2013 Grand National to modifications made for the previous year's race, Aintree announced that a number of further changes had been made for the 2013 National. Twelve of the 16 fences on the course were rebuilt with the timber frames within them replaced by a softer material known as "plastic birch". The fences are still covered with at least 14 inches of spruce and will remain the same height. The starting line was also moved 90 yards closer to the first fence, further away from the spectators' stands and thereby reducing slightly the overall distance. Aintree and the Professional Jockeys' Association jointly issued
The French, They Are a Funny Race The French, They Are a Funny Race The French, They Are a Funny Race — known in France as Les Carnets du Major Thompson ("The Notebooks of Major Thompson") and in the U.K. as The Diary of Major Thompson — is a 1955 comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, based on the novel by Pierre Daninos, and starring Jack Buchanan and Martine Carol. This was the last film directed by Preston Sturges as well as the last film for actor Jack Buchanan before his death from spinal cancer on 20 October 1957. Major Thompson (Jack Buchanan) is a