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The Grand National history spans almost 200 years, making it one of the oldest national hunt races in England. Legend has it that the Grand National owes its existence 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, however poor record keeping meant that the details of the race in the following three years are somewhat hazy. As a result official record keepers have marked 1839 as the year that saw the first running of the Grand National at Aintree.
The Grand National was an instant success. Fans and punters were drawn to the new and exciting racing format on display at Aintree, and the first few decades of racing at Aintree introduced the racing fraternity to a host of new racing legends. Captain Becher’s exploits at Aintree made him one of England’s first celebrity jockeys, and a host of great racehorses including Manifesto, Moifaa
and the Lamb crafted their legends on the tough Aintree racecourse.
The 20th century saw the Grand National grow in popularity and importance whilst 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 1960s.
This period of instability in Grand National history coincided with a period of poor management of the racecourse that saw attendances dwindle as entry fees soared. For several years the future of the Grand National appeared to be under serious threat, particularly when Bill Davies’ lack of interest in the event led some to speculate that Aintree would be sold off for development.
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 assured with the race enjoying a high profile in the media and benefiting from a major redevelopment of Aintree racecourse.
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