The biggest race of the National Hunt horse racing calendar is almost upon us with the Grand National on Saturday at Aintree.

Around 10 million will watch all the drama unfold on TV, with another 70,000 set to be in attendance at the Liverpool racecourse this weekend, where around £300 million will be placed in bets by the general public.

Forty horses will look to write their name into the history books and it will be an occasion to remember, as Noble Yeats looks to emulate the great Tiger Roll by making it back-to-back wins.

Any Second Now has even more course form, having finished third in 2021, and after finishing runner-up last year, will be hoping it will be a case of third time lucky with Mark Walsh on board.

Rachael Blackmore was successful aboard Minella Times in 2021, and she will look to go close again this time round on the Henry De Bromhead-trained Ain’t That A Shame.

Five of the last six winners have come from Ireland, with Scotland’s One For Arthur the one to deny them a clean sweep when taking the 2017 edition.

One For Arthur’s trainer, Lucinda Russell, could be the most likely to stop another Irish winner, as she trains the bookmakers favourite Corach Rambler, who comes into the race after winning the Ultima Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for the second year in succession.

Owner JP McManus always has a strong set of chances in the race and is bidding to win it for a third time, having had success in 2010 with Don’t Push It and 2021 with Minella Times.

Any Second Now is at the head of his five runners, while his other chances include Capodanno, Darasso, Enjoy D’allen and A Wave Of The Sea.

Trainer Gordon Elliott has won this race three times, twice with the great Tiger Roll and once with Silver Birch back in 2007 and could have as many as six runners in the 40-strong field.

Fellow Irish trainer Willie Mullins would love nothing more than a second win of the Grand National, given that he’s such a high-profile trainer. His only previous success came way back in 2005 with Hedgehunter.

Mullins’ pursuit for another National is led by Capodanno, but he also has live chances with Gaillard Du Mesnil, Mr Incredible, Carefully Selected and Recite a Prayer.

Of the British hopes, the leading chance looks likely to be Dan Skelton’s Le Milos. Skelton was the only British trainer to feature in the top-11 finishers last year with Blaklion, and Milos will hope to go close, with Dan’s brother Harry on board.