Q 01/05

Aintree Racecourse, home of the Grand National, is in which English county?

A) Merseyside

B) West Yorkshire

C) Cheshire

D) Greater Manchester

Answer · why

A) Merseyside

Aintree lies in Merseyside, near Liverpool, and new rail links helped turn the 1839 race from a local chase into a national event.

Q 02/05

Under what name was the Grand National first run in 1839?

A) Liverpool Grand Chase

B) Aintree Grand Chase

C) National Steeplechase Cup

D) Grand Liverpool Steeplechase

Answer · why

D) Grand Liverpool Steeplechase

The Grand Liverpool Steeplechase of 1839 is the official first, though some historians argue three earlier Aintree races from 1836 should count.

Q 03/05

How many fences do the horses jump in the Grand National?

A) 30

B) 32

C) 40

D) 36

Answer · why

A) 30

There are 16 fences on the course; 14 are jumped twice, while The Chair and the Water Jump are only taken on the first lap.

Q 04/05

Which aptly named horse won the first official Grand National in 1839?

A) The Duke

B) Lottery

C) Jerry

D) Pioneer

Answer · why

B) Lottery

Lottery was so superior that later Nationals saddled him with heavy weight penalties, and he never won the race again.

Q 05/05

Becher's Brook is named after a rider who did what there in the first Grand National?

A) Broke his collarbone landing

B) Cleared it standing in his stirrups

C) Fell into the water

D) Refused it three times

Answer · why

C) Fell into the water

Captain Martin Becher fell into the water from Conrad and took shelter in the brook, then remounted and rode on.