Grand National Fences - Beechers Brook - The Chair Grand National Fences TESTING MENU Aintree Grand National Fences The Aintree Grand National Course is run over the most unique race circuit in the country. The wide course is tailor made for the large fields of 40 plus runners which is more like a cavalry charge out of a western movie than a traditional horse race, no wonder it is so popular with the public. The Aintree course is nearly two and a quarter miles in circumference, there are 16 fences and a run in of 494 yards. The Canal Turn with Ryan Mania Becher's Brook with Ryan Mania Aintree Fence-By Fence Guide Fence 1The first fence comes very quickly after the start and with 40 plus runners going full pelt at speeds of 30 plus miles per hour there are bound to be a couple of causalities at this first fence which is 4 foot 6 inch in height. Fence 2The second fence come up quickly and is slightly bigger than the first fence standing at 4 foot 7 inch. Fence 3Next is the first open ditch.

The ditches are the first real test for the horses as there is a 6 foot gap between the front of the ditch and the fence itself so the horse has to stand off and really stretch out to make it safely to the other side. This fence is the larger than the first two standing at 5 feet. Fence 4is back to a standard fence at 4 foot 10 inches. Fence 5A 5 foot fence. The last regular fence before Bechers. Fence 6Bechers Brook . The most famous fence on the Aintree Racecourse. (Named after Captain Becher Who fell at this fence ) What is unique about this fence is the brook on the landing side. This fence is a 4 foot 10 inch fence with a 5 foot 6 inch Brook. The experienced jockeys will take there horses wide as the drop is less the wider you jump the fence. Fence 7The Foinavon fence. One of the easier fences on the course at 4 foot 6 inches, but the fence that caused such carnage in the 1967 National.

The fence was named after Foinavon a complete outsider who was the only horse to jump the fence first time and went on to win. Fence 8The Canal Turn. This is a 5 foot fence. What is important about this fence is that the jockeys need to jump the fence at an angle in order not to lose a lot of ground as there is a 90 degrees angle to the left immediately after jumping this fence. Fence 9St. Valentines Brook A 5 foot fence with a 5 foot 6 inch Brook. Fence10 A five foot fence. Fence 11The Booth. An open ditch with a 5 foot fence and a 6 foot ditch. Fence 12Westhead. A five foot fence followed by a 5 foot 6 inch fence. Fence 13This is a 4 foot 7 inch fence. Fence 14A 4 foot 6 inch fence, not a difficult fence but horses are beginning to tire and can make simple errors. Fence 15The Chair. This is the biggest fence in the National. It is a 6 foot fence with a 5 foot 2 inch ditch.

Fence 16This is the water jump and is a long jump rather than a high jump. The horses have to jump nearly all the fences twice with 30 fences in all that make up this fantastic horse race. At the end of jumping the 30 fences and running nearly four and a half miles there is the longest run in of any horse race in the UK of 494 yards with an elbow roughly half way up the run in many races have been won and lost on this final scramble to the finishing post. It is just hoped that every year that all the horses return safely to have another go the following year. Aintree Racecourse Profile: The National’s notorious fences | Topics: Foinavon Fence, Valentine’s Brook, Canal Turn, Water Jump, Booth, Aintree Racecourse, Chair Fence, Becher’s Brook, Aintree, Grand National, Westhead, Mildmay Course | Thoroughbred Racing Commentary Aintree Racecourse Profile: The National’s notorious fences Sean Magee | April 02, 2014 Share The Chair fence at Aintree's Grand National For lovers of racing, little compares to an afternoon (or evening) at the track.

The sport is best experienced in the flesh, and the world’s race courses offer diverse ways to enjoy this pursuit. While we can’t literally transport you to the races, we’ll do our best to bring these tracks to you in a monthly series of profiles. Today, on day three of our five-part look at Aintree, home of Saturday’s Grand National, Sean Magee describes the reason - or, to be more precise, the 30 reasons - why it has the most famous and possibly the most formidable track in the world. ---------- THE GRAND NATIONAL COURSE Put simply, the Grand National course is flat, left-handed, two-and-a-quarter miles long (the longest circuit in British racing), and contains 16 obstacles, 14 of which are jumped twice, thus making 30 fences in all in the race distance of 4 miles 3½ furlongs (the longest horse race in Great Britain). The National parlance that describes the field going “out into the country” after the start and back onto the “racecourse proper” after the 12th and then the 28th fences reflects the earliest days of the race.

Reading from the Grand National start, to the right of the stands, and adopting the order the obstacles are jumped in that race, the course starts with a straight stretch containing six fences: 1 -Plain fence 4ft 6in high 2 - Plain fence 4ft 7in high 3 - WESTHEAD - Open ditch (that is, a fence preceded by a ditch): 5ft high, overall spread 10ft 6in Named in memory of Steve Westhead, one of Aintree’s longest serving fence-builders.

4 - Plain fence 4ft 10in high 5 - Plain fence 5ft high 6 - BECHER’S BROOK - Fence 4ft 10in high, with a drop on the landing side: 10in on the inner, 6in on the outer Named after Captain Martin Becher, who was catapulted into the brook in the 1939 running by his mount, Conrad, who had been leading at the time Immediately after Becher’s Brook the course heads off to the left, to: 7 - FOINAVON FENCE - Plain fence 4ft 6in high Site of the famous pile-up in 1967 8 - CANAL TURN - Fence 5ft high – then immediately a left-handed right-angled turn 9 - VALENTINE’S BROOK - Fence 5ft high, with brook – continuation of the same brook as Becher’s – on the landing side Named after a horse called Valentine, who made an extraordinary corkscrew jump here in the 1840 race.

10 - Fence 5ft high 11 - BOOTH - Open ditch: fence 5ft high, overall spread 10ft Like the Westhead, named after an Aintree fence-builder. 12 - Fence 5ft high, with ditch on landing side 13 - Plain fence 4ft 7in high 14 - Plain fence 4ft 6in high 15 - CHAIR FENCE - Open ditch: fence 5ft 2in high, overall spread 11ft The name refers to the chair where the distance judge would sit when races were run in heats in the 19th century. The judge would declare that a horse who had not reached his position by the time the winner passed the winning post had been “distanced,” and was not eligible to go through to the next heat.

16 - WATER JUMP - Fence 2ft 6in high, 12ft 6in spread Those Grand National runners who have survived to this point then swing left to address – for a second time – the straight toward Becher’s Brook, so that the first fence becomes the 17th, Becher’s Brook becomes the 22nd, Foinavon fence 23rd, Canal Turn 24th, and Valentine’s Brook 25th. The Chair and water jump are not taken on the second circuit, so the fence that was No. 14 on the first circuit becomes the 30th and last fence on the second. Approximately halfway up the run-in from the last fence towards the winning post – at 494 yards one of the longest in British racing – the runners pull right to avoid jumping the Chair Fence, and come round “the Elbow,” roughly a quarter of a mile from home.

Apart from the fences and the Elbow, the other phrase that instantly evokes the magic of the Grand National is “the Melling Road” – the road between the villages of Aintree and Melling, which intersects the racecourse before the first fence and the 13th. The Grand National course is used for a select group of other Aintree races. In December, the Becher Chase over 3¼ miles with 21 fences and Grand Sefton Chase over 2 miles 5½ furlongs with 18 fences; and at the Grand National meeting, the Fox Hunters’ Chase and Topham Chase, both over 2 miles 5½ furlongs. The history of the Grand National fences is worth a monograph in itself, and controversy over whether they are too dangerous has dogged the race from the beginning.

In 1839 – which, depending on your point of view was or was not the first running of the race – the Liverpool Mercury printed a post-race editorial that declared: “It was no doubt a very exciting spectacle, but we no more be reconciled to it on that account than we are to cockfighting, bullbaiting or any other popular pastime which is attended with the affliction of wanton torture to any living being.” In response to such views, the stone wall in front of the stands was replaced by the water jump, which remains a feature of the race (though a water jump is no longer mandatory on British steeplechase courses), while in the modern era, a major change came in 1961 with the introduction of sloping “aprons” to help the horses’ sightlines when taking off. All sorts of modifications have been made to Becher’s Brook to minimise the danger but retain the character, while for the 2013 Grand National, the majority of fences on the circuit were completely rebuilt using plastic rather than timber cores to lessen the chance of injury.

THE MILDMAY COURSE As well as the National course, Aintree has another course, the Mildmay, the modern version of which is on the same ground as the original Aintree Racecourse. It is a left-handed circuit, just shorter than 1¼ miles, with the steeplechase course inside the hurdle course. The final two bends are tight, which favours the fast, nippy type of horse. --- Course and Fences It is illegal for anyone aged under 18 to gamble 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 2ï¿½ mile (3,600 metres) course, where challengers will face 30 of the most testing fences in the world of jump racing. It was originally designed as a cross-country steeplechase when it was first officially run in 1839. The runners started at a lane on the edge of the racecourse and raced away from the course out over open countryside towards the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

The gates, hedges and ditches that they met along the way were flagged to provide them with the obstacles to be jumped along the way with posts and rails erected at the two points where the runners jumped a brook. The runners returned towards the racecourse by running along the edge of the canal before re-entering the course at the opposite end. The runners then ran the length of the racecourse before embarking on a second circuit before finishing in front of the stands. The majority of the race therefore took place not on the actual Aintree Racecourse but instead in the adjoining countryside. That countryside was incorporated into the modern course but commentators still often refer to it as "the country", much to the confusion of millions of once-a-year racing viewers. Nowadays, around 150 tonnes of spruce branches, sourced and transported from forests in the Lake District, are used to dress the Liverpool course's jump fences. Each fence used to be made from a wooden frame and covered with the distinctive green spruce. However, a radical change for the 2013 renewal saw that frame replaced by a softer, more forgiving material known as "plastic birch", for safety reasons.

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. You can take a jockey's eye view of the Grand National course via the video below: Safety Changes Following safety reviews after both the 2011 and 2012 renewals, a number of changes were made to the course with some reductions in fences or the drop after fences, plus the levelling of landing zones. Since 2013, the start of the race is now 90 yards closer to the first fence, reducing the race to four miles and three-and-a-half furlongs, from four-and-a-half miles, while measures were introduced to stop horses getting caught up in the starting tape. In particular, the start now includes the 'no-go' zone, which is defined by a line on the track, being extended from 15 yards to around 30 yards from the starting tape. The starter's rostrum has been moved to a position between the starting tape and the 'no-go' zone to reduce the potential for horses to go through the starting tape prematurely.

The tapes themselves are also more user-friendly, with increased visibility, while there is now a specific briefing between the starters' team and the jockeys on Grand National day. The changes to the start are aimed at slowing the speed the first fence is approached at, while moving the start further away from the crowd reduces noise that can distract the horses. The makeup of all of the fences changed significantly in 2013. The new fences are still covered in spruce, but wooden posts have been replaced by a softer material known as "plastic birch", and on top of that birch there's a minimum of fourteen to sixteen inches of spruce that the horses can knock off. The outward appearance of the fences remains the same. Other measures included ï¿½100,000 being invested in irrigation to produce the safest jumping ground possible and a new bypass and pen around fence four to catch riderless horses. 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 6in high, 2ft 9in wide - The first often claims many victims as horses tend to travel to it far too keenly. As described above, the drop on the landing side was reduced in 2011. 2 & 18: Almost the same height as the first but much wider at 3ft 6in. Prior to 1888 the first two fences were located approximately halfway between the first to second and second to third jumps. The fence became known as The Fan after a mare refused at the obstacle three years in succession, but it lost that name when the fences were relocated. 3 & 19 Westhead: This is the first big test with a 6ft ditch on the approach guarding a 4ft 10in high fence. 4 & 20: Plain fence, 4ft 10in high and 3ft wide.

In 2011, the 20th became the first fence in Grand National history to be bypassed on the second circuit, following an equine fatality on the first. In 2012, it was reduced in height by 2 inches to its current height of 4 foot 10 inches (1.47 metres) after it was shown to be the hardest fence on the course to jump along with Becherï¿½s Brook. Its landing area was smoothed out ahead of the 2013 race. 5 & 21: Spruce dressed fence, 5ft high and 3ft 6in wide. Its landing side was also levelled in 2013. It was bypassed on the final lap for the first time in 2012 so that medics could treat a jockey who fell from his mount on the first lap and had broken a leg. 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 well over 6 ft on the landing side, a drop of between 5 and 10in from take off. Horses are not expecting the ground the disappear under them on landing, riders need to sit back in the saddle and use their body weight to act as ballast to keep the horses stable. As described above, there have been a number of alterations to this fence in recent season to try to make it a fairer and safer test for horse and rider, and the whole field managed to clear the obstacle on the first circuit last year. 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. Before the First World War it was not uncommon for loose horses to continue straight ahead after the jump and end up in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal itself. There was once a ditch before the fence but this was filled in after a mï¿½lï¿½e in the 1928 race. 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 thatï¿½s about 5ft 6in wide.

The fence was originally known as the Second Brook but was renamed after a horse named Valentine was reputed to have jumped the fence hind legs first in 1840. A grandstand was erected alongside the fence in the early part of the 20th century but fell into decline after the Second World War and was torn down in the 1970s. 10 & 26: Thorn fence, 5ft high and 3ft wide that leads the runners alongside the canal towards two ditches. 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 5ft 6in ditch on the landing side, which can catch runners out. The runners then cross the Melling Road near to the Anchor Bridge, a popular vantage point since the earliest days of the race. This also marks the point where the runners are said to be re-entering the "racecourse proper".

In the early days of the race it was thought there was an obstacle near this point known as the Table Jump, which may have resembled a bank similar to those still seen at Punchestown in Ireland. In the 1840s the Melling Road was also flanked by hedges and the runners had to jump into the road and then back out of it. 13 & 29: Second-last fence on the final circuit, it is 4ft 7in high and 3ft wide. This is the other obstacle to have had its landing side smoothed out ahead of the 2013 renewal. 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 Grand 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 2in) 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 donï¿½t. This fence is the site of the only human fatality in the National's history, Joe Wynne who sustained injuries in a fall in 1862. This brought about the ditch on the take-off side of the fence in an effort to slow the horses on approach. The fence was the location where a distance judge sat in the earliest days of the race. On the second circuit he would record the finishing order from his position and declare any horse that had not passed him before the previous runner passed the finishing post as "distanced", meaning a non-finisher. The practise was done away with in the 1850s but the monument where the chair stood is still there. The fence was originally known as the Monument Jump but The Chair came into more regular use in the 1930s.

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 fence was originally a stone wall in the very early Grand Nationals. On the final circuit, after the 30th fence the remaining runners bear right, avoiding The Chair and Water Jump, to head onto a "run-in" to the finishing post. The Finish The 474-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. The likes of Devon Loch, Crisp and Sunnyhillbot have all famously had defeat snatched from the jaws of victory in heat breaking fashion.

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 © Where To Bet Ltd 2004-16 (contact us: wheretobet@hotmail.com) Grand National Course Guide GUIDE TO AINTREE & THE GRAND NATIONAL The course, fences and history of the race… Race & Course Guide Aintree has been the home of the Grand National since it’s first running in 1839, and although a version of the race took place in years prior to this, 1839 is the accepted date of the official commencement of The Grand National. Since those early days the course and fences have undergone many changes. Most recently the wooden stakes at the core of the fences have been replaced with flexible plastic to reduce the risk of horses and jockeys getting injured.

The starting line has also moved further away from the main stand as this helps the horses remain calmer in the moments before the off. These changes haven’t effected the essence of the race, which still remains the one of the toughest tests of horse and rider in the world. Forty horses line up at the starting tape and around 60% of the entrants will not complete the race, which is four and a half miles long and has thirty fence jumps. Aintree Aintree is the home of the Grand National and apart from a couple of years during the first world war, the race has always taken place at the course, which is located just five miles from the centre of Liverpool. Well served by public transport and a train station, the course is modern and offers a wide range of facilities. The Grand National is just one of many race meetings that take place during the National Hunt season although not all meetings and races are run over the National course. Getting to Aintree is very easy from all parts of the United Kingdom. Liverpool has excellent rail links, motorway access and is served by John Lennon Airport. Queues on the day of the Grand National can build up on the roads surrounding the course but this is to be expected for such a popular sporting occasion.

Around 70,000 racing fans will watch the race live making it one of the biggest sporting events in the calendar. Course The Grand National course is 4 miles and 4 furlongs long. The horses encounter 16 different fences with varying degrees of height and width. Riders must navigate two circuits of the course (missing out fences 15 & 16 on the second circuit) before turning for the home straight which is the longest run-in of any UK racecourse. The Grand National is the longest race in the UK but it’s the difficulty for the fences that provide the real challenge to horse and rider. Just a mention of the fences Becher’s Brook, The Chair and the Canal Turn make a jockey’s blood run cold. Often called the ‘Original Extreme Sport’ steeplechase races originated in Ireland. Legend has it that the first race was between Cornelius O’Callaghan and Edmund Blake as they raced from Buttevant Church to St. Leger Church, or from steeple to steeple, hence the term steeplechase. Those original cross country races are now replicated on racecourses across England and Ireland. However, the Aintree course is arguably the toughest of all.

Jockeys no longer have to jump a stone wall at Aintree or cross the ploughed field, but the water jumps, brooks and ditches still feature on many of its fences. Famous Fences THE GRAND NATIONAL FENCES Few races can claim to have famous fences, maybe with the exception of the infamous ‘Taxis’ fence in the Velká pardubická, no other race can rival the Grand National for fearsome jumps. Of the 16 fences which make up the National course six of the jumps have become famous in their own right. Becher’s Brook, Valentines’ Brook, The Chair, Canal Turn and Foinavon are names which are known throughout the world. These fences are woven into the very fabric of the Grand National race. Becher’s Brook Becher’s Brook is the the 6th and 22nd fence in the Grand National. Standing at 4ft 10 inches the fence has a fearsome reputation due to the fact that the landing side of the fence is 10 inches lower than the take off side.

Jockeys have compared it to “jumping off the edge of the world.” The fence takes its name from Captain Martin Becher, one of the Grand National pioneers and keen jockey. Becher fell at this fence and hid in the brook to avoid injury from the horses still jumping the fence. Valentine’s Brook Valentine’s Brook is fence 9 & 25 and is named after the horse who reputedly jumped the fence backwards in 1840. Although it’s more likely the horse pirouetted which gave the appearance of him jumping hind legs first. In many ways the fence is like Becher’s Brook only less severe and it accounts for around 2% of all fallers in the race. The Chair At 5ft 3in The Chair (fence 15) is the tallest fence in the Grand National. Horses must also clear a 6ft ditch on the takeoff side, with the landing side being 6in higher than the takeoff side. Although most horses successfully navigate this fence it has claimed two jockeys lives.

In 1862 Joseph Wynne was fatally injuried during the Grand National and in 1872 George Ede died at the fence, albeit in a different race. The fence was originally known as the Monument Jump and it is one of only two fences which are navigated once by the riders, the other being the Water Jump. Foinavon One of the smaller fences in the race, Foinavon is named after the 100/1 shot who avoided a mass pile-up here in 1967 and went on to win the race. Officially fence 7 & 23, Foinavon is just 4ft 6in and apart from 1967 rarely does this fence trouble the jockeys. It accounts for just 2% of fallers. Canal Turn The Canal Turn has been the scene of many a pile-ups over the years. Horses that refuse to jump this fence can interfere with other runners. Any jockey who decides to cut the corner also runs the risk of sliding out of the saddle. Before the First World War it was not uncommon for loose horses to continue straight ahead after the jump and end up in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal!

Officially fence 8 & 24, it accounts for around 5% of race fallers and stands at 5ft. Tickets Tickets for the Grand National are available to buy online at aintree.co.uk, prices range from £20 all the way up to £600 for corporate hospitality packages. You are advised to book early as the last two Grand National meetings have sold out completely. Tickets in popular parts of the course are snapped up months before the race is due to take place (9th April 2016). Aintree.co.uk is the official racecourse website where you can buy tickets for the 2017 Grand National. The Ultimate guide to Aintree Racecourse View Larger Map What’s unique about the course at Aintree? Some of the characteristic features of the racecourse, such as the Melling Road, which the Grand National runners cross twice during the race and names of fences such as Becher’s Brook, the Canal Turn and the Chair have become household names. The triangular Grand National course covers two and a quarter miles and inside it is the easier, sharper Mildmay course, which is one and a half miles in circumference.

Devon Loch Aintree is, of course, steeped in history and barely a year goes by without the Grand National throwing up a story of some kind. In 1956, for example, Devon Loch, owned by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and ridden by Dick Francis, was 10 lengths ahead just 40 yards from the winning post, only for his hind legs to buckle and him collapse onto his stomach. Despite Francis’ best efforts, Devon Loch could go no further and his nearest pursuer, ESB, strode by to win. Various theories have been put forward to explain what happened to Devon Loch, including cramp, a sudden heart attack and the fact that he was distracted by the water jump on another part of the racecourse, but Francis believed he was simply overwhelmed by the noise from the crowd. Foinavon The shortest-priced winner of the Grand National was Poethlyn, ridden by Ernie Piggott, grandfather of Lester Piggott, who started 11/4 favourite in 1919.

All in all, there have been five 100/1 winners of the Grand National, Tipperary Tim in 1928, Gregalach in 1929, Caughoo in 1947, Foinavon in 1967 and, most recently, Mon Mome in 2009. Undoubtedly the most famous of these is Foinavon, whose jockey John Buckingham managed to avoid a pile-up at the twenty-third fence, which brought the rest of the field to a standstill. He was nearly a furlong clear of the field before any of the others could give chase and eventually won by 15 lengths. The fence at which the pile-up occurred now bears his name. Red Rum The only horse ever to win the Grand National three times was Red Rum, trained by Donald “Ginger” McCain. His first victory came in 1973, when he managed to reel in Crisp, who was more than 15 lengths ahead jumping the last fence, on the long run-in to win by three quarters of a length.

Red Rum won the National again in 1974 and, after finishing second in 1975 and 1976, returned to Aintree as a 12-year-old and won his third National by 25 lengths. When he died in 1995, he was buried at the winning post at Aintree and a life-sized bronze statue was erected in his honour. The Race That Never Was In 1993, Aintree suffered what commentator Peter O’Sullevan called “the greatest disaster in the history of the Grand National.” Initially, the race was disrupted by animal rights’ protesters, who staged a demonstration at the first fence, but 30 of the 39 jockeys failed to realise that a second false start had been called and carried on around the course. The “race that never was”, as it became known, was won by Esha Ness, trained by Jenny Pitman and ridden by John White, but the race was declared null and void.

John White said afterwards, “I could see there were only a few horses around, but I thought the others had fallen or something.” Top Owners, Jockeys and Trainers In terms of the number of winners ridden, A.P. McCoy and Ruby Walsh are jointly the most successful jockeys during the last five seasons with 18 winners apiece, although McCoy has had 122 rides in that period to Walsh’s 84. Trevor Hemmings, owner of two Grand National winners, Hedgehunter in 2005 and Ballabriggs in 2011, is the most successful owner at Aintree during the last five seasons with 11 winners from 71 runners. John McManus, Andrea and Graham Wylie and the Stewart Family have all recorded 7 winners in the same period. Among the training ranks, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls lead the way with 21 winners from 132 runners and 21 winners from 155 runners respectively, although they’re only just ahead of Peter Bowen with 20 winners from 120 runners.

Follow Aintree Racecourse on Social Networks Aintree Racecourse - Grand National Fences Grand National Fences TESTING MENU Aintree Racecourse Horses have to successfully jump a total of 30 Grand National Fences . Each of the 16 individual fences are jumped twice, apart from The Chair and The Water Jump. The race comprises two circuits of the course. Becher's Brook is the 6th fence on the first circuit, and 22nd on the second. It was modified for safety purposes in 1989, and remains one of the most formidable fences. Aintree Racecourse History The first official races at Aintree were set up by the owner of Liverpool's Waterloo Hotel, Mr William Lynn. Mr Lynn leased the land from Lord Sefton, laid out a course, built a grandstand and staged the first Flat fixture on July 7, 1829. Aintree is home to the worlds most popular races in the world, the Aintree Grand National. The Aintree Grand National was first run in 1839 and was won by the 5-1 favourite "Lottery".

This was also the year in which the infamous Captain Martin Becher fell from his horse "Conrad" into the brook when in the lead, thus beginning the legend that is Becher's Brook. In recent years the Aintree racecourse has gone from strength to strength and a large part of the credit can go to Martell who provided much needed sponsorship at an important time. New Sponsors John Smiths Beer shall take over the Grand National sponsorship in 2005 and this ties in nicely with future plans for the course which include a new grandstand, as well as a redeveloped Parade Ring and Winner's Enclosure. Aintree's ambitious �30million plan will be complete for the 2007 Grand National Meeting . About the Grand National Course and Fences | Horse Racing Frixo › Sportsbook › Events › About the Grand National Course and Fences About the Grand National Course and Fences Get ï¿½200 Deposit Bonus - Claim ï¿½200 (with 100% initial deposit bonus) - Open an account and deposit any amount up to ï¿½200 and Bet365 will match it.

Collect ï¿½30 Free - Claim ï¿½30 in free bets - Open an account and place a 3 consecutive bets of ï¿½10 - Ladbrokes will match your bets up to ï¿½30 Collect a ï¿½50 free bet Collect a ï¿½50 free bet Sportsbook Offers FA Cup The Grand National Steeplechase course is located at Aintree near Liverpool, England. It ranks high among the worldï¿½s most famous tracks and offers a true test of jockeys as well as horses. Completing two full laps of the 2ï¿½-mile, left-handed turf course makes the Grand National one of the longest closed-circuit horse racing events run annually. The circuit is marked by 16 challenging fences, with a field of up to 40 fierce jumpers in competition. The permanent fences of the Grand National course range from 4ï¿½6ï¿½ to 6ï¿½ in height. During the running each April, the first 14 of these must be cleared twice.

The last two are encountered only on the first of the two laps, and the racers end their exertions with a final 494-foot run in to the finish post. Many of the jumps at Aintree are ï¿½drop fences.ï¿½ In other words, the elevation of their landing sides is lower than that of their take-off sides. Other fences present the opposite challenge, with raised landing planes. As horses approach the fences, they cannot know which variety of fence they have leapt until they are mid-air. That makes the jockeysï¿½ skill in guiding their mounts over Grand Nationalï¿½s obstacles especially important. Each of 16 fences at Aintree has contributed stories to the over-160-year history of the Grand National. At the start, Fence one, which is also fence seventeen on the second go-round, presents a significant challenge, not so much for its 4ï¿½6ï¿½ height but runners tend to approach it at high speed. Those that race too quickly often fail to jump before smashing right into it. Fence three, which doubles as fence nineteen, provides the courseï¿½s first open ditch.

It features a 5-foot-high barrier that is preceded by a 6-foot trench. Clearing this seems to help the horses settle into a steadier pace, which should be clear by the time they get to the 4ï¿½10ï¿½ Fence four, which is also fence twenty. Quite a few of Aintreeï¿½s jumps have gained special nicknames to memorialise their roles in races past. Fence six, for example, which is a water jump and also fence twenty-two, is famous as ï¿½Becherï¿½s Brook.ï¿½ This is where Captain Martin Becher got a soaking when he fell from his mount Conrad during the inaugural meeting in 1839. Upon losing the race, Becher remarked, ï¿½I never knew water tasted so foul without whisky in it.ï¿½ The very next obstacle, fence 7 as well as fence 23, got its name 1967. That year, every horse but one refused to jump it on the second circuit. Ever since then, the ï¿½Foinavon Fenceï¿½ has carried the name of the brave steed that went on to win the race.

The ï¿½Canal Turnï¿½ refers to fence eight, which is also fence twenty-four, owing to the 90-degree angle that runners must take once they have cleared its 5-foot height. The next barrier is ï¿½St. Valentineï¿½s Brook,ï¿½ which serves as fence nine and fence twenty-five. It features a 5ï¿½6ï¿½ water hazard and was named for a horse that corkscrewed over it in 1840. Additional fences on the course with interesting monikers are the ï¿½The Benchï¿½ (fence eleven and twenty-seven) marked by a 6-foot approach ditch and ï¿½Westheadï¿½ (fence twelve and twenty-eight), which derives its name from its location. Directly across from the seat where the distance judge sits is fence fifteen, known as ï¿½The Chair.ï¿½ Although it is crossed only once, at six feet this is the tallest fence on the course and it has caused more than a few stumbles over the years.

Two other fences worthy of note are near the finish lineï¿½fences twenty-nine and thirty, which are also fences thirteen and fourteen. By the time the tired horses reach them, the 4ï¿½7ï¿½ and 4ï¿½6ï¿½ heights appear to be even taller. The run in at the end of the course has a slight bend to the left at its head, followed by a kink known as the Elbow at the middle. This non-linear path is caused by avoiding fences fifteen and sixteen during the final stretch. This is where the race is won or lost, as spent horses and fatigued riders flounder and only true champions possess the stamina needed to prevail. The Grand National Steeplechase course has not been modified much over the years, even though its surroundings have been greatly upgraded. The best views are available from the County Stand just ahead of the finish post and from the Aldaniti Stand just after it. The courseï¿½s prime location, of course, is the Queen Mother Stand, which is situated directly on the winning line. Comment on this event

Question: What is the name of fence 15 on the Aintree Grand National racecourse?
Answer: The Chair