Having called Uttoxeter it’s home for over 50 years, this Staffordshire town is synonymous with the Midlands Grand National. The class 1 race run every March is the second longest race in the National Hunt calendar, second only to the famous Grand National.
The Midlands Grand National first ran in 1969. It runs over a distance of 4 miles and 2 furlongs (though the distance has been altered many times over 50 years) and 24 fences are jumped throughout.
In 1969, winner Happy Spring was coming to the end of a fine career of which had seen him be one of only six horses ever to
have beaten the legendary Arkle. Happy Spring and jockey Ken White galloped into the record books by becoming the first ever winner of the Midlands Grand National.
