You may have watched the Grand National on the telly, or in your local betting shop, but actually being there is a whole new experience and has to be done at least once in your lifetime. This is the Mecca of horse racing and you are the pilgrim on a journey of equine discovery that will blow your mind, and hopefully not your pocket.
Don’t forget to be loaded up with your grand national free bets 2020, as you make your way to Merseyside to join the crowds of race worshippers on Saturday 4th April 2020. Now is the time to start thinking of the races and planning your trip, it will take a lot off your mind if you sort things out months in advance, so when the day comes it will go swimmingly.
Travelling to the Grand National will also be something that you will need to attend to. If you have VIP status and a chauffeur driven Bentley, you’re okay, but for others with less luck, you may dispense with the car and simply take the train, at least this way, you and your entourage can drink as much booze as you want without any trouble. The surrounding roads on the day will naturally be jammed, so this is another great reason to train it, and avoid getting stuck in one of those ghastly queues. Make sure on the day to get to Aintree early so you can check out the paddocks, and walk the course.
Demand for tickets at the Grand National is immense, so if you want to get there, get them now before you’re too late. Unfortunately, because of the huge volume of punters, turning up on the day and queuing to buy a ticket is out of the question these days.
Dressing appropriately for this grand occasion is of course a prerequisite, and naturally the ladies will have all their hats and gowns out in the name of fashion for Ladies Day on the Friday. As for the men, don’t forget to get totally boozed up so you can be photographed brawling or stumbling over the course and featured in some tabloid the next day, if that’s your sort of thing.
The forty horses that will run the Grand National have quite a feat on their hands, as they have to jump over the assorted fences at speed in a crowded field. By walking the course when you arrive in Aintree, you will see for yourself the sheer height the horses and jockeys have to traverse to win the race. Many horses fail to jump the fences and are left behind in the course, sometimes even the shorter fences catch the horses. The spruce fences, due to modern health and safety rules have been reduced in height from the original race height, but it is still quite a strain on the horses even today. Each fence has its own name, the most famous being the Chair which is the tallest, and Foinavan which is the shortest.
The thousands who will be attending the Grand National will all be milling around, don’t forget to check out the horses saddle up in the pre-race parade, this will also give you the opportunity to check out the high-fliers and put down your bets. You can check out the pedigree horses in all their magnificence before the race as well as the jockeys to make your final decision.
Finally, you’re in the grandstand, the crowd roars as they’re off. The sheer excitement and atmosphere is electric as you see your chosen horse running through the rest of the pack..will they win? Can’t wait to find out.
Here’s last year’s Grand National at Aintree to whet your appetite.
