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The Grand National is a four mile and four furlongs course with 30 fences, which has no more than 40 horses racing. This is a lot of horses going over fences at pretty much the same time! Winning the Grand National is a huge aspiration for all horse breeders, trainers, jockeys and the first place winning prize of £506,970 is not least of the race's appeal. The most famous fences of the Grand National are fence 15, fence 16, fences 9 and 25, fences 6 and 22, fences 7 and 23, and fences 8 and 24. But why are these the most famous fences of the great race? Fence 15 is known as The Chair and is one of the only two fences of the race to be jumped twice, alongside the Water Jump. The Chair is the biggest fence of the course at 5 foot 2 inches and also the widest at 3 foot. Fence 15 is named The Chair as a chair was situated next to the fence, where a judge used to sit to see if any horses had been beaten by a distance. Sounds pretty dangerous! Fence 16, known as the Water Jump stands 2 feet, 9 inches high and has a 9 foot, 6 inch expanse of water directly after the fence. The Water Jump is the shortest fence on the course, and jockeys perceive it to be the easiest obstacle on the course. Having said that, four horses came down on the Water Jump in 1968. Fences 9 and 25, the Valentines as it is known, requires a near faultless jump and is named after Valentine who attempted to pull himself up at the obstacle, only to pirouette over the fence and brook! Fences 6 and 22 is named Becher's Brook after Captain Martin Becher, the first rider to come off horse Conrad into the brook in the first Grand National in 1839. Becher commented afterwards that the water should not be ingested without brandy or whisky! Over the years the fence has been modified to cover the brook and the landings side raised so is not quite the test it used to be but is still considered by jockeys to be one of the most difficult of the course. Fences 7 and 23 Foinavon are so named after his surprise win by 15 lengths at odds of 100/1. The riderless Popham Down veered across the whole field , bringing down virtually all the remaining runners of the 44 starters, allowing jockey John Buckingham to steer Foinavon around the pileup and jump the fence! Fences 8 and 24 are a 5 foot jump which usually causes problems due to the 90 degree turn after the Canal Turn and is especially devastating if there are loose horses nearby. New screening at the Canal Turn prevents the horses from being able to see the sharp left hand turn and encourages jockeys to spread out along the fence, rather than take the tight left side route, thereby minimising the risks to both the horses and the jockeys.
Do you want to know how to pick a winner in the Grand National 2010? Our free guide to the Grand National at Aintree can help you pick a champion.
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