The Grand National Trial is a Premier Handicap National Huntsteeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 3 miles and 4½ furlongs (3 miles, 4 furlongs and 97 yards, or 5,721 metres ), and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in February.
The event was established in 1947 and took place every year until 1984. From 1985 to 1990 there was no race at the meeting over this distance, but in 1991 the Greenall Whitley Gold Cup was increased in distance from 3 miles (4,828 metres) to 3 miles and 4 furlongs (5,633 metres), effectively recreating the original Haydock Grand National Trial. The Grand National Trial name was readopted in 1996. Subsequent sponsors included De Vere Group, Red Square Vodka and Blue Square, the race title suffixing the sponsor's name with "Gold Cup".
The Tote took over sponsorship from the 2011 running and the race title was changed to the totesport.com Grand National trial. As the name implies, the race serves as an important trial for the Grand National. It is now sponsored by William Hill. The race held Grade 3 status until 2022 and was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2023 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the British Horseracing Authority.[1]
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