a horse race that takes place every year at the Aintree race course near Liverpool, England. Many people who are not usually interested in horse racing bet money on the horse they think will win the Grand National. British steeplechase horse-racing event held annually in Liverpool, Eng. Established in 1839, it attracts more attention throughout the world than any other such event, because of its extreme difficulties and dangers. The course is covered twice for a distance of 4.48 mi (7.2 km), including 31 jumps, some of them spectacularly hazardous