Grand prize money at famous Aintree meeting

The famous Grand National meeting in the UK kicks off on Thursday and the three-day festival will have record prize money of more than £3m.

The winning owner in Saturday’s big race over the gruelling Aintree fences will receive £561,000.

The event marks an anniversary for a number of memorable events surrounding the race:

● Fifty years ago there was a sensational mid-race pile-up, with 200-1 outsider Foinavon evading the stricken horses and going on to notch a shock win;

● It is 40 years since the famous steeplechaser Red Rum scored the third of his three wins;

● It is 20 years since a bomb scare forced the race to be delayed 48 hours; it was run on the Monday.

Rather like former South African champions Jeff Lloyd and Dougie Whyte, who have never won the Durban July, UK jumps champion Richard Johnson has never won the Grand National.

He will be riding in the race for the 21st time on Saturday.

Several of the winners at March’s Cheltenham Festival will be in action, including RSA Chase winner Might Bite, Champion Hurdle victor Buveur D’Air and Defi Du Seuil, who made it six wins from six appearances when successful in the Triumph Hurdle.

Trainer Paul Nicholls is likely to have five runners in the Grand National, with his team spearheaded by the useful steeplechaser Vicente. If one of his quintet wins the race, it will mean Nicholls captures the trainers title from his big rival, Nicky Henderson.

Locally, the Vaal hosts an eight-race programme on Thursday and Anthony Delpech, who won on Amazing Strike at Turffontein on Tuesday, has prospects of landing a double on two Mike de Kock runners.

In the third race, Delpech partners the newcomer Martha’s Vinyard. This daughter of Exceed and Excel is bred in the purple and could make a winning debut.

Delpech will be aware Sean Tarry has his team in devastating form and the champion trainer saddles Code Writer, who finished a creditable second in her solitary start to date.

De Kock has a strong hand in the fourth race, in which he introduces the Fastnet Rock filly Front Club. Callan Murray, successful on Heavenly Blue in last weekend’s SA Classic, takes the ride. Delpech will be aboard Brazilian-bred stablemate Sheema, who has had a number of chances and is proving costly to follow.

561,000 pounds goes to the owner of the horse that wins the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday