Aintree inches closer to million pound milestone

The prize fund for the John Smith's Grand National, the biggest single jump race in Europe, will reach UK£975,000 this year.

The fund, which has been boosted by a UK£25,000 injection from Aintree Racecourse and the race's title sponsor John Smith's, is expected to reach UK£1 million next year.

When John Smith's extended its contract in 2009, a target prize fund of UK£1 million by 2013 was set.

The latest increase comes despite a reduction in funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the body that dictates how much money British racing receives each year from British bookmakers.

Total prize money for the three-day John Smith’s Grand National meeting, which starts on Thursday 12th April, remains at UK£2,540,000.

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“We are delighted that in our eighth year of supporting Britain’s biggest jump race and, as Britain’s biggest supporter of racing, we have reached another milestone for the John Smith’s Grand National with the increase in prize fund and look forward to the 2012 running in just 13 weeks’ time,” said Nigel Pollard, head of UK external communications at Heineken, John Smith's parent company.

John Smith's title sponsorship contract expires in 2013, with an option for a further three years after that.