Why is there a delay in the Grand National result?
The Grand National result is one of those things horse racing betting fans want instantly – but can’t always get right away. Annoyingly, it can sometimes take a while for the full, official result of the Grand National to filter through to spectators at Aintree, and those watching at home.
It’s a frustration that you’ve probably experienced if you’ve ever bet on the Grand National previously – especially if you have an Each Way bet and don’t see who has come in fourth, fifth and sixth.
In fact, Each Way bets are usually the biggest driver of post-race searches for the Grand National result. While of course we love to praise the race winner, for many with bets it’s all about who secured a place.
So why does it sometimes take so long to get the final result? Well, Paddy Power is here to explain all in our latest Grand National guide…
- WE HAVE ALL THE HORSE RACING FAST RESULTS YOU’LL EVER WANT
Why the Grand National result is so slow
You’d think in 2023 it would be easy to instantly get Grand National data straight to your phone or computer, and know if you’re won your bet. After all, in other sports they have billions of data points tracking players and athletes all over the place, and real-time stats are filtered back to betting sites.
So why doesn’t this happen in horse racing? Well, here are a few reasons…
It’s too close to call
Horse racing doesn’t use GPS like in football or rugby to track the runners and riders, or VAR or anything like that. There is no semi-automated technology available other than photo finishes to determine exactly which horses cross the line first.
And so when it’s a tight race there’s sometimes a wait while the stewards confirm who has won, and who has placed. This pause can take a good few minutes if the photo finish is particularly close.
Of course, there may be more than one photo finish in a race. Grand National organisers need to know the final result of the whole field, so might need time to wade through the place finishes and confirm final positions for Each Way bets.
WELCOME TO PADDY POWER NEWS!
There’s an enquiry
Stewards in horse racing act as the referees on the racecourse, and are there to judge foul play and assess other incidents during the race. Because of this, they can sometimes be called upon to officiate a complaint, or may spot an infringement themselves. With 40 horses vaulting 30 fences, it’s possible there will be a stewards enquiry at the Grand National.
And this can delay the final result by some time if connections are required to discuss racing incidents. This happened in 2014 when the start descended into chaos.
Focus on the winner
TV broadcasters naturally focus on the winner of the Grand National but have an annoying habit of cutting away from the horses crossing over the line for the place positions, to instead track the winning horse and its celebrating jockey. You’ll often see teary close-ups of the horse’s owners too.
All this means you might not actually see the runners-up cross the line. You then have to wait either for the betting data to filter through to the bookmakers, or for the TV coverage to provide the result. This can take minutes and is agonising if you’re banking on a horse to place.
- Why are there false starts in horse races like the Grand National?
- How many horses are there in the Grand National?
- Grand National prize money: How much does the Grand National winner get?
- 9 things to consider when picking a Grand National winner
- Grand National fence names and the stories behind every Aintree jump
- How high are Grand National fences at Aintree Racecourse?
- What are Grand National fences made of at Aintree Racecourse?
- Grand National fences: Order of jumps, total and which are taken twice
- Grand National weights: Why do horses carry different weights at Aintree?
- How many people usually attend the Grand National? What is Aintree’s capacity?
- What is the distance of the Grand National? How far do the horses run?
- How does a horse qualify for the Grand National?
- When did a horse last win the Grand National carrying top weight?
- Do Grand National reserve horses ever run in the race at Aintree?
- What does it mean when a horse is On the Bridle?
- What is a Black type horse race?
- What are the different types of going in horse racing?
- What is a bumper horse race?
- What are blinkers and why do some horses wear them?
- What is an Allowance Race in horse racing?
- What is the difference between hurdles and fences in National Hunt racing?
- What is a halter and why do some horses wear them?
- What does it mean when a horse has spread a plate?
- What is the Rule 4 betting rule in horse racing?
- What is the difference between graded, handicap and selling horse races?
- What does a novice hurdle in horse racing mean?
- What is a listed horse race?
- What does a novice chase in horse racing mean?
- Why do race horses have different ratings and what do they mean?
- When does the National Hunt season start and when does it end?
- Why are there different grades of horse race?
- Why are there 3 different types of National Hunt race?
- Why are race horses given different weights and what does it mean?
- How many different classes of horse race are there?
- What is a claiming race and what do they mean?
- What is an optional claimer in horse racing?
- What is a shadow roll and why do some race horses wear them?
- Why do some races start from stalls and some not?
- What is the difference between Derby and Oaks races?
- What does it mean when a horse knuckles during a horse race?
- What is a stayer in horse racing?
- What is a yearling horse and when are they ready to race?
- What does it mean if a horse has won a point race?
- What does a maiden mean in horse racing?
- How are horses’ ages calculated and why is it not the same as humans?
- What advantages do apprentice jockeys get when riding against professionals?
- What is a conditional jockey?
- What does the term ‘connections’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear cheekpieces?
- Who are the stewards in horse racing?
- What does ‘weighed in’ mean at the end of a horse race?
- What is a nursery race?
- Why are some National Hunt races run without fences?
- Why are some horses given a tongue tie during races?
- What does it mean when a horse is ‘pushed out’?
- How are horse racing ratings calculated?
- What does it mean when a horse has a ‘wind operation’?
- How high are the fences and hurdles in horse racing?
- What is an apprentice jockey?
- What is a Bull Ring in horse racing?
- What does the phrase ‘Look of Eagles’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear a ‘weight cloth’ during races?
- What is the Triple Crown in horse racing?
- What is a Steeplechase race in horse racing?
- How high are the Cheltenham Festival fences and hurdles?
- Why is the Champion Chase named after the Queen Mother?
- Why does Cheltenham racecourse have an Old Course and a New Course? What’s the differences between the two?
- What is the Cheltenham roar? What difference does it make in races?
- Why are there no jumps in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumper?
- How many fans usually attend the Cheltenham Festival? How big is the capacity?
- What is a juvenile in horse racing?
- What is a sire and a dam? Why is breeding so important in horse racing?
- What’s the difference between a colt, filly, gelding, stallion and mare?
- What does it mean when a horse goes to stud?
- What do horse racing commentators mean by sectional times?
- What is the Royal Procession at Royal Ascot? Which members of the Royal Family attend?
- How do they choose Epsom Derby stall numbers? Is there a draw bias?
- How long does it take horses to complete the Epsom Derby? How fast are the runners?
- What has happened to the Queen’s racehorses?
- What is a stewards’ enquiry in horse racing?
- What does it mean when a horse is exposed?
- What happens when there is a dead-heat in horse racing?
- What does the Clerk of the Course do in horse racing?
- What does schooling mean in horse racing?
- How are horses named and who approves them?
- Men must wear socks and other weird Royal Ascot dress codes
- Market movers: What is a market mover in horse racing?
- What is a Ladies’ Day in horse racing and why do they exist?
- Where’s the toilet and how much is a beer – Paddy’s guide to Cheltenham
- How many horse racing courses are there in the UK? Full list
- Top 8 most famous race horses of all time
- 8 of the best retired UK and Irish jockeys
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW