With more than 180 years of history to draw on, this is a glorious account of one of sport's most enduring and best-loved races, watched by hundreds of millions of people, around the globe, every year.

Run over four miles and more than thirty fences at Aintree, the Grand National is the ultimate test of horse and rider. A fixture of the British sporting calendar since 1839, it has produced extraordinary winners, famous upsets and stories that pass into folklore as they land that final fence. From early champions through to modern legends such as Red Rum, Aldaniti and Tiger Roll, the race has made icons of its greatest jockeys – among them Brian Fletcher, Richard Dunwoody and AP McCoy – and attracted trainers and owners from across the world.

Fully updated for 2027, this book traces the Grand National from its nineteenth-century origins to the present day, covering the great horses, the victories, the controversies and the characters that have made the race what it is today.