Prize money for the John Smith’s Grand National meeting has risen again this year, with a new record of £2,560,000 offered over the three days, April 3, 4 & 5. This is an increase of £240,000, up by more than 10 per cent on last year’s total of £2,320,000.
The biggest boost is to the John Smith’s Grand National itself which has received an extra £100,000 in prize money, taking the total fund for the world’s most famous jump race up to a record £800,000. For the fi rst time in 2008, the seventh and eighth horses home receive prize money. There is £5,280 for the seventh and £2,720 for the eighth.
It remains the ambition of Aintree Racecourse and Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, owner of John Smith’s, to increase the total prize fund of the Grand National to £1million by 2010. Prize money has also increased for other races on the Saturday, with the John Smith’s Extra Smooth Handicap Hurdle, the John Smith’s Extra Cold Handicap and the John Smith’s Novices’ Handicap Chase each receiving a £10,000 boost. The first two are now worth £60,000, with the John Smith’s Novices’ Handicap Chase going up to 40,000, the same level as the John Smith’s Champion National Hunt Flat Race after a £5,000 increase.
The most significant increase on the Thursday is the £30,000 which has been added to the opening race of the meeting, the John Smith’s Liverpool Hurdle, which jumps to £100,000. There is an additional £10,000 for the John Smith’s Bowl Chase (£160,000), the John Smith’s Red Rum Handicap Chase (£80,000) and the John Smith’s No Nonsense Handicap Hurdle (£60,000). Two £5,000 increases bring the John Smith’s Fox Hunters’ Chase over the Grand National fences to £40,000 and the John Smith’s Mersey Novices’ Hurdle to £60,000.
Prize money on the Friday goes up by £35,000, with £10,000 rises for the John Smith’s Topham Chase (£110,000) over the Grand National fences and the John Smith’s Handicap Chase (£60,000). The John Smith’s Top Novices’ Hurdle (£60,000) and the John Smith’s HBLB TBA Mares Only National Hunt Flat Race (£35,000) both go up by £5,000.
Commenting on the increases, Aintree’s managing director Julian Thick said: “We are delighted to be able to announce a considerable increase in prize money for the John Smith’s Grand National meeting in 2008. “We are blessed with an incredibly supportive partner in John Smith’s who shares our commitment to continually improve the quality of the race meeting and we firmly believe we’ve made a step forward with this increase.”
