A BRASS BAND has come first past the post in the race to provide the music at the world’s most famous steeplechase.

Haydock band’s musicians will play to an audience of 70,000 racegoers on Saturday April 5 at Aintree and deliver the fanfare at the start of the Grand National which will be broadcast to millions of television viewers worldwide.

The band’s delighted musical director, Mark Quinn, said: “This is a huge honour and a brilliant opportunity to showcase what brass bands can offer.

“There is a wealth of talent and it’s fantastic that we get the chance to show what we can do; not just to racegoers but to millions via the live TV slot.”

This prestigious engagement follows The Haydock Band’s four successive years performing at Haydock Park racecourse, owned and operated by The Jockey Club of Great Britain whose Haydock team now runs the Aintree event.

The band will be in the limelight again performing in The Touring Consortium Theatre Company’s production of Brassed Off from April 15-19 at Blackpool Grand Theatre.

The stage version of Brassed Off will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the miner’s strike.

Band chairman Godfrey Irving said: “Brassed Off has been a huge part of Haydock Band, this will be the fourth separate venue we have played at since the Palace Theatre in 1999.

“We love taking part in these stage shows and it gives our players yet another creative outlet and a different musical experience.

“It’s a busy year releasing the band’s first CD, recording a charity single to be released on June 2, playing at the Grand National and then a week’s run at the Grand Theatre. It’s not all about contesting!“

After a very busy schedule right the way through to summer the band will then be planning a second recording session and a run of concerts through to summer 2015.

Tickets for Brassed Off are available from blackpoolgrand.co.uk.