The Grand National: Your guide to horse racing’s most famous steeplechase, as the four-mile, two-and-a-half-furlong course features 30 grueling fences.

The Grand National is known as the People’s Race and attracts national attention in a way that perhaps no other horse race can achieve.

Every year millions of people gather at Aintree, around their TVs, phones, tablets and any other device they can stream from to watch the most famous steeple chase.

And with that comes the desire of many to bet on a horse, whether favorite or not, to add to their experience.

Not everyone who decides to bet on this race will know too much about the track.

But fear not, as Mail Sport breaks down everything you need to know about the Grand National.

What type of race is the Grand National?

There are several different categories when it comes to horse racing, ranging from flat races to steeplechase races.

The Grand National is an example of the latter, where horses have to complete a series of obstacles while trying to outrun their opponents.

It’s a course that has made life difficult for even the most elite competitors in the past.

Grand National Hurdles and Course

The Grand National is held at Aintree Racecourse and takes place on the first or second Saturday in April.

The race itself spans 4 miles, two and a half furlongs and 74 yards, making it the longest horse race in Britain, although it used to be around one and a half furlongs longer.

The decision to shorten the race slightly was made to move the start line further away from the grandstands to help avoid false starts and make the first jump safer as riders and horses would arrive more slowly.

The course (the distance from the last fence to the finish line) is 494 yards, again the longest of its kind in Britain.

There is also a slight curve in the course just before the line known as the elbow due to its shape.

30 fences stand between the riders, the horses and the glory. 16 in the first circuit and 14 in the second with each fence jumped twice bart the 15th and 16th.

Another key difference between this obstacle course and others more commonly seen is that the hurdles are made of spruce.

In recent years modifications have been made to make them more forgiving in an effort to reduce the number of falls.

What are the most famous fences?

Becher’s Brook – Fence Six and 22

This is the most famous obstacle course in the world and has become synonymous with the most famous race.

Perhaps most interestingly, a horse named Conrad fell at this particular fence at the first Grand National back in 1839.

Foinavon – Fence seven and 23

At just four feet six inches, this is one of the smallest jumps in the Grand National.

It is taken immediately after Belcher’s Brook and got its name after a pile-up in 1967, where a horse called Foinavon was so far back that he managed to avoid the carnage to get over the fence safely and win.

Canal Turn – Fence eight and 24

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs alongside Aintree Racecourse and the closing is at fence eight.

Due to the left turn immediately after landing, you must jump inside to negotiate the change of direction.

Valentine’s Brook – Fence Nine and 25

This is the first of four fences along the side of the track that sees the horses race back towards the end of the race.

Originally called Second Brook, it was renamed in 1840 after a horse named Valentine cleared the obstacle hind legs first.

The Chair – Fence 15

The first of the two fences that are only jumped on the first circuit of the race. It is located near the grandstand and finish line.

It earned its name due to its location where the judge sat on a small chair next to the obstacle to have a clear view of the finish line.

Famous for its pit beforehand, it is one of the Grand National’s toughest challenges.

Waterfall – Fence 16

The waterfall is the smallest fence on the course, measuring two feet, six inches, but its challenges exist outside of the height.

As the name suggests, horses must clean the water immediately after the fence.