Racegoers attending the 1972 National meeting would have been surprised and delighted to see an advertisement in the racecard for a Liverpool Autumn Meeting to be staged on Saturday 28th October. "By special request" it said although it was not recorded who had requested Mrs Topham to stage this extra fixture. The programme offered six races, three on the flat including the reintroduction of the Liverpool Autumn Cup, a handicap hurdle and two races over the National fences. The Mildmay course was not used for the meeting. The first race over the National fences was the BP Chase run over the old Becher Chase distance of two and a half miles with the Chair as the second fence. Just five runners lined up but they included 1970 Grand National winner GAY TRIP and the Queen Mothers INCH ARRAN who made all the running to win by one and a half lengths. INCH ARRAN returned to Aintree the following spring where he gained a second success over the fences when landing the Topham Trophy and in doing so provided Peter Cazalet with his final winner before his untimely deatha month later. I doubt if this lovely rocking horse grey would have stayed the full National distance but sadly he never raced at Aintree again. The William Hill Grand National Trial was clearly the successor to the Grand Sefton Chase and the eleven strong field was worthy of the old race with dual Gold Cup winner L`ESCARGOT, BLACK SECRET (placed in previous two Nationals) and 1971 National winner SPECIFY in the field. The winner was GLENKILN owned by Noel Le Mare and trained by local trainer Ginger McCain. Like INCH ARRAN he made most of the running to win impressively despite some sloppy jumping. Interestingly neither GAY TRIP or SPECIFY raced again. No official attendance figures were published but the meeting was judged to be a success yet the venture was not repeated and frustrated racegoers would have to wait a further twenty years before Aintree would stage another autumn meeting. 


B P CHASE  2 miles 4 furlongs £2,276 to the winner
1st    INCH ARRAN                            Richard Dennard 
2nd  TAZU                                                      J.Enright  
3rd   GAY TRIP                              Terry Biddlecombe 
4th   GLENZIER LAD                                    Ron Barry 
 
Also ran :THE POOKA Barry Brogan (fell 2nd) 
 
Time : 5 mins 20.40 secs. Distances : 1 1/2-15-dist


WILLIAM HILL GRAND NATIONAL TRIAL 2 miles 7 1/2 furlongs  £4,802 to the winner 
1st     GLENKILN                                      Jimmy Bourke 
2nd   L`ESCARGOT                            Tommy Carberry 
3rd    GYLEURN                                              Ron Barry 
4th    SUNNY LAD                                         Ken White
5th    RAMPSMAN                                  Jeremy Glover 
6th    ARCTIC WORKMAN                          Pat Buckley 
7th     BLACK SECRET                               Sean Barker 
 
Also ran : TIMES UP Brian Forsey (pulled up flat), SPECIFY Bob Davies (fell 14th), 
KIPPIE LODGE D.Nolan (slipped up flat after 4th), FAIR VULGAN Doug Barrott (fell 1st) 
 
Time : 5 mins 57.20 secs. Distances : 12-4-1 1/2-8-25