ante Post’ or provisional odds for now. The final list of 40 runners will be announced a few days before the Grand National, alongside four reserve horses.
A Bit of a Big Deal Then?
The Grand National is such a huge event, particularly in Britain, that many families get together to watch the world famous race together. In fact for some it is a bit of a tradition to place a wager on the race and as such the day is actually something to look forward to for many people.
Whether you’re going to be at Aintree on April 14 or watching with loved ones at home, this year’s Grand National promises to be another amazing and exciting race and is one not to be missed.
Article written by Carlo
(Photo by etienne_valois via Flickr)
What is the Grand National?
As mentioned above, the Grand National is the biggest jumps event in the horse racing calendar with an estimated 150,000 racegoers attending over the course of each weekend every year. The racecourse is situated in Aintree, Liverpool and represents one of the most daunting obstacle courses over 30 fences for 40 runners to take on. The Aintree racecourse has hosted the event since 1839.
When is the Grand National and where can I Watch It?
This year the Grand National will be run in April as it is every year and will be held on Saturday 14 April 2018. While a total of 21 races take place during the Grand National meeting, the main event itself is scheduled to start at 5:15pm. For those unable to make it to Aintree there are lots of ways to watch the race live. Free to air channel ITV holds the broadcasting rights and will be showing the race live with Ed Chamberlain as the main presenter.
There are lots of other ways to watch the race too, including many local pubs and high street bookmakers. In addition a number of bookies such as British bookmakers – Williamhill offer punters the opportunity to watch livestreams of the race on their mobile devices in return for a minimum bet which can be as low as £1. ITV itself will also be hosting a livestream of the race online.
Which Horses are running and what are the Odds?
This year’s final field of 40 runners is yet to be selected but all that are chosen get assigned a weight handicap by the official British Horse Racing Authorities. Current favourites include Native River, Total Recall, Definitely Red, and Blaklion. Because the final list of runners is yet to be confirmed, odds are difficult to come by leading to bookmakers offering what is referred to as ‘Ante Post’ or provisional odds for now. The final list of 40 runners will be announced a few days before the Grand National, alongside four reserve horses.
A Bit of a Big Deal Then?
The Grand National is such a huge event, particularly in Britain, that many families get together to watch the world famous race together. In fact for some it is a bit of a tradition to place a wager on the race and as such the day is actually something to look forward to for many people.
Whether you’re going to be at Aintree on April 14 or watching with loved ones at home, this year’s Grand National promises to be another amazing and exciting race and is one not to be missed.
Article written by Carlo
(Photo by etienne_valois via Flickr)
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