The Derby is for racing purists; the 2000 and 1000 Guineas for the owners; Cheltenham’s Gold Cup for the Irish; but The Grand National is the race for the British people – and at the last estimate, about half a billion more around the globe.
It is a race that is easily understood by those who never watch another horse race all year, starting like a cavalry charge and proceeding like a hunt over the distance of just under 4.5 miles. The height and number of the fences brings in the element of danger, making finishing at times something of a lottery, as Foinavon’s famous 100-1 victory in 1967 showed. Sadly horses die in the race, which is not easy to justify – and one jockey died of his injuries back in 1862.
But it is undoubtedly a national institution, run since 1839 (or arguably 1836): grannies, vicars and freelance writers who don’t place a bet on anything else all year peruse the papers for guides to form; listen to experts spouting nonsense; or choose a horse because they like the colour of its jockey’s silks; or something in a name stirs them – when Party Politics won in 1992 with an election campaign in full swing the bookies took a pasting. Shame. The National has produced heroes human and equine: three-time winner Red Rum became a four-legged celebrity, albeit with more charm than most two-legged versions; Bob Champion’s 1981 success after beating cancer touched the country; and the Duke of Albuquerque’s repeated fruitless efforts made him a legend. Villains too – the 1993 start fiasco made some names mud.
Every April on one Saturday afternoon we gather round TV sets, or even make our way to Liverpool’s Aintree Racecourse , clutching our office sweepstakes tickets or betting slips – one day my forecast bet will make me rich. But meanwhile there is always next year’s event.
More British Institutions
Afternoon Tea
Allotments
April Fools Day
Big Ben
Binge Drinking
Black Cabs
Bonfire Night
British Sense of Humour
Brown Windsor Soup
Burns Night
Cadburys
Castles
Changing the Guard
City of London
Coronation Street
Cowes Week
Cricket
Crufts
Dad’s Army
E-Type Jag
Eccentricity
English Country Garden
Fish and Chips
Fish Fingers
Fox Hunting
Full English Breakfast
Gin and Tonic
Glastonbury
Glorious Goodwood
Grand National
Grouse Shooting
Harrods
Highland Games
Hogmanay
James Bond
John Bull
King Arthur
Land Rover
Lloyds of London
London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally
Marks and Spencer
Monty Python
Morecambe and Wise
Old School Tie
Oxbridge
Panto
Picnics
Pimms
Point-to-Point
Punch and Judy
Queueing
Real Ale
Red Arrows
Red Telephone Boxes
Remembrance Poppies
Robin Hood
Rolls Royce
Royal Ascot
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Savile Row Suits
School Discos
School Sports Day
Seaside Piers
Speakers’ Corner
Stag Nights
Stiff Upper Lip
Strawberries and Cream
Street Markets
Summer Festivals
Sunday Roasts
The Archers
The BBC
The Beano
The Boat Race
The Brass Band
The British Bobby
The Bulldog
The Church of England
The Cup Final
The Curry House
The English Rose
The Garden Shed
The Honours System
The Kilt
The Last Night at the Proms
The London Bus
The Mini
The National Trust
The NHS
The Oak
The Pub
The Queen’s Speech
The Rolling Stones
The Royal Christmas Message
The Spitfire
The V Sign
The Village Fete
The Weather
Travelling Fairs
Trooping the Colour
Village Greens
Wedgwood
Wellington Boots
Wimbledon
Wine Gums
Yeomen of the Guard
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