Grand National hospitality is big business with thousands of corporate companies fighting over the best tickets to reward colleagues or impress clients. The grade 3 handicap race is steeped in history and bears tales of controversy from the word go that might make excellent trivia and interesting banter when entertaining at a Grand National hospitality event.



Historians are still battling it out as to when the first official Grand National actually took place, as the initial races in 1937 and 1938 were not held at the existing site of Aintree, they were held just north of Liverpool in Maghull. There is some controversy surrounding this as certain historians are campaigning to get these original races recognised in the records. The first recognised Grand National winner was a horse by the name Lottery and that was run at Aintree.

Another interesting Grand National hospitality fact is that the Aintree course was closed during the first world war however it did not stop the races from running and the event was relocated to where the existing Gatwick airport. The race was run under a different name and from 1917-1918 it was known as the War National Steeplechase. The winners names of these relocated races are often left out of winners lists and never bore the title Grand national Winners, another point of controversy.

One of the biggest moments of controversy that you would not wish a repeat of when entertaining at Grand National hospitality came after decades of fantastic entertainment from Grand national winners such as Red Rum. This was the 1993 starting fiasco which many disgruntled (and possibly bankrupt) bookies will recall with resentment as the race was eventually postponed.

After the race started it was deemed that a false start had actually occurred however due to poor communication between the officials and the starter 30 out of the 39 horse began running the race with 9 actually finishing the two circuits of the course. Officials were waving red flags all over the course however in the melee of the race most of the jockeys mistook them for protestors. The race had to be cancelled to much anger from punters, bookies and owners.

Organisers were determined to not let this happen again so when in 1997 two coded bomb threats were received the Saturday meeting was cancelled, however it was only postponed until the Monday when organised offered free admission. Tens of thousands of people were stranded for the weekend as their cars had been locked in the Aintree complex however in true British fashion local residents opened their doors to provide shelter.

The 1993 race remains the only race void apart from the war time cancellations which were not actually run. The heritage involved in the Grand National is not only a point of recreation and gaming but a British institution that has overcome controversy and adversity to remain one of the highlights of the sporting and social calendar. Grand National hospitality remains one of the most coveted sources of entertainment and reputable suppliers can be found online.