ALONG with the rest of the UK, the world of sport is also mourning the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
All sport, including the Grand National, is set to hold a two-minute silence, to mark the death of Prince Philip.
What time is the two minute silence today?
The 173rd Grand National is expected to go ahead on Saturday, April 10, 2021, a day after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh was announced.
As racing’s tribute, a two-minute silence will be held on the course before the start of the National at 5:15pm.
All jockeys taking part are invited to wear black armbands.
Flags at the racecourse will also be flown at half-mast.
Prince Philip had been an honorary member of the Jockey Club since 1947.
He regularly accompanied the Queen, a high-profile owner and breeder of top racehorses, to meets including Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby.
The Jockey Club released a statement on April, 9, 2021, to confirm the Grand National will go ahead.
The statement reads: “Jockey Club Racecourses has held discussions with the British Horseracing Authority regarding the staging of Randox Grand National Day tomorrow at Aintree Racecourse.
“Following consultation with Government, we can confirm that Randox Grand National Day will go ahead on Saturday 10th April 2021.
“Following the sad news of the death of The Duke of Edinburgh a two-minute silence will be held on course ahead of the 173rd Randox Grand National, jockeys will be invited to wear black armbands and flags will be flown at half-mast at the racecourse.
“ITV will broadcast its coverage of Randox Grand National Day on its main channel as scheduled.”
What is the Grand National?
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held every year at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool.
The first run was held in February 1839, 182 years ago.
The Grand National has been broadcast live on British television since 1960.
It is estimated 500 to 600 million people watch the Grand National in over 140 countries.
The 2020 Grand National was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
How can I watch the grand national?
Fans can watch the Grand National on ITV1 that will be broadcasting live coverage.
They will be also able to live stream the programme via the web page or app.
