Facts and figures about the Queen's love of horse racing - and the Grand National due to be run at Aintree on Saturday April 9

We look at facts and figures surrounding the Grand National and one of the nation's biggest horse racing fans - the Queen.

The team at https://www.britishracecourses.org has put together 10 facts about the Queen and her horses.

1 Queen Elizabeth II has been riding since she was 4 years old, when her father King George VI gave her a Shetland pony named Peggy.

2 The Queen Mother was an avid National Hunt Racing fan, Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Phillips both became top event riders and the Princes William and Harry both play polo.

3 All the horses that you see in the royal parades are kept at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, “one of the finest working stables in existence.” The Queen names each horse.

4 The Royal Mews is where they keep all the carriages, coaches and cars used by the Queen.

5 The Queen is famous for always riding without a helmet.

6 The Queen owns many racehorses, having initially inherited the breeding and racing stock from her father King George VI.

7 As of 2013, horses owned by the Queen have won over 1600 races. She has had winners in all of the British Classics except the Grand National.

8 Queen has actually made £7.6 million from her race winnings.

9 Monty Roberts AKA The Horse Whisperer has trained the Queens horses since 1989. He has been honoured by the Queen and is a honorary member of the Royal Victorian Order. They have shared a close friendship since he began training her horses. She even named a Corgi after him.

10 The Queen breeds Thoroughbreds, fell ponies, Shetland ponies and Highland ponies.

Facts About the Grand National

1 The queen has never won the Grand National race.

2 The Queen is said to have had her first riding lesson at the age of three, so it is fair to say the Queen’s love for horses started at a very young age.

3 In 1952 King George VI died, and the Queen inherited the throne and also her father’s breeding and racing horses.

4 Every year the Queen's favourite event is said to be Royal Ascot.

5 The Queen’s own horses have competed in many races over the years, and, on 71 occasions, have even won the event.

6 The royal family has played a huge role in owning, training and riding horses at the Grand National racing event.

7 With more than 1,000 horse racing victories it is a shame they have never won a Grand National.

8 The closest chance of winning the Grand National was when Devon Loch had a five-length lead over his nearest challenger and inexplicably fell on the final straight, just 40 yards from a certain victory.

9 The first-ever Grand National race took place on Tuesday 26 February 1839 and attracted a field of 17 runners.

10 According to historical Grand National Stats, the first race was held in 1839 and was called the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.

11 The first Grand National race was held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England and the horse called Lottery won the racing event.

12 The largest field ever assembled was 66 horses in the 1929 Grand National race.