Grand National’s wildest fights – champagne bottle cracked over head to baring-all brawl
The Grand National is a chance for top-class racing – but the excitement is not only set for the course, with some wild brawls having taken place throughout the years
With the Grand National just around the corner, thousands of keen race-goers are gearing up for three days of top class racing, a few drinks and even a punt here and there.
But while many will enjoy a calm time at the UK’s biggest racecourse, Aintree has hosted a few boisterous brawls in its time. The course’s capacity is 75,000 spectators, with celebrities often in attendance, it attracts the attention of the whole country – and beyond. But this interest doesn’t stop on the course, with a few fist fights taking place around the famous race.
The course officials have introduced plenty of security measures to ensure the safety of all attendees, including a so-called ‘ring of steel’ to protect the event from rogue race-goers and protesters – including undercover crowd behaviour experts. Project Servator cops, who specialise at analysing revellers’ antics to foil disturbances or protests before they happen, will be mingling with fans in the crowd.
However, some fist fights have broken out in previous years. The Daily Star has looked back at some of the more infamous…
Throwing fists
Last year, images of two men fist fighting emerged as the famous Aintree Ladies’ Day turned ugly. One race-goer was seen with blood coming from his mouth as he grabbed another by the front of his suit.
Other race-goers could be seen in the background giving the pair a wide-berth. Merseyside Police confirmed three men were arrested on suspicion of affray following a report of a “fight at the front of the Princess Royal Stand” at around 2.25pm. The report “involved four or five men in an altercation”.
One man received treatment on site for minor injuries. At the time they appealed for witnesses, as the forces keep order throughout the event.
‘Shameful’ fights
Another year saw a video emerge of two men engaged in a bloody altercation. This took place at Aintree, but in December during Becher Chase day.
In the footage, one man can be seen throwing punches at another who is held in a headlock by a second person. Another man appears to step in to break up the scrap but then gets walloped by one of the two men who starts lashing out at the guy.
The fight even spills from the stand into the stairwell in the clip, which gained more than a million views on social media.
More men start piling into each other, with one lad kicking another man as he stumbles while trying to get up from the floor. But all hell then breaks loose as four or five other guys start on each other, while some try to break up the scuffling.
It’s safe to say the display of violence was condemned on social media. One person wrote: “Good day’s racing yesterday at Aintree but sad to see yet more violence on racecourses.” Another described the whole incident as “shameful” with a third adding: “There’s nothing more cringe than seeing grown men fighting.”
Here come the girls
One fight garnered online attention when a few women threw fists following an interesting day of racing. It was not confirmed whether the fight took place on course, or rather at an afterparty in the area.
The video – posted by a Liverpool community page – showed well-dressed girls on the floor scrapping. One of the women, pictured in a white bodycon outfit, kicked the other in the face with her stiletto heels.
She does not seem to care her underwear was on show, as she carried on her attack.
Neither of the ladies also seemed to realise their frocks were quickly becoming covered in mud from the ground. A group of men surrounded them, equally well dressed, and tried to pull them apart.
One man manages to extract a third woman, but the remaining fighters started grabbing each other’s hair. Some of the surrounding men appeared to hold chunks of hair extensions that seemingly fell out of the women’s hair.
When the camera panned, several onlookers appeared shocked at the altercation.
Champagne slinger
Back in 2017, The National was horrified after a shocking fight broke out in the stands with a bottle being used. Footage showed racing fans in suits throwing punches at each other.
Security quickly rode in to try and break them up. Before this, one man appeared to smash a champagne bottle over another punter’s head, leaving him a bloody mess.
While Ladies’ Day displays the great womanly style of race-goers, it appears it’s a day the men are worst behaved.
In another previous shocking event, blokes in the main stand of the course were pictured wrestling on the floor, while a woman appears to aim a kick at one of the fighters on the ground.
As another man gets involved, punters seemed to be enjoying watching the fight more than the racing.
Police presence
As always, local forces work to ensure everyone enjoys their day as safely as possible. This year, the force are continuing their efforts from the crowd.
Merseyside Police Chief Insp Kevin Chatterton said the force was covering all bases with its operation to safeguard the three-day racing festival which starts Thursday (April 3).
He said: “We will be deploying Project Servator officers in uniform and plain-clothes. These officers are specially trained to spot the tell-tale signs that someone may have criminal intent such as gathering information that may help them plan or prepare to commit a crime.
“These deployments will appear at any time in and around the area of the racecourse. But the public should not be alarmed by this.
“Officers will be encouraging racegoers to help us make this a safe and enjoyable event by being our extra eyes and ears and to report anything suspicious to us. I would also ask visitors to consider residents who live near the racecourse and treat the area with respect.’’
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
