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
1919 Grand National the shortest starting odds of any Grand National winner to date. 1919 Grand National The 1919 Grand National was the 78th renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England on 28 March 1919. It was the first true Aintree Grand National since 1915, with the intermittent races being cancelled due to World War I and substituted by a 'Racecourse Association Steeplechase' and later a 'War National Steeplechase' at Gatwick Racecourse. The 1919 National was won by the Poethlyn, ridden by Ernest Piggott. The pair had won an unofficial National at Gatwick