1997 Grand National 1997 Grand National The 1997 Grand National (known officially as the Martell Grand National and also informally as the Monday National) was the 150th official running of the Grand National steeplechase held at Aintree near Liverpool, Merseyside. The race was scheduled to be run on Saturday 5 April 1997, but was postponed by two days to Monday 7 April after a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb threat forced the evacuation of the course. The race was won in a time of nine minutes and 5.9 seconds and by a distance of 25 lengths by New Zealand-bred Lord Gyllene at
Steeplechase (horse racing) course with high timber fences is often referred to as the "crown jewel of steeplechasing." Tennessee State Historian Walter T. Durham's book "Grasslands" relates the history of the Southern Grasslands Hunt and Racing Foundation, a group that organized the first international steeplechase held on U.S. soil 80 years ago at Grassland Downs, a course located in Gallatin, TN between 1929 and 1932. In addition to holding an inaugural race in 1930, two international steeplechases were held at Grasslands in 1930 and 1931. The winners were awarded a gold trophy designed by King Alfonso XIII of Spain. The Iroquois Steeplechase event