The Grand National: a commentator's view

The Grand National is held at Aintree racecourse - which is around six miles from Liverpool City Centre.

This year's race on April 11th will see a maximum of 34 horses race over a four-and-a-half-mile course that contains 30 fences. It'll be watched by around 70 thousand people at the racecourse and a further six hundred million on television around the world.

The legendary racing commentator, John Hunt, has been covering the event for the BBC for over 20 years. He explains to John Bennett his unusual technique for remembering each horse and their jockey and how a pair of binoculars passed down through generations of commentators at the BBC makes calling the winner easier.

Gina Bryce - who made history for the BBC when she became the first woman in modern times to commentate live from the racecourse on the 2025 Grand National - says it's not just about who is leading the race - it's about telling the stories behind many of the runners, riders and trainers involved.

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