Grand National in front of the stands. The majority of the race therefore took place not on the actual Aintree Racecourse but instead in the adjoining countryside. That countryside was incorporated into the modern course but commentators still often refer to it as "the country". There are 16 fences on the National Course topped with spruce from the Lake District. The cores of 12 fences were rebuilt in 2012 and they are now made of a flexible plastic material which is more forgiving compared to the traditional wooden core fences. They are still topped with at least of spruce for the horses
Grand National Trial Grand National Trial The Grand National Trial is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 3 miles and 4½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in February. The event was established in 1947 and took place every year until 1984. From 1985 to 1990 there was no race at the meeting over this distance, but in