How Did the Grand National Go?

It isn’t exactly outrageous to suggest that Liverpool as a city is very lucky when it comes to sport.

Both Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs welcome tens of thousands of people into the city on a weekly basis during the season, whilst the hosting of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club over the water every four or five years also sees countless people head to Merseyside.

Then there is the horse racing, which has both Haydock Park and Aintree Racecourses available for people to visit. The Grand National is the biggest race of all, so how did this year’s go as far as Liverpool is concerned?

The Race Itself

It would be silly to have a page talking about the Grand National and not mention the race itself.

The 2025 renewal was noteworthy for the familial ties of its winner, which saw amateur jockey Patrick Mullins taking home Nick Rockett for his dad Willie Mullins. In fact, this race might well be remembered as the ‘Year of Mullins’, given the fact that Willie Mullins trained not only the winner but also the horses that finished second, third and fifth, amongst others.

The Mullins family also enjoyed success in the final race of the day when Patrick rode Willie-trained Green Splendour to victory.

@itvsport 🗣”To give your son a leg up in the National is one thing, for him to win it, is off the charts in my book” An emotional Willie Mullins reacts to Nick Rockett’s victory in the Grand National! 🏆 #ITVRacing | #grandnational ♬ original sound – ITV Sport

Not that the race was entirely without some negative talking points, however. For a long time, the race was being led by the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Broadway Boy, but he took a heavy fall at the 25th fence in a manner that led to many people discussing the nature of National Hunt racing in general and whether there is any place for it in the 21st century.

Thankfully, both Broadway Boy and Celebre d’Allen, who collapsed after jumping the final fence, were able to walk into horse ambulances and be taken to first-class facilities in order to ensure their long-term recoveries. Celebre d’Allen sadly later died, although a post mortem revealed the horse died from a severe bacterial infection caught after the race, and not from being run too hard as had been initially suspected.

Liverpool at its Friendliest

Liverpool is one of the friendliest and most welcoming cities in the world, which is what the vast majority of people who visit it discover for themselves. There aren’t many occasions as welcoming and friendly as the week of the Grand National, which sees tens of thousands flock to Aintree Racecourse and then into the city centre itself for a good time.

The 2025 Grand National week was one in which the sun was shining, which made for an even better experience for all concerned. It is an event that sees the best of Liverpool on show, both in terms of personality and clothing.

Annabelle from Newcastle is here on her hen do, ahead of her wedding on May 10. She told the ECHO that she loves watching the Grand National so thought that it would be a perfect place for her hen do and a great time with her friends. pic.twitter.com/79lhnQtvfP

— Liverpool Echo (@LivEchonews) April 5, 2025

Ladies Day was on the hottest day of the year so far, for example, meaning that those in attendance could show off their frocks without having to worry about any rain interfering. More than 48,000 people were there on the Friday, travelling from all over the country in order to enjoy their time on the racecourse before heading into the city centre itself.

Although there are some right-wing newspapers who like to use the occasion as a chance to do down working-class people having fun in a way that they don’t do when racing is at Glorious Goodwood or Royal Ascot, most people enjoyed their time.

It’s All About the People

At pretty much any racecourse in the world, it is all about the horses when a meeting is held. At Aintree Racecourse, though, it is often the people that tend to take centre stage.

You wouldn’t normally see local newspapers talk about someone winning £500, for example, and yet the Liverpool Echo did exactly that thanks to the fact that Sean, who is from Liverpool, placed a wager on Nick Rockett on account of the fact that he had drawn the horse in a sweepstake and his husband is called Nick, so he placed the bet and was able to take home £500 as a result.

One of the joys of Ladies Day is the fashion on show, with Rachel Ellis, Lucas Nurney and Katie Morris all crowned winners of the Style Awards for 2025 in what was undoubtedly a packed field. There were also a number of famous faces who turned up to Aintree Racecourse this year, including the likes of Helen Flanagan and Sam Quek.

Jim Beaumont, meanwhile, is a 90-year-old who has been going to the Grand National for years, believing that this year represents more than 80 times that he has been in attendance for the ‘World’s Greatest Steeplechase’ and has loved going thanks to his Irish grandparents who were ‘crazy on gambling’.