Grand National history and winners

The 2027 race and how to see it

The Grand National is scheduled for Saturday 10 April 2027 at 16:00 on the official event information. Recheck the official date and time page before travel. The wider Festival runs across several days, so choose the actual admission day you want rather than buying by the name of the meeting alone. Save the latest official schedule with your ticket when making your final travel checks.

The Grand National visitor guide brings the Festival ticket and travel information together. Use the Aintree enclosure comparison to understand the recorded viewing areas, then confirm the precise ticket terms on the official booking route.

The beginnings: Lottery and the official 1839 race

Lottery won the first official Grand National in 1839 according to the venue’s history. There had been a Liverpool Grand Steeplechase in 1836, won by The Duke with Captain Martin Becher riding. The official starting point of the National winners’ list should not be confused with the first racing of any kind at Aintree.

In 1843, Edward William Topham changed the race from weight-for-age conditions to a handicap. In a handicap the weights are part of the race conditions, rather than a statement that every horse has identical ability. The details matter when reading the history, but a visitor does not need to place a bet to follow the race or enjoy the day.

The history is easier to follow when dates and definitions are kept separate. The first official winner, the introduction of handicapping and later changes to the course describe different stages in the race’s development. A single anniversary date cannot stand in for every change that followed.

Famous winners and repeat victories

Red Rum remains the only three-time winner, with victories in 1973, 1974 and 1977. That record explains his place in the race’s public story. It is different from a sequence of consecutive wins: his third success followed a gap after the first two.

Tiger Roll won consecutive renewals in 2018 and 2019. I Am Maximus won in 2024 and 2026. The recent table lets you distinguish a repeat winner from a horse appearing only once, and keeps the winning jockey and trainer beside each result rather than relying on memory.

No Grand National was run in 2020: the Festival was cancelled because of coronavirus. The table below therefore covers 20 actual runnings from 2006 through 2026, rather than inventing a winner for every calendar year. The omission of a 2020 winner is deliberate.

The named fences: Becher’s Brook, Canal Turn and the Chair

The fence names describe places on the course, not general public admission areas. Use the official course map and your ticket’s viewing description to understand what can be seen from the area you book. A view advertised for one stand should not be extended to every public enclosure.

Becher’s Brook

Fence 6 and 22: Named for Captain Martin Becher, who was unseated from Conrad in the first official Grand National in 1839; remodelled several times.

Canal Turn

Fence 8 and 24: Named for the nearby Leeds–Liverpool canal; a sharp left turn follows the fence.

The Chair

Fence 15: Jumped on the first circuit only; highest fence, 5ft 2in, with a 5ft ditch before it and a raised landing side.

For a first visit, identify the parts you can see directly and where a screen supplies the rest of the race. The individual enclosure guides record the view and facilities described for their ticket area. Confirm a particular seat, balcony or step-free position if that is central to your visit.

Changes to the race, stated in context

The official welfare announcement describes changes introduced for 2024, including reducing the maximum field from 40 to 34, moving the first fence 60 yards closer to the start and bringing back a standing start. These are specific changes with a specific introduction date; they should not be described as a new 2027 announcement.

A course’s safety programme can develop over time. Read the current official race information for the conditions applying to the meeting you will attend, rather than assuming that a historical account is a complete statement of the present rules. This guide does not make a forecast about the safety outcome of a future race.

The latest 20 Grand National winners

The official previous-winners list supplies the horse, jockey, trainer and starting price. Starting price is a historical market figure here, not a current offer or a recommendation. The 2020 cancellation is noted separately so that the table contains only races that were run.

Plan the visit around the whole raceday

The headline race is only one part of the visit. Read the official schedule for gates, the first race and any event-specific travel arrangements, then decide how much of the day you want to see. Keep the admission ticket and the return plan available offline rather than relying on a mobile connection at the entrance.

Choose your ticket area before arranging to meet friends inside. Public admission, a reserved seat and hospitality can give different access, and a premium name does not settle whether a table, meal or particular viewing position is included. Ask about the actual route if a step-free position or a place for a companion is essential to your day.

Prepare for the forecast as well as the occasion. Check the exact enclosure’s clothing instructions, bring suitable layers and think about the ground you will cross. A photograph of a sunny previous meeting is not a weather forecast for your booking. The individual enclosure guides keep the recorded clothing and arrival details together.

Book a realistic way home and agree a collection point if using a taxi or a lift. Confirm the last rail connection and any required change separately from the course’s shuttle. Do not interpret a published race time as a promised time at the station or car park; getting out of the venue is another part of the journey.

For an overnight stay, compare cancellation deadlines, room occupancy and check-in arrangements. A race ticket and a hotel reservation are separate purchases unless your booking explicitly says otherwise. Adjust the dated search below to match the nights you actually want, including whether you are staying after the headline race.

Hotels in Liverpool

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Full Grand National visitor guide · Grand National hotels · Accessibility information.

A practical Grand National day checklist

Before leaving, check that every person has the correct admission ticket and knows the entrance and return plan. If travelling as a group, agree where to regroup without assuming everyone can enter a different stand or enclosure.

Separate the race you want to see from the time you need to arrive. Read the venue’s entry and bag instructions, allow for the final walk from your transport and keep essential information available without a mobile connection. Ask the course about any support you cannot improvise on arrival.

If coming through Liverpool, check the last part of the journey to Aintree and the return from the course, not just a mainline train into the city. For a car, use the parking guide and current event signs. A saved route to the venue’s postcode does not establish the correct car-park entrance.

Use the Festival dress guide for clothing and the Ladies Day guide if planning the preceding day. Neither replaces the Saturday ticket you need to see the Grand National itself.

Plan your next step