Aintree Racecourse isn’t Just for the National

Every April, hundreds of thousands of people descend on Liverpool as the city gears up to host the Grand National. Labelled the ‘World’s Greatest Steeplechase’, the National is one of the most thrilling jump races in the National Hunt calendar, drawing in the best of the horse racing industry in order to take on the challenge.

Whilst it is an excellent showcase for Scousers and the city in general, what a lot of people might not realise is that Aintree Racecourse, the venue for the meeting, is about so much more than just the Grand National itself. There are meetings on throughout the year that make it well worthy of a visit.

There are Actually Two Courses

One of the facts about Aintree Racecourse that not a lot of people realise is that there are actually two different courses there. The Grand National course is obviously the most famous, with the left-handed triangular circuit running over a little more than two miles and having 16 fences on offer.

Some of them are amongst the most well-known fences in the sport, with the likes of the Chair, Becher’s Brook and Foinavon putting fear into the hearts of even the most talented jump jockeys. Although the National is the main race run over it, the likes of the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase and Becher Chase are also ran there.

The Mildmay Course, which was named after Lord Anthony Mildmay, is considered to be a ‘nursery course’ that offers smaller versions of those National fences. It opened in the December of 1953 and initially held only flat races. A left-handed oval that runs at a little over a mile, many of the races that don’t use the Grand National course make use of the Mildmay Course instead.

There was also a Hurdles Course, which was the oldest at Aintree Racecourse, that was used for flat racing until 1976. The running rails actually remained in place until 1987, at which point they were taken down and the course was all but removed.

Numerous Meetings Are Held Throughout the Year

The Grand National will always be the most important race meeting held at Aintree Racecourse. Yet you would be mad if you thought that that was the only meeting that was held there. Aside from anything else, it would be a very expensive venue to open the doors of just once a year.

Owned and operated by the Jockey Club, there are events held throughout the year that you might want to consider getting along to. There is Halloween Family Day, for example, in which people dress up like ghosts and ghouls and face painters will turn your kids into spooky creatures before they go to watch the racing on the track.

Thanks for having us for lunch today @TheJockeyClub 🥂🎃🐎 #aintree #Halloween pic.twitter.com/wizId3OQnZ

— Amanda Jones (@AmandaAlderHey) October 29, 2023

There are racing days in November and December, as well as the Boxing Day fixture that remains popular. Those meetings in October, November and December host some important races, with the likes of the Old Roan Chase, the Grand Sefton Steeplechase and the Formby Novices’ Hurdle all welcoming big crowds to watch them.

The Old Roan Chase is a Grade 2 offering, whilst the Formby Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 event that lights up the course on Boxing Day. If you want to experience the thrill of racing and the experience of being at Aintree Racecourse but the Grand National week is a bit too much, these are the perfect days to head along.

It’s About More Than Just Horse Racing

Aintree Racecourse was once used as a venue for motor racing, with the British Grand Prix being held there five times between 1955 and 1962. Although that is no longer the case, the course does still have a few secrets to offer. You probably didn’t know, for example, that there is a nine-hole golf course and a driving range located within the boundaries of the course.

It takes some of the features of the course, such as Becher’s Brook, into account as you play it, so it obviously isn’t open when the racecourse is holding a race meeting. Even so, it offers a unique place to play some golf, with the option to play it twice for 18-holes.

@fairwaysafairway Hole 3 Nice little Par 3 off the mats at @aintreegolf Tiff got his steps in! #golf #golfer #golfstagram #golfing #aintree #grandnational #aintreegolf #par3 #golfreview #playaholewithme #pga #livgolf #golftiktok #golftoktok ♬ original sound – A Fairways a Fairway

Aintree Racecourse has also been the venue for some music concerts over the years, including when Michael Jackson’s Bad World Tour came to a conclusion there. More than 125,000 people crammed in to watch him play, which was one of the biggest outdoor concerts ever. Artists from P!nk to the Chemical Brothers played the racecourse at one point or another.

If you’d like to head along and check it out then you can get the train to Aintree Station, which is within a stone’s throw from the venue, allowing you to have a wander along to see what is happening on the days when horse racing meetings are not taking place.