Any jockeys dead Sid?
I hope Pineau De Re is enjoying a few glasses of Pinot back at his stable. He’s immortal now.
[QUOTE=“Sidney, post: 916756, member: 183”]With this Cheltenham nonsense now over, attention can now turn to the big one in three weeks’ time. The People’s Race promises to be as exciting as ever. The 40 best horses in jump racing will go to post, and each one will realistically think they have a chance of victory - the strength in depth of the field is unrivalled.
I’ll be venturing into my local bookies’ shop for the first time since last year’s race, and I’m certainly looking forward to that. I hope whichever horse’s name I stick a pin in that Saturday lunchtime will be the name engraved on the famous old trophy this year.[/QUOTE]
Are you all set for the 2015 renewal of the People’s Race? What a day Saturday promises to be - The Grand National and the Boat Race on the same day.
A Grand National 2015 thread has been posted.
Just a pity the Boat Race organisers have given in to political correctness and are holding the women’s Boat Race before the main event for the first time ever.
Anybody know when the Goldie v Isis race is being held? @mickee321?
The Grand National will be sponsored by Randox Health from 2017 after the healthcare company agreed a “multi-million pound” five-year deal.
The Northern Ireland-based firm replaces alcoholic drink Crabbie’s, which will sponsor the Aintree race for the final time on 9 April.
This year’s race will start at 17:15 BST, an hour later than previously.
I love the Grand National. Looking over a list of winners I think I’ve backed a disproportionately large number of them.
My daughter and wife made a packet a few years ago, this is still on the wall
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The blue riband event of horse racing is upon us again.
Is this the first time ever that the Grand National will take place on Derby day?
Liverpool will be absolutely rocking on Saturday. I can’t wait to hear the clippety-Klopp of the horses racing across the Melling Road.
Liverpool and Everton players of the 1980s often said how when the Division 1 fixture list for the following season was released each summer, the first thing they’d do was look for what game was to be played on the day of the Grand National. If they were given a home fixture, they knew there would be an early kick-off (11:30 usually) and they’d have time to get out to Aintree and eat, drink, bet, flirt and be merry to their heart’s content for the rest of the day, and night.
With the early kick-off at Goodison this Saturday, you can be sure that both sets of players will be continuing this time-honoured tradition.
Saturday week sid.
Isnt it usually on Masters weekend?
W
T
F
This is a scandal.
Not a golf fan copper, so dont know.
They fall on the same weekend most years but the Grand National is usually the second Saturday in April and the Masters always concludes the second Sunday in April. With 1 April falling on a Sunday this year, the second Saturday and second Sunday of April fall on different weekends. Up until relatively recently the FA Cup semi finals were usually on the same weekend as the Masters and the Grand National. FA Cup semi finals have drifted back to the third weekend in April.
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My recollection is that the general rule was that the Aintree Festival would start on the first Thursday of April with the great race on the following Saturday, so the date of the great race would generally fall between April 3rd and 9th inclusive.
However the Aintree festival would never take place during Easter week, so if Easter Saturday fell between April 3rd and 9th, the great race would usually be brought forward a week, such as in 1985 and 1996 when the great race took place on March 30th.
From 1999 onwards, if Easter Saturday fell between April 3rd and 9th, a change was made so that the great race would be held a week later, ie. in 1999 Easter Saturday was April 3rd, so the great race was held on April 10th.
This is the first time in my recollection that the great race has been held outside the April 3rd-9th timeframe for a reason other than Easter - and I don’t like it one bit.
Neither do I like Wimbledon being moved back a week from its traditional July 3rd-9th final day slot.
I guess you could say I’m outraged.
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i still havent recovered from this
not to mention the moving of the FA Cup semi finals to Wembley
was 1991 with Arsenal and Spurs the first semi to make this move?
Forest WHU the same day with Tony Gale seeing red was in Upton Park, in 1992 Pompey .Pool at Highbury? and Sunderland / Norwich (elland road?) were the last 2 i recall not played at wembley
FA cup semis coinicde with sunny days like in 1990 with Oldham - ManU and Palace/Pool
As I said in my previous post, the Grand National usually took place in the April 3rd to 9th time frame. The US Masters final day always falls on the second Sunday in April, ie. April 8th to 14th.
That means that if the classic timeframes for both events were adhered to, only three years in seven would the events take place on the same weekend. The frequency of them being on the same weekend has increased since 1999 due to the Grand National being put back a week rather than forward a week due to Easter.
From memory (ie. 1987 onwards), the classic triple act of the Grand National, US Masters and FA Cup semi-finals on the same weekend occurred in the following years:
1988
1990
1994
1995
1999
2001
I can’t remember after that as I stopped paying genuine attention to FA Cup semi-finals shortly afterwards.
To me 1988 and 1990 were the two truly classic spring triple bills.
'88 saw Rhyme ‘N’ Reason pip Durham Edition at Aintree, John Aldridge score a memorable volley for Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough, and Sandy Lyle’s memorable bunker shot and putt to take the green jacket on the 18th.
'90 saw Mr. Frisk run the fastest Grand National of all-time, the inaugural Sunday FA Cup semi-final double bill featuring two epics played in glorious spring sunshine - the infamous Crystal Palace win over Liverpool in extra-time and Manchester United drawing 3-3 with Oldham, and Nick Faldo retaining the green jacket at Augusta and keeping it in Britain for a third successive year (it would go on to be four the following year when Woosie did the business). All live on the BBC, described by commentary greats Peter O’Sullevan, John Hanmer, Julian Wilson, John Motson, Barry Davies, Peter Alliss and Alex Hay, and presented by presenting greats Desmond Lynam and Steve Rider.
It was British sport and British sports broadcasting at its brilliant, brilliant best.
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