Channel 4 stages horse race through the streets of Liverpool

6 March 2013

Liverpool’s iconic city centre became the backdrop for a horse race today as Channel 4 filmed a brand new marketing campaign ahead of the John Smith’s Grand National, featuring a 10 horse race through the streets of the city.

Ahead of the Grand National meeting which takes place in April (4th-6th), the race featured horses and jockeys racing through the streets around Everton Park in the city – including jumping through back gardens, allotments; over cars and picnic benches.

The race will feature as part of a new marketing campaign being launched on Channel 4 later this month,  which is being produced by its in house creative agency 4creative – the team behind 2012’s acclaimed Meet the Superhumans Paralympics campaign.

Over the past two days, Liverpool city has embraced a 300 man-crew with 300 extras, 10 horse and 10 jockeys.  Over 50 hours of footage was captured from 25 cameras that included GoPros and Alexa technology; that will be encapsulated into a 90' sec trail to be premiered on all Channel 4 networks at 9pm on the Tuesday, March 19th.

The Devil's Horsemen, a Buckinghamshire-based company that specialise in equine stunts for films and commercials, supplied the racing thoroughbreds that expertly jumped picnic benches, allotment fences and cars.  War Horse hero Joey was on set cantering through duck ponds and playing fields. The ten jockeys were a combination of stunt riders and amateur jump jockeys.

The campaign has been produced by 4creative for Channel 4 Marketing.  4creative are recent winners of TED’s ‘Ten Adverts Worth Spreading’ prize for the Paralympics campaign.  Creative Directors were Chris Bovill and John Allison with Keith McCarthy as Director. Also working on the trail were Channel 4 Racing's Nick Luck and Simon Holt.

Horse racing will benefit further from a nationwide poster campaign that will support Channel 4's Grand National trail.

For more information contact: Hannah Walker on 07971 598287 or hlwalker@channel4.co.uk

For high resolution pictures from the race, taken by photographer Graham Hughes, please contact: Charles Fearn at C4 Picture Publicity on 020 7306 8516 or cfearn@channel4.co.uk