Grand National 2023: Date, start time, how to watch and top runners
The world's most famous steeplechase headlines the three-day Aintree Grand National Festival, seeing 40 runners look to navigate 30 jumps in a bid to etch their names in the history books.
Noble Yeats - the current defending champion - is back and among the favourites to claim another victory in the £1 million showpiece event.
Here is everything you need to know about this year's edition of the Grand National.
When is the 2023 Grand National?
The Grand National is the main event of the Aintree Grand National Festival near Liverpool, which runs from Thursday, April 13th until Saturday, April 15th this year.
The Grand National itself takes place on Saturday afternoon.
What time does the 2023 Grand National start?
The runners will set up at 5.15pm in preparation for the race, which is the longest of the Festival at slightly under four and a half miles.
How to watch the 2023 Grand National?
Live coverage of the Festival is set to be broadcast on ITV and Racing TV in the United Kingdom, as well as on demand via ITVX.
You can also track the action with Flashscore, with the full race card and odds provided as well as the results at the finish line.
Who are the top runners?
Forty runners will attack the course with the final line-up set to be confirmed 48 hours before the race takes place.
Corach Rambler currently stands as the frontrunner to go all the way, slightly ahead of Delta Work and the aforementioned Noble Yeats, who is bidding to become a multiple winner alongside the likes of Red Rum and Tiger Roll.
Other notable challengers include Mr Incredible, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Any Second Now.
When did the Grand National begin?
There has been plenty of debate as to when the first Grand National was held, but many racing historians claim it was on February 26th, 1839 when it was called the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase.
The race adopted the Grand National name in 1846.
What are some of the famous Grand National fences?
As one of the prestige steeplechases on the calendar, the fences at the Grand National are some of the most famous in the world.
There are 16 fences in total - 14 of which are jumped twice - with some becoming famous in their own right.
Becher's Brook: The sixth and 22nd fence, it is named after Captain Martin Becher - a jockey who fell and hid in the brook to avoid injury in the first Grand National in 1839.
Foinavon: Standing as the seventh and 23rd fence, it was renamed after Foinavon - a 100/1 outsider in 1967 who avoided a huge pile-up at the fence and went on to win.
The Canal Turn: The eighth and 24th fence, The Canal Turn is just as the name suggests. It is a sharp left turn that can unbalance jockeys and has been the scene of plenty of pile-ups in the past.
Valentine's Brook: Named after a horse called Valentine which allegedly jumped the fence backwards in 1940 after slowing on approach. It is the ninth and 25th fence.
The Chair: The 15th fence in the race, The Chair is the highest on the course and stands at five feet and two inches.
