Picking a winner on the Grand National can be notoriously tricky, even for seasoned punters. Forty runners negotiating thirty fences along a course of over four miles is extremely difficult to predict, therefore why not give yourself the best chance of picking a winner by visiting our Grand National news pages which provide detailed information on the famous steeplechase. Here you can also pick up a wealth of great free bets and enhanced places on the race courtesy of our featured bookmaker partners.
Grand National Statistics, Facts and Figures
When did the race start?
According to the historical records, the Grand National was first run in 1839, however it didn’t get off to the best of starts. Indeed the race was delayed for over two hours due to confusion around the procedures for weighing. The appropriately-named Lottery was first past the post and became the first ever winner of the Grand National at odds of 5/1.
What was the biggest ever field?
Nowadays the maximum number of runner permitted in the Grand National is forty, however that hasn’t always been the case. Larger fields have contested the famous steeplechase in years past with the biggest number ever recorded being in 1929 when 66 competed in the famous Aintree marathon.
What was the smallest ever field?
The Grand National is a thrilling and impressive spectacle with 40 runners competing to be first past the post, however there have been far smaller fields in the past. The smallest recorded field was in 1883 when just ten horses started the race.
What has been the fastest time to complete the course?
Depending on the conditions, the time taken to complete the Grand National can vary considerably, however the fastest time ever recorded was in 1990 when Mr Frisk romped home to victory in just 8 minutes 47.8 seconds.
What has been the slowest time to complete the course?
The slowest recorded time taken to complete the Grand National occurred in the very first Grand National in 1939 when Lottery triumphed in a time of 14 minutes 53 seconds.
What was the largest number of finishers?
Given the gruelling nature of the Grand National course, many runners fail to finish. Indeed many fail to make it past the first fence although 23 managed to reach the finish line in 1984, a race which was won by Hallo Dandy. The field was limited to a maximum of forty runners for the first time this year.
What has been the smallest number of finishers?
The smallest number of horses to make it to the end of the Grand National was just two in 1928, a race which was won by Tipperary Tim at odds of 100/1.
What was the shortest priced winner?
Many horses go off at very short odds, however the shortest winner of the lot was back in 1919 when Poethlyn won at a price of just 11/4.
How many watch the Grand National on TV in the UK?
Every year, an estimated 10million tune in across the UK to watch the Grand National live and this number may rise significantly in 2021 given that there has been no race since 2019 due to the Covid19 pandemic.
