Grand National 2021: Date and start time for Aintree race, confirmed runners and riders, TV channel and full festival schedule plus Rachael Blackmore horse

We’ve had Cheltenham, now all attention is on the 2021 Grand National.

At Aintree this Saturday, 40 runners will aim to win a piece of history, with this year’s event set to be even more special considering it was cancelled in 2020.

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When is the Grand National?

Racing at Aintree begins on Thursday, April 8 at 1.45pm and ends with the National on Saturday, April 10 in 2021.

A UK handicap steeplechase, it is run over four miles 514 yards with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps and is one of seven races on the final day.

The Grand National course has much larger fences than normal. The Chair, Valentine’s Brook, Foinavon, Becher’s Brook and the Canal Turn are just some of the famous fences that runners and rider need to navigate in the race.

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When does it begin?

A total of 40 horses and their jockeys will line-up to go at 5.15pm.

What is the prize?

The prize fund for the Grand National is £1,000,000 which makes it the most valuable jump race in Europe. There will be roughly 600 million people watching in more than 140 countries.

The runners and riders

A final line-up plus four reserves has now been confirmed.

1 Bristol De Mai (Daryl Jacob)
2 Chris’s Dream (Darragh O’Keeffe)
3 Yala Enki (Bryony Frost)
4 Ballyoptic (Sam Twiston-Davies)
5 Definitly Red (Henry Brooke)
6 Lake View Lad (Brian Hughes)
7 Burrows Saint (Patrick Mullins)
8 Magic Of Light (Robbie Power)
9 Acapella Bourgeois (Danny Mullins)
10 Talkischeap (Tom Cannon)
11 Tout Est Permis (Sean Flanagan)
12 Anibale Fly (Denis O’Regan)
13 Mister Malarky (Jonjo O’Neill Jr)
14 Kimberlite Candy (Richie McLernon)
15 Any Second Now (Mark Walsh)
16 Balko Des Flos (Aidan Coleman)
17 Alpha Des Obeaux (Jody McGarvey)
18 OK Corral (Derek O’Connor)
19 Takingrisks (Sean Quinlan)
20 Shattered Love (Kevin Sexton)
21 Jett (Sam Waley-Cohen)
22 Lord Du Mesnil (Nick Scholfield)
23 Potters Corner (Jack Tudor)
24 Class Conti (Brian Hayes)
25 Milan Native (Jamie Codd)
26 Discorama (Bryan Cooper)
27 Vieux Lion Rouge (Conor O’Farrell)
28 Cloth Cap (Tom Scudamore)
29 Cabaret Queen (Sean O’Keeffe)
30 Minellacelebration (Ben Poste)
31 Canelo (Tom Bellamy)
32 The Long Mile (Luke Dempsey)
33 Give Me A Copper (Harry Cobden)
34 Farclas (Jack Kennedy)
35 Minella Times (Rachael Blackmore)
36 Sub Lieutenant (Tabitha Worsley)
37 Hogan’s Height (Gavin Sheehan)
38 Double Shuffle (Jonathan Burke)
39 Ami Desbois (Kielan Woods)
40 Blaklion (Harry Skelton)

Who will Rachael Blackmore ride?

She was the talk of the town at Cheltenham when she was top jockey and is set to ride Minella Times if he runs at Aintree rather than Monday’s Irish National.

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Who are the previous winners?

There was no event last year and so a computer simulated event caught the imagination in 2020, which saw Potter Corner win. Profits were then donated to NHS charities.

Before that, though, Tiger Roll became the first horse to win back-to-back National winners since Red Rum.

Aintree Schedule

It’s the biggest race on the calendar and it’s live this year

THURSDAY

1.45pm: The Merseyrail Manifesto Novices’ Steeple Chase (Grade 1)

2.20pm: The Doom Bar Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle (Grand 1)

2.50pm: The Betway Bowl Steeple Chase (Grade 1)

3.25pm: The Betway Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1)

4.05pm: The Randox Health Foxhunters’ Steeple Chase (Class 2)

4.40pm: The Betway Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase (Grade 3)

5.15pm: The Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat (Grade 2)

FRIDAY

1.40pm: The Alder Hey Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

2.20pm: The Crabbie’s Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

2.50pm: The Betway Mildmay Novices’ Steeple Chase (Grade 1)

3.25pm: The JLT Melling Steeple Chase (Grade 1)

4.05pm: The Randox Health Topham Steeple Chase (Grade 3)

4.40pm: The Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

5.15pm: The Weatherbys Champion Standard Open NH Flat (Grade 2)

SATURDAY

1.45pm: The Gaskells Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

2.25pm: The Betway Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

3pm: The Doom Bar Maghull Novices’ Steeple Chase (Grade 1)

3.40pm: The Betway Handicap Steeple Chase (Listed)

4.20pm: The Ryanair Stayers’ Hurdle (Registered as the Liverpool Hurdle) (Grade 1)

5.15pm: The Randox Health Grand National Steeple Chase (Grade 3)

6.15pm: The Pinsent Masons Handicap Hurdle (cond’ and amat’) (Class 2)