Aintree Racecourse fear into the most professional of jockeys. All fences bar the water jump are covered with spruce, unlike at any other course in British National Hunt racing. Four other races take place over the National fences. These are the Topham Chase (formerly known as the John Hughes Trophy Chase) and the Fox Hunters' Chase at the Grand National meeting, and the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase and Becher Chase in the December meeting. Within the large National course there is also the smaller Mildmay course containing hurdles and fences. These fences are made of traditional National Hunt material. The National and
1989 Grand National the tail of the leader over the final two fences. When asked to quicken however, Grant found his mount to be a spent force and instead of closing on the leader he was swallowed up by other stronger finishers, coming home in fifth place. The pair would return in 1990 for a third attempt at the race together. Bonanza Boy had won the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow four months earlier before going on to win the Racing Post Chase in even more impressive style. These two victorious performances on ground getting close to the conditions at Aintree in the