A five-year-old boy who has undergone four open heart surgeries and lives with a life-limiting condition has been named by The Jockey Club as this year’s honorary 35th runner in the Randox Grand National.

Oliver Christie has Congenital Heart Disease, with his main condition being Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which means the left side of his heart is severely underdeveloped and is due have open heart surgery again next month.

An honorary runner has taken a place in the iconic contest since Randox first sponsored the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in 2017, with their name appearing in the racecard alongside the horses lining up in the race. The initiative highlights the work of Europe’s largest children’s hospital, Alder Hey, which has a longstanding partnership with Aintree Racecourse stretching back 25 years.

To celebrate the milestone anniversary of working with Alder Hey, Aintree has selected a 35th runner for this year’s race – which takes place on Saturday 11th April - with close links to the racecourse, as Oliver’s mother Amelia Christie is a National Sales Executive for The Jockey Club at Aintree, where she has worked since 2019.

Described as a very kind and caring little boy, Oliver and his family like to give back to Alder Hey for everything the whole team there does for them. Every Christmas for the past four years the family, who live in Liverpool, has supported the Alder Hey Christmas Present Appeal, an initiative which encourages people to donate toys which are then delivered to the hospital before Christmas so children there receive a present on Christmas Day, just like Oliver did in 2021 and 2022.

 

Speaking about the family’s joy at being involved in this year’s Randox Grand National, Amelia said: “I am delighted that Oliver will be the 35th runner this year. The Jockey Club have always been so supportive towards all of Oliver’s family, and this feels like the ultimate honour.

“Oliver has a life-limiting heart condition and without the medical interventions from Alder Hey, Oliver would not be with us today. He has had four open heart surgeries including ECMO and is due his next open heart surgery next month. He also has Cerebral Palsy from a stroke at birth, global development delay and is tube fed the stomach by a blended diet.

“We are under a large team at Alder Hey and everyone is so extremely kind and caring. We have spent Christmas in Alder Hey, and his first and second birthday were also spent there. Prior to his first birthday, we had been in hospital for three months, so a group of nurses decided to dress up as the Teletubbies to cheer Oliver up and celebrate his first birthday.

“We are very fortunate that Oliver enjoys visiting the hospital, because the team at Alder Hey do not make it feel like a hospital. With help from the play specialist, music therapy and the doctor and nurses they make the whole family feel at ease.

“As we navigate this next chapter and Oliver’s fifth open heart surgery, I know he is in the best care with Alder Hey. Despite Oliver’s medical conditions, he lives life to the full, recently started mainstream school and loves making friends.

“He has a love for horses, and we regularly visit our local stables, where Oliver rides with the Riding for the Disabled Association. He has been riding since February 2023, even with his oxygen, and this has improved Oliver’s core strength.

“He can now trot on the pony and thinks he is a cowboy, so of course he is very much looking forward to Randox Grand National Day!”

 

Oliver was announced as the 35th runner at Aintree’s Randox Grand National Weights Lunch, an annual event staged at Liverpool’s St George’s Hall, and waved and smiled at the hundreds of guests while on stage with his mother.

Dickon White, The Jockey Club’s North West Regional Director who runs Aintree Racecourse, said: “We’re incredibly proud to support Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and champion the incredible work they do, and are honoured to announce Oliver as this year’s 35th runner.

“We’re especially pleased to be able to mark our 25th anniversary of working with Alder Hey by recognising a member of our own team here at Aintree. Amelia is one of many staff members and relatives at the racecourse who have received tremendous support during the time of our partnership so this is an opportunity to celebrate the close link between our two organisations and show our gratitude.”

Jockey Patrick Mullins, who won last year’s Randox Grand National on Nick Rockett, a horse trained by his father Willie, added: “I think Aintree’s relationship with Alder Hey is one of the most important aspects of the race. A number of jockeys visit the children at the hospital the day before the Grand National and it is nothing short of inspirational - the staff there are incredible.

“Oliver was the star of the show at the Weights Lunch last week and I’m looking forward to seeing him at Aintree as the 35th runner in April.”