The Foxhunters’ chase at this year’s Grand National will be renamed to The Rose Paterson Randox Foxhunters’ Chase as a tribute after her passing last year.

Rose was the chairman of Aintree Racecourse from 2014, and has always been an ever-present part of the track since being chairman.

Rose who passed away in June last year was first involved with Aintree Racecourse as the Racecourse Committee Director in 2005 and became the Chairman in 2014. She was also appointed a Steward of The Jockey Club in 2019.

The Foxhunters’ Chase is only one of three races that take place over the famous Grand National fences along with the Topham chase and the feature of the festival, the Grand National.

Rose did so much for the Grand National festival at grassroots level for the sport and secured the Randox health deal which is the current sponsor of the world’s biggest steeplechase.

In a press release from the Jockey Club at Aintree Racecourse the current chairman Nicholas Wrigley commented:

“It is still hard to believe that Rose will not be joining us for the Randox Grand National Festival this year and it only seems right that she is remembered with her name attached to one of the races over the Grand National fences.

“Rose had a true love and passion for everything related to Aintree, with her Chairmanship involving the securing of Randox as title sponsor and the development of the Grand Women’s Summit and the award-winning Aintree Community Programme.

“When combined with her love of the grassroots of the sports and her own accomplished riding skills, the Foxhunters’ Chase was the natural race to put her name to.

“We hope this gesture will go a small way to preserving Rose’s memory and recognising the huge amount she gave to Aintree Racecourse and the Randox Grand National.”

Former jumps jockey Richard Pitman, who rode many winners at Aintree during his career was in agreement over the tribute to the former chairman of Aintree Racecourse.

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