The 2012 Grand National will be the 165th annual renewal of the world-famous Grand National

Grand National

The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...

 horse race

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 at Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....

 near Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, England.

The showpiece steeplechase

Steeplechase

Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...

, which concludes a three-day meeting which is one of only four held at Aintree throughout the year, will begin at 4:15 pm BST on 14 April 2012. A maximum permitted field of forty runners will compete for prize money which in 2011 topped £950,000, making it the highest valued National Hunt race

National Hunt racing

National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...

 in the United Kingdom.

Safety improvements

In 2011, Aintree announced some modifications to the format of the race and to the National Course in time for the 2012 Grand National. The changes followed a review of the 2011 race

2011 Grand National

The 2011 Grand National was the 164th renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England....

 in which two horses suffered fatal falls. A review conducted by Aintree authorities and the British Horseracing Authority

British Horseracing Authority

The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain.It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the British Horseracing Board and the Horseracing Regulatory Authority .Its stated objectives are to: “provide the most...

, in consultation with the RSPCA

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...

 and World Horse Welfare

World Horse Welfare

World Horse Welfare is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and Scotland that was previously named The International League for the Protection of Horses . Anne, Princess Royal is its patron.-History:...

, recommended the following amendments to the course:

• Fence 1 (fence 17 on second circuit) to be levelled out on the landing side to remove several minor contours.
• Fence 4 (fence 20 on second circuit) to be rebuilt and reduced in height by two inches to 4 ft 10 inches.
• Becher's Brook
  Becher's Brook
  Becher's Brook is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the sixth and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year...
  
   (fence 6 on first circuit, fence 22 on second circuit) to have its drop on the landing side reduced by between four and five inches.
• Height of toe-boards at the base of all fences to be increased from nine inches to 14 inches, in line with ordinary fences.

Other recommendations were made to improve the safety of race participants, such as:

• The requirement for participating horses to have previously finished fourth or better in a recognised steeplechase
  Steeplechase
  Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
  
  of at least three miles.
• The minimum age of eligible horses to be increased from six to seven years.
• The creation of a new post-race washdown and cooling area.
• Flexibility in shortening or removing the pre-race parade in hot weather.