The Grand National is in rude health. The new-look race provided a thrilling spectacle with umpteen horses in with a chance in the closing stages and with the first four home all Grade One-winning chasers. It was everything those in charge at Aintree could have wished for with the only concern after the race for Mac Tottie, who was treated for dehydration and taken away for further assistance in the horse ambulance. There are, of course, still the nagging issues of the paucity of top-class chasers in this country and it was a mighty shame that Corach Rambler, last year’s winner, didn’t get the chance to show what he was capable of after unshipping Derek Fox at the first. There is plenty of reform needed to the overall shape of the jumps season with two trainers dominating the scene and small fields too much in evidence but whichever way you look at it the National of 2024 was a huge success on the day. Good night and hope you ended up winning some hard earned cash.

1 Horaces Pearl (C Brace) 14-1
2 Tripoli Flyer (P J Brennan) 13-2
3 Good And Clever (James Bowen) 14-1
18 ran
Also: 15-8 Fav Mister Meggit, 15-2 Valgrand 4th
Non Runner: 19

And they’re off … it’s a bunched field as they go on their way. Horaces Pearl (my fancy) is right at the back and Wellington Arch leads as they go out “into the country” with a circuit to go … they are going very steady which will suit Horace … Good And Clever is up with the leaders …Mister Meggit has stumbled badly … Tripoli Flyer kicks clear but here comes Horaces Pearl who gets there close home!! Don’t say I didn’t tell you!

• Mister Meggit 2/1

• Ma Shantou 6/1

• Tripoli Flyer 13/2

• Castle Ivers 8/1

• No Questions Asked 9/1

• Valgrand 9/1

• Good And Clever 11/1

• Horaces Pearl 14/1

• Sorceleur 14/1

• Electric Mason 16/1

• I’m A Lumberjack 16/1

• Got A Dream 25/1

• Leech 33/1

• Tom Doniphon 33/1

• Step Out 33/1

• Malicash 66/1

• Wellington Arch 80/1

• Small Town Hero 80/1

• Odds via BestofBets.com

If the Grade One at 5pm was a little bit after the Lord Mayor’s show, this one is going to be run as thousands of racegoers are already pouring out of the gates. There’s nearly £30,000 to the winner, though, and Castle Ivers is a bit of an eye-catcher at the prices as he stopped the clock in a decent time when winning at Wetherby last month.

SELECTION: CASTLE IVERS

1 Found A Fifty (J W Kennedy) 11-8 Fav
2 Master Chewy (Thomas Bellamy) 10-1
3 Libberty Hunter (H Cobden) 33-1
10 ran

And they’re off … alarming incident at the start as Matata veers across the field as they set off … they do all head off though and Quilixios is the early leader … he still leads with Nickle Back challenging as they start the turn for home and the fourth-last … Found A Fifty is going well … is it just a matter of time? It was … Found A Fifty takes the lead at the last but in the end only just holds on from the very brave Master Chewy.

• Found A Fifty 11/8

• Hercule Du Seuil 4/1

• Etalon 7/1

• Master Chewy 8/1

• Nickle Back 9/1

• Djelo 16/1

• Matata 16/1

• Quilixios 16/1

• Libberty Hunter 28/1

• Silent Approach 80/1

• Odds via BestofBets.com

The decision to move the Grand National from 5.15 to 4pm has left this Grade One event in something of a graveyard slot, but it is an interesting race that has been won by Jonbon and Shishkin, among other notable names, in the recent past. It also has a £65,000 first prize that, win or lose in the National, Willie Mullins will be keen to bag with Hercule Du Seuil. He looks ready for this step up to Grade One company after running up a sequence in lesser events, and does not need to find much improvement to get the better of Found A Fifty, the likely favourite, who is admirably consistent but has found one rival too good in two of his three Grade One starts.

SELECTION: HERCULE DU SEUIL

Irish trainer Willie Mullins continued his domination of jump racing, sending out the well-backed 7-1 joint-favourite I Am Maximus to win the big race at Aintree.

“I think Paul was super on him,” the winning trainer tells ITV. “The horse, I think, wasn’t giving him a lot of help a lot of the way around. We have that confidence in the horse that he always has that bit extra in the tank and you could see Paul biding his time and waiting to mount his challenge as they approached the second last. It was a great delivery.”

1 I Am Maximus (P Townend) 7-1 Jt Fav
2 Delta Work (J W Kennedy) 28-1
3 Minella Indo (Rachael Blackmore) 28-1
4 Galvin (Sam Ewing) 40-1
32 ran
Also: 7-1 Jt Fav Limerick Lace
Non Runners: 19,33

Galia Des Liteaux leads them towards the last and they race towards the Elbow. Minella Indo is passed by I Am Maximus, who wins decisively on the run-in under Paul Townend for Willie Mullins.

The horses take off from a walking start and get away first time. Mr Incredible, who has form in the field of misbehaving at the start, was held back a little from the rest of the field but is off and running. Limerick Lace is the new favourite

• I Am Maximus 6/1

• Corach Rambler 8/1

• Limerick Lace 9/1

• Mr Incredible 10/1

• Meetingofthewaters 10/1

• Panda Boy 12/1

• Mahler Mission 12/1

• Kitty’s Light 14/1

• Noble Yates 14/1

• Vanillier 16/1

• Minella Indo 20/1

• Capodanno 20/1

• Coko Beach 20/1

• Delta Work 25/1

• Galia Des Liteaux 25/1

• Foxy Jacks 28/1

• Galvin 28/1

• Latenightpass 28/1

• Adamantly Chosen 33/1

• Ain’t That A Shame 33/1

• Stattler 35/1

• Mac Tottie 40/1

• Chemical Energy 50/1

• Nassalam 50/1

• Roi Mage 50/1

• The Goffer 66/1

• Eldorado Allen 80/1

• Janidil 80/1

• Glengouly 100/1

• Eklat De Rire 100/1

• Minella Crooner 100/1

• Farouk d’Alene 125/1

• Odds via BestofBets.com

There’s probably not much more to be said about the National itself that has not been said already, but the betting market has been taking shape over the last few hours and it now looks as though Corach Rambler will set off as the second-favourite at around 8-1 as he attempts to follow up last year’s success, having been as short as 9-2 earlier in the week. I Am Maximus is the one for money, and is now top-priced at around 13-2, while the gamble on Limerick Lace has stalled just a little at around 11-1. Two more Willie Mullins runners, Mr Incredible and Meetingofthewaters, fill the next two spots at 12-1. I Am Maximus has reached a high level of form already and has plenty of scope for progress too, but it still feels a little odd to see him heading up the betting when Corach Rambler has not only been there and done it at Aintree, but is arguably the best-handicapped horse in the race too on his run into third in last month’s Gold Cup. I’ll probably end up having a bit on last year’s winner as a saver, in addition to Mahler Mission at a steady 16-1.

SELECTION: MAHLER MISSION

1 Strong Leader (S Bowen) 8-1
2 Buddy One (Jack G Gilligan) 15-2
3 Hiddenvalley Lake (Rachael Blackmore) 5-1
10 ran
Also: 3-1 Fav Flooring Porter, 8-1 Monkfish 4th
Non Runners: 10,11

And they’re off … Monkfish a bit untidy at the first … Dashel Drasher is the early leader as they start off on their three-miles-plus trip … Flooring Porter joins the early leader at the front … Botox Has is at the back at this early point in the race … Hewick is also up with the leaders … Hiddenvalley Lake races on the inside behind the prominent pair and Flooring Porter is now the clear leader … Dashel Drasher now bing niggled along a little … and now being pushed along a little more urgently … Strong Leader is travelling well in midfield … Crambo is now being pushed along and losing ground quickly … Buddy One comes to take the running up … with Strong Leader challenging at the last, who then takes over and goes on and win.

• Flooring Porter 10/3

• Hiddenvalley Lake 11/2

• Crambo 7/1

• Strong Leader 13/2

• Buddy One 8/1

• Monkfish 9/1

• Hewick 9/1

• Botox Has 14/1

• Dashel Drasher 18/1

• Champ 18/1

• Odds via BestofBets.com

Sire Du Berlais will be a warm order here to record a third successive win in this Grade One, and take his overall record at the highest level to four wins from 12 (the other one was a 33-1 shock in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham). When you consider that he also won the Pertemps Final at the Festival in successive years, under a big weight to boot, he is definitely one of the jumping game’s under-appreciated heroes. He is a little uneasy in the market, though, and out to 6-1 as money comes for Flooring Porter, who was around three lengths in front of Sire Du Berlais when he won the Stayers’ at Cheltenham for the first time in 2021. The seven-year-old Hiddenvalley Lake, with Rachael Blackmore aboard, is also attracting some support to back up his win in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan in February, while Crambo would also have a chance if he can put a disappointing run in the Stayers’ Hurdle last time behind him.

SELECTION: SIRE DU BERLAIS

1 Cruz Control (Stan Sheppard) 9-1
2 Sam Brown (Freddie Gingell) 20-1
3 Forward Plan (Ben Godfrey) 13-2
13 ran

And they’re off … Cruz Control and Twig lead and there should be a decent pace in this event … Demnat has now moved up to share the lead with Cruz Control … Fugitif is at the back but there’s a long way to go … The King Of Ryhope is towards the rear … Fugutuf got a reminder from his jockey … and now they have a full circuit to go … The King Of Ryhope travels well but is still at the back … Sam Brown is among the leaders … Fugitif makes an error and gets another reminder … Demnat has been pulled up … Crebilly makes a place or two … Erne River makes a blunder … Cruz Control still leads … Forwward Plan is challenging … Cruz Control leads at the line – a very gutsy win – and holds off the late challenge of Sam Brown.

• The King of Ryhope 4/1

• Crebilly 9/2

• Forward Plan 13/2

• Kilbeg King 7/1

• Cruz Control 15/2

• Twig 8/1

• Demnat 16/1

• Sam Brown 16/1

• Falco Blitz 16/1

• Kinondo Kwetu 20/1

• Fugitif 20/1

• Erne River 25/1

• Now Where Or When 40/1

• Odds via BestofBets.Com

Another favourite for Dan Skelton in King Of Ryhope, who was still going like a possible winner when he clouted the last in the Grade Two Reynoldstown Novice Chase at Ascot back in February. He will have a serious chance if he can translate that form back into handicap company – and Skelton’s runners generally do – but this is another fiercely-contested event in which Crebilly, the runner-up in the valuable Plate handicap chase at Cheltenham last month, and Anthony Honeyball’s trio of Forward Plan, Kilbeg King and Sam Brown can all be given a chance. Honeyball won this two years ago – with Sam Brown – and the unexposed Kilbeg King, who ran well in a Grade Two at Cheltenham last month, could be the pick of them on what will be only his sixth start over fences.

SELECTION: KILBEG KING

1 Brighterdaysahead (J W Kennedy) 6-5 Fav
2 Staffordshire Knot (Sam Ewing) 20-1
3 Bugise Seagull (S Bowen) 50-1
8 ran
Also: 10-3 Jimmy Du Seuil 4th
Non Runner: 2

And they’re off … Josh The Boss and Esprit Du Poitier lead in the early stages … Jimmy Du Seuil is at the back but it’s early days and another two miles to go … now one circuit to go and Ile Atlantique is close up behind the leading pair and travelling well … Bugise (pronounced Bugsy) Seagull now comes to take up the running … Brighterdaysahead is now right up there as they now come from out of the final turn for home … Brighterdaysahead is set to make her move … and kicks clear … over the last and storms clear for a very convincing win. “Daylight” is second!!

• Brighterdaysahead Evens

• Jimmy Du Seuil 11/4

• Ile Atlantique 7/2

• Staffordshire Knot 22/1

• Esprit Du Potier 25/1

• Mahon’s Way 25/1

• Bugise Seagull 50/1

• Josh The Boss 70/1

• Odds via BestofBets.com

The luckless Caldwell Potter, who missed Cheltenham after his owners suddenly decided to sell up and quit the game, is a notable absentee here, leaving Brighterdaysahead, the runner-up in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, as the warm favourite at around 11-10. She has obvious claims but looks quite short given that this will be her first outing outside mares’-only company, and one or both of Willie Mullins’s contenders, JimmyDu Seuil and Ile Atlantique, do not have a great deal to find to give her a proper race. Jimmy Du Seuil seemed to surprise everyone when he ran second behind his stable companion, Ballyburn, in the two-and-a-half mile novice hurdle at Cheltenham, but he posted a useful timefigure and so it is probably worth accepting at face value for now.

SELECTION: JIMMY DU SEUIL

1 Gwennie May Boy (C J Todd) 9-2
2 Lord Snootie (Jack Tudor) 18-1
3 West Balboa (Harry Skelton) 11-4 Fav
4 Johnnywho (Jonjo O’Neill Jr.) 9-1
21 ran
Non Runner: 15

And they’re off … Johnson’s Blue leads in the early stages with two laps to go! … Classic Concorde is now challenging the early leader … Johnnywho is in a good position … Landrake has badly lost his place and Ramo is already in trouble at the back … Storm Nelson is being pushed along … favourite West Balboa is in midfield … Bold Endeavour is in third behind the leaders … West Balboa is making ground … turning towards home and Classic Concorde leads … Gwennie May Boy leads at the last from Lord Snootie and West Balboa and kicks clear for a comfortable win.

• West Balboa 5/2

• Gwennie May Boy 6/1

• Cuthbert Dibble 7/1

• Black Bamboo 8/1

• Monmiral 10/1

• Johnnywho 11/1

• Bold Endeavour 14/1

• Chantry House 14/1

• Fine Margin 16/1

• Lord Snootie 18/1

• Johnsons Blue 28/1

• JAi Froid 33/1

• Red Risk 33/1

• Seefin 33/1

• Ramo 40/1

• Floueur 50/1

• Landrake 50/1

• Classic Concorde 66/1

• Russian Ruler 66/1

• Ailie Rose 80/1

• Storm Nelson 100/1

• Odds via BestofBets.com

A big field of handicappers to kick off the proceedings on National day, with Dan Skelton’s West Balboa favourite to repeat her win in this race last year. She was five lengths clear 12 months ago so it is perhaps a little surprising that she is just 6lb higher in the ratings today after four subsequent runs, and she has even been dropped 1lb after each of her last two starts. Skelton’s well-earned reputation for getting his handicap hurdlers in particular primed for the big day could well be enhanced, but this is a hot race and there are plenty of decent each-way alternatives to the favourite, including Monmiral, from the title-chasing Paul Nicholls stable, Irish raider Black Bamboo and Nicky Henderson’s Bold Endeavour, one of the few runners from the stable to acquit himself well at Cheltenham last month. His early price of around 20-1 has gone but he still offers some value at around 14-1.

SELECTION: BOLD ENDEAVOUR

Good morning from Aintree racecourse, where the slightly surprising early news today is that the going on the Grand National course is now soft, good-to-soft in places, having been heavy, soft in places when it staged the Foxhunters’ Chase on Thursday.

“It’s improved again today,” Sulekha Varma, Aintree’s clerk of the course, told ITV Racing this morning. “The only thing I would say about the Grand National course is that the good-to-soft is really just between fences 13 and 14, once you get over [the other] side, it really is pretty soft.

“Aintree is a course that can dry given the opportunity, it’s been warm and breezy and it’s done exactly that.”

Something north of 55,000 racegoers are expected at the track this afternoon, but they will not, apparently, be joined by any activists from the group Animal Rising, which attempted to get the race called off last year.

And they will watch one of the smaller Grand National fields in recent history, as the new minimum field of 34 runners has been reduced to 32. Venetia Williams’s Chambard, a Cheltenham Festival winner in the past who was due to be ridden by his regular amateur rider, Lucy Turner, was scratched after being found to be lame this morning. While you can also delete Run Wild Fred from your calculations.

Early betting news is that last year’s winner, Corach Rambler, is a little weak in the market and is now vying for favouritism with I Am Maximus at around 8-1, while Limerick Lace, a “plunge” horse in recent days, is now no bigger than 10-1 and could easily head the market at some stage if the money continues to come for her. Her stamina for this trip is completely unproven, but her full brother, Inothewayurthinkin, won the stayers’ novice chase on the card here yesterday and that may be giving punters confidence that she will get the trip.

A full runner-by-runner guide to this year’s race is here, some picks for the other ITV races are here – although Caldwell Potter, the likely favourite for the 1.55, is a non-runner – and the action on the track is underway at 1.20.