Grand National Course and Fences
The Grand National is the ultimate test of horse and jockey. The race comprises two full circuits of a unique 2¼ mile (3,600 metres) course, where challengers will face 30 of the most testing fences in the world of jump racing.
Each of the 16 fences on the course are jumped twice, with the exception of The Chair and the Water Jump, which are jumped on the first circuit only.
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The Start
There is a hazard to overcome even before the race starts - the build up, parade and re-girthing prior to the off lasts for around 25 minutes, over double the time it takes for any other race.
With 40 starters, riders naturally want a good sight of the first fence and after the long build-up their nerves are stretched to breaking point, which means the stewards' pre-race warning to go steady is often totally ignored.
The Fences
| 1 & 17 | Thorn fence, 4ft 7in high, 2ft 9in wide – The first often claims many victims as horses tend to travel to it far too keenly. |
| 2 & 18 | Almost the same height as the first but much wider at 3ft 6in. |
| 3 & 19 | Westhead: This is the first big test with a 6ft ditch on the approach guarding a 5ft high fence. |
| 4 & 20 | Plain fence, 4ft 10in high and 3ft wide. |
| 5 & 21 | Spruce dressed fence, 5ft high and 3ft 6in wide. |
| 6 & 22 | Becher's Brook: Although the fence looks innocuous from the take-off side, the steep drop on the landing side, together with a left-hand turn on landing, combine to make this the most thrilling and famous fence in the horse racing world. The fence actually measures 6 ft 9 in on the landing side, a drop of 2 ft from take off. Becher's Brook earned its name when a top jockey, Captain Martin Becher, took shelter in the brook after being unseated. "Water tastes disgusting without the benefits of whisky" he reflected.  |
| 7 & 23 | Foinavon Fence: Basically an 'ordinary' fence (4ft 6in high and 3ft wide) that was made famous in 1967 when Fionavon was the only horse to scramble over it at the first time of asking, following a mass pile-up. The jump is the smallest on the course, but coming straight after the biggest drop, it can catch horses and riders out. |
| 8 & 24 | Canal Turn: Made of hawthorn stakes covered in Norway spruce, it gets its name from the fact that there is a canal in front of the horses when they land. To avoid it, they must turn a full 90 degrees when they touch down. The race can be won or lost here, with a diagonal leap to the inside of the jump taking the fence at a scary angle, but reducing the turn on landing. With 30 or more horses often still standing when the field reaches this point on the first circuit, not every rider has the option of taking this daring passage. |
| 9 & 25 | Valentine's Brook: The third of four famous fences to be jumped in succession, it is 5ft high and 3ft 3in wide with a brook on the landing side that’s about 5ft 6in wide. |
| 10 & 26 | Thorn fence, 5ft high and 3ft wide. |
| 11 & 27 | Booth: The main problem with this fence, which is 5ft high and 3ft wide, is the 6ft wide ditch on the take-off side. |
| 12 & 28 | Same size as the two previous fences, but with a ditch on the landing side, which can catch runners out. |
| 13 & 29 | Second-last fence on the final circuit, it is 4ft 7in high and 3ft wide. |
| 14 & 30 | Almost the same height as the previous fence and it is rare for any horse to fall at the final fence in the National. |
| 15 | The Chair: The final two jumps of the first circuit form the only pair negotiated just once - and they could not be more different. The Chair is both the tallest (5ft 3in) and broadest fence on the course, with a 6ft wide ditch on the take-off side.
In addition, the landing side turf is actually raised six inches above the take-off ground. This has the opposite effect on horses and riders to the drop at Becher's, as having stretched to get over the ditch, horses are surprised to find the ground coming up to meet them. This is spectacular when horses get it right and equally so, for all the wrong reasons, when they don’t. |
| 16 | Water Jump: This 2ft 9in fence brings the first circuit to an end and the sight of the runners jumping it at speed presents a terrific spectacle in front of the grandstands. |
The Finish
The 494-yard long run in from the final fence to the finish is the longest in the country and has an acute elbow halfway up it that further drains the then almost empty stamina reserves of both horse and jockey.
For numerous riders over the years, this elongated run-in has proved mental and physical agony when the winning post seems to be retreating with every weary stride.
Don't count your money until the post is reached as with the rest of the Grand National course, the run-in can - and usually does - change fortunes.
Course Walking
No visit to Aintree would be complete without taking the opportunity to see some of these famous fences close up. The whole course can actually be walked on the morning of the race (subject to ground conditions and security requirements). Walkers should leave an hour to do a circuit, which must be completed one hour prior to the first race. Maps, guiding racegoers to the start point, are located around the racecourse.
The famous Becher's Brook with its steep drop on landing - a daunting obstacle
