Crowds cheer on as Grand National winner crosses the line
By Eleanor Barlow, Press Association
Crowds of racegoers cheered on at Aintree as the Grand National winner crossed the finish line.
Punters were dressed in their finest for a day out at the races in Aintree, Merseyside, although they were forced to seek shelter from a hailstorm earlier in the afternoon.
Among those enjoying the races were Coleen Rooney, wearing a pale yellow Roland Mouret dress, and her husband Wayne.
The rain held off for the world-famous steeplechase at 4pm and punters lined the stands of the course to cheer on their favourite.
I Am Maximus, who won in 2024, became the eighth horse to win the race twice.
He had been a popular choice for punters, with one hopeful putting a £100,000 bet on at the course with bookies Fitzwilliam Sports.
Animal rights organisations had called for this year’s festival to be boycotted as two horses died on Friday and Saturday.
Gold Dancer died after winning the second race on Ladies Day and Get On George sustained a fatal injury in Saturday’s William Hill Handicap Hurdle.
The steeplechase was delayed in 2023 after protesters gained access to the track.
But racegoers did not appear to be deterred and Friday saw more than 53,000 people on the course, the biggest crowd for Ladies Day since 2012.
John Hallihan, 69, from Cork in Ireland, who wore a green suit with lucky shamrocks for the occasion, said he had been attending Aintree for 20 years.
He said: “It’s very special. It’s famous all over the world.
“The fences aren’t as daunting as they were, which is good for the animals and for everybody.”
Wesley Jones, 44, from Crosby, Merseyside, who was with his wife Becky, 39, said: “It brings a lot of people from all over the world in to see this and we live here.
“We get this on our doorstep so we’ve got to count ourselves lucky.”
Oliver Henney, 22, had travelled with more than 20 friends from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, on Saturday.
He said: “It’s the best party in the world.”
For many, the day was not all about the horses.
Fashion designer Melissa-Kate Newitt, 27, from Birkenhead, Wirral, said: “I think it’s probably the best event in the country for fashion.
“Everyone comes to see what the girls are wearing.
“It is peak British fashion, I’d say.”
She had come prepared for the weather.
“If I get drunk and I’m cold I’m going to be miserable and I’m not going to want to do anything so I’ve brought my coat for safety,” she said.
Those watching the race included youngsters at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where the race was shown in the MediCinema on site for the first time.
The screen was set up for patient Oliver Christie, five, who underwent his fifth open heart surgery last month and was the race’s honorary 35th runner.
