13.01.09 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE

MEETING PRIZE MONEY UP BY £150, 000

Aintree Racecourse today announced at its annual visit to the yard of John Smith’s Grand National winning trainer, David Pipe, that the total prize fund for the 2009 showcase meeting, which takes place at Aintree Racecourse from Thursday, 2 – Saturday, 4 April, will top £2,710,000 - an increase of nearly six percent on the 2008 total of £2,560,000.  This announcement comes just 15 days after the racecourse published that the 2009 John Smith’s Grand National will be worth a staggering £900,000, an increase of £100,000 on the previous year.

In addition to the Grand National, races which will benefit from an increase include: the Grade Two John Smith’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase on Friday, 3 April, which will increase to £90,000 (a boost of £10,000); the renewal of the Grade One John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle, which takes place on Saturday, 4 April, will in 2009 be valued at £170,000; and, the John Smith’s Handicap Steeple Chase, also on John Smith’s Grand National day, will both benefit from a £10,000 increase.  The full race programme and prize money schedule is attached.

In addition to prize money increases, the 2009 meeting will see the inaugural running of the new £80,000 Grade Two John Smith’s Manifesto Novices’ Chase (4.55pm, Thursday, 2 April) over two and a half miles.  The race honours Manifesto, who between 1885 and 1904 ran a record eight times in the Grand National, collecting two victories and four places.

Julian Thick, Managing Director of Aintree Racecourse commented: “It is great news that we have again managed to increase prize money for the John Smith’s Grand National meeting for at least the 13th year in succession, honouring our commitment to continuously improve the quality of the meeting.  With £2,710,000 to be won over three-days in April, we are confident it will be an un-missable meeting.  It’s interesting to look at increases in prize money over the years, as back in 1997 the total prize fund for the three day meeting was £832,500.  Now we’re looking at a figure of over three times as much, with the John Smith’s Grand National now worth more than the total prize fund for the meeting was 13 years ago.”