From Aintree to Hollywood Park: Oscar winners at the races

1 Hollywood great Gregory Peck first attended the Grand National in 1950, by which time he had already been an unsuccessful nominee for an Academy Award on four occasions. It was a case of fifth time lucky on April 8 1963 when Peck took home the best actor Oscar for his role as laywer Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, just nine days after his navy silks had been carried into seventh place at Aintree by Pat Taaffe aboard Owen's Sedge.

2 Peck was present for his two closest brushes with triumph in the National, both coming with the Peter Cazalet-trained Different Class. A Cheltenham Festival-winning novice, Different Class was caught up in the melee in Foinavon's year of 1967, before being sent off favourite for the race 12 months later. Three fences from home commentator Michael Seth-Smith famously observed: "David Mould, I don't think he's moved yet on Different Class." History recalls the eight-year-old would fade into a distant third behind Red Alligator.

3 Steven Spielberg bought a reported ten per cent share in Kentucky Derby hopeful Atswhatimtalknbout as part of the Biscuit Stables partnership, a group of owners brought together during the making of the Oscar-nominated movie Seabiscuit which included fellow-producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, as well as director and screenwriter Gary Ross. Atswhatimtalknbout finished second in the San Felipe Stakes and fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, the same spot he would occupy behind Funny Cide in the 2003 Kentucky Derby. Spielberg won the best director Oscar for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.