FOR the second successive year Aintree Racecourse has increased the prize-money for the John Smith’s Grand National by £100,000.

The 2009 renewal of the world’s greatest steeplechase will be worth a record £900,000.

The 4m4f contest will be run this season on Saturday, April 4 and Aintree’s managing director Julian Thick said: “Aintree is proud to be able to increase the prize money for the John Smith’s Grand National to £900,000. The generous support of John Smith’s has made this possible and since their sponsorship started in 2005 the value of the John Smith’s Grand National has risen from £600,000 to £900,000.”

The other Merseyside course, Haydock Park, has had to admit defeat in their attempts to get today’s six-race meeting on.

The course is currently frozen and after bringing forward their proposed 8am inspection from this morning to 3pm yesterday afternoon officials were forced to abandon the meeting.

Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said: “There’s frost under the sheets now and as we are going to get another frost tonight, it would be a waste of everyone’s time to carry on.”

Meanwhile in contrast Cheltenham officials are confident their New Year’s Day meeting will go ahead on Thursday despite the cold snap which has hit most of the country.

They are taking the precaution of covering the course and have been helped by cloud cover during the past two overnight frosts.

Cheltenham clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: “Providing the weather forecast is correct, we should be fine. It is forecast to get down to minus three or four degrees for the next three nights, but the entire course has been covered. The crucial factor is cloud cover. Fortunately, we have had cloud cover for the past two nights which has helped us.”

The going is described as good to soft.

TODAY’S NAP: Gainshare (9.20pm Wolverhampton).