Manifesto Novices' Chase Manifesto Novices' Chase The Manifesto Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Grand National meeting in early April. The event is named after Manifesto, a horse which ran eight times in the Grand National between 1895 and 1904. He won the
National Hunt racing is run over a distance of more than 4 miles, there are up to 40 runners, the course at Aintree is essentially flat, and the horses are handicapped (the best horses carry the most weight). Perhaps the most fundamental difference is that the Grand National fences are far bigger than the fences at Cheltenham, and a number of fences incorporate significant drops. The most famous fence is Becher's Brook which is 5ft high, but has a 7ft drop on landing and is widely regarded as the biggest challenge on the course. Famous winners of the Grand National include Red Rum