The Aintree Grand National, as we know it, has been going for over 170 years so you can well imagine how much information is out there regarding it’s rich and illustrious history. So I’m going to go all the way back and give you the juicy details of it’s origins!

It’s widely believed that the first Grand National was in 1836 and was won by The Duke. This same horse triumphed again in 1837 while Sir William was the winner in 1838. But of course, like most things in life, there’s a big debate over these facts. Many disregard these races because of the belief that the 1837 & 1838 runnings took place at Maghull and not at Aintree!

But in the last twenty years several race historians have provided indisputable evidence that these three races were actually all run over the same course at Aintree but to date though, their calls for the Nationals of 1836-38 to be restored to the record books have been ignored.

From the 1840’s things ran smoothly enough so the next big upheaval came during World War I, while the Aintree racecourse was closed. An alternative race was run at Gatwick Racecourse on the site of the present Gatwick Airport.

The first of these races, in 1916, was called the Racecourse Association Steeplechase and in the following two years the race was known as the War National Steeplechase. The races at Gatwick are not always recognised as “Grand Nationals” however, and their results are often omitted from winners’ lists.

So there you have a brief outline of the early history of the Grand National, let’s hope that nothing happens in 2010 to scratch it from the record books!!