Most of us like to pick out a horse as our selection for the iconic £1 million race or draw one in the workplace sweep. And it's that time of the year again on Saturday when the latest edition of the National, first run way back in 1839, graces the Merseyside turf.
Sponsored by Randox, the tapes for the race, over the marathon 4m2f distance, will rise at 4 pm, and you can follow the action live on ITV and Racing TV. To help you find your fancy, I have compiled this easy-to-follow pinstickers' guide to all of the runners, in racecard order, complete with their best odds at the time of writing. Comments on each horse are based on the assumption that the going will be Soft.
Those horses include the last two winners of the race, Corach Rambler and Noble Yeats but, amazingly, no fewer than 16 of the contenders are trained in Ireland by either Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott. Only eight are trained in the UK.
It's exactly 40 years since I made my first trip to Aintree when Hallo Dandy landed the spoils, beating Greasepaint and Corbiere into second and third. Things have changed dramatically since those days, with the course's stands and facilities now among the best in the country and the track's famous 30 fences, such as Becher's Brook and The Chair, far less demanding and daunting in the interests of safety.
Animal welfare is now of paramount importance, and more new safety measures have been introduced for Saturday's race. The number of runners has been cut from 40 to 34 to reduce the risk of falls and accidents, while the start has been moved to prevent a headlong charge to the first fence that can result in the horses setting off too fast.
Hopefully, the measures will contribute to an entertaining, thrilling spectacle, from which all horses and riders return home safe and sound. Good luck!
MY 1-2-3-4-5 PREDICTION
1 MEETINGOFTHEWATERS
2 PANDA BOY
3 MR INCREDIBLE
4 MAHLER MISSION
5 CORACH RAMBLER
Best Outsider: CHAMBARD
17. Vanillier (11/1)
Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell fires two bullets at the race, both of which have live chances. This 9yo grey, a Grade One hurdles winner at the Cheltenham Festival of 2021, has been fancied since running on strongly to finish second in last year's National. He has been desperately disappointing in four outings this term, but Cromwell is an expert at targeting the big day. Photo: Tim Goode/Getty Images
18. Mr Incredible (12/1)
Another fancied flagbearer for number one trainer Willie Mullins who, curiously, has won the National only once before. This 8yo was going nicely in last year's race until a slipped saddle saw his rider, Brian Hayes, unseated at the Canal Turn fence. Was then off the track for 336 days until an encouraging second off top weight in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter last month. Photo: Submitted
19. Run Wild Fred (100/1)
In trainer Gordon Elliott and owners, Gigginstown House Stud, this 10yo carries the hopes of illustrious connections. But their prowess is not matched by the gelding's form, which has nosedived alarmingly since the spring of 2022 when he took heavy falls in both the Aintree National and the Irish equivalent. Has not won a race now for 30 months. Photo: Submitted
20. Latenightpass (40/1)
Thirty-two-year-old amateur Gina Andrews is looking forward to her first ride in the National on this likeable 11yo, trained by her husband Tom and owned by her mother-in-law Pippa. He's no forlorn hope either because his Aintree record is terrific after completing the course and making the frame three times in the Hunters' Chase, winning it in 2022. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images