Grand National | |
Location | Aintree Racecourse |
---|---|
Date | 5 April 2014 |
Winning horse | Pineau de Re |
SP | 25/1 |
Jockey | Leighton Aspell |
Trainer | Richard Newland |
Owner | John A. Provan |
Conditions | Good to soft |
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Full replay of the 2014 Grand National Racing UK, YouTube |
The 2014 Grand National (officially known as the 2014 Crabbie's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 167th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase, which concluded a three-day meeting (one of only four held at Aintree throughout the year), took place on 5 April 2014. The maximum permitted field of 40 runners competed for a share of a record £1 million prize fund, which makes the National the most valuable jump race in Europe.
It was sponsored by Crabbie's for the first time, the ginger beer producer having taken over the sponsorship rights from John Smith's after the 2013 Grand National. The race was broadcast live on television by Channel 4 for the second time, having won the TV rights from the BBC after 2012, while the BBC retains the UK radio coverage rights it has held since 1927.
Pineau de Re, a 25/1 shot ridden by Leighton Aspell, won the race for trainer Richard Newland and owner John Provan, to become the sixth French-bred horse to win the Grand National. Eighteen runners completed the course, and all returned safely to the stables.
Entries for the Grand National had to be submitted by 28 January 2014. The following day, Aintree announced that 115 horses had been entered for consideration in the 2014 Grand National, an increase of 31 on the previous year and the highest number of initial entries since 2009. Handicap weights were announced by the British Horseracing Authority in London on 11 February.
There were scratchings' deadlines on 25 February and 18 March, after which 73 horses went forward to the five-day confirmation stage on 31 March. At that time they were reduced to 65 in total and the remaining contenders were ranked according to their ratings. On 3 April the final field of 40 runners was declared as follows: