Spectators may yet be a possibility at the Randox Grand National but are a “long shot”, as racing pushes to be included in the Government’s programme for pilot events on its road map to ease coronavirus restrictions. About the Grand National Prediction Tool. The 2021 Grand National will take place at 17.15 on Saturday 10th April. Grand National Guide provides you with everything you need to know about the Grand National horse race and all the information you need to pick your grand national horses and place your bet. Read about each of the horses and the chances which our expert horse racing tipsters give. Tom Scudamore will be in the hotseat and VLR has decent form, having already won the Grand National Trial this season. Fans of pathos and ‘a story’ needn’t dismiss the favourite winning as dull, though – Tom Scudamore’s jockey granddad Michael won the National on a horse called Oxo back in 1959.

• What Horse To Pick For The Grand Nationals
• What Horse To Pick For The Grand National Championship
• What Horse To Pick For The Grand National Parks
• What Horse To Pick For The Grand National Park

Pick Your Grand National Winner for 2017

Millions of people across the world, will be glued to the 2017 Grand National on Saturday 8 April. Not only is it one of the most watched and richest horse races in the world, but it is also one of the most wagered sporting events in the calendar. Even those who don’t really like horse racing are liable to have a flutter on the Grand National.

What makes it such a special race? For a start, it is one of the most unpredictable horse races out there. The course is considered to be one of the toughest in the world. Consisting of two circuits of the Aintree track, runners and riders must negotiate 30 fences. Some of these are famous in their own right for their difficulty, such as The Chair and Beecher’s Brook. All of which means that as much as half the starting field may not finish the race. And so, the Grand National is the perfect race for unpredictability and perhaps a lucrative upset.

So who will write their name into Grand National folklore this year? Which horse and jockey will etch their name into sporting history? Last year, 33/1 shot Rule The World lived up to his name, finishing at the head of the 39-horse field, giving jockey David Mullins and owner Mouse Morris a day they will never forget.

What Horse To Pick For The Grand Nationals

You may well ask. Well here is a rundown of some of this year’s fancied contenders

• Vieux Lion Rouge: Topping the list of favourites this year is Vieux Lion Rouge. Ridden by top jockey Tom Scudamore, this 8-year-old has come on leaps and bounds over the past year or so. Having finished a creditable at last year’s Grand National, he has since won the Grand National Trial at Haydock and the Becher Chase, which tests horses over the Aintree course.
• Blaklion: Another 8-year-old with an excellent chance to make an impact at Aintree. Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has been gearing Blaklion up for this race all season. And he has paired him with an excellent jockey in Noel Fehily. Blaklion came second to Vieux Lion Rouge at the Grand National trial, but weighs in slightly heavier, which could give Blaklion the crucial extra strength needed on the gruelling Aintree course.
• Definitely Red: Here is a horse running bang into form at just the right time. An impressive recent winner at Doncaster to take the Grimthorpe Chase, Definitely Red has also notched up impressive victories at Wetherby and Carlisle in the past several months. Jockey Danny Cook will be delighted to be riding this horse, especially as odds have plummeted in recent weeks.
• Cause of Causes: Well here’s a horse with plenty of experience and an excellent trainer in Gordon Elliott. Cause of Causes did extremely well in the early part of his career, but things seemed to tail off until this year’s Cheltenham Festival. He came back with a bang, riding to victory in the Cross Country Chase. Cause of Causes gave the Grand National a miss last year. This year could just be a dramatic return.

By Racinguk.com staff

Top-weight Minella Rocco, Vicente and Beeves have all been declared non-runners in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree on Saturday on account of the ground.

The Jonjo O'Neill-trained Minella Rocco filled the runner-up spot in last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup but pulled out of this year's renewal on the morning of the race due to the prevailing testing conditions at Prestbury Park.

He was a best-priced 20-1 for the world's most famous steeplechase before being withdrawn on Friday morning.

Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus, said: 'It's purely ground related, he's just not as good in soft-heavy ground.

'It's a real shame as he's been aimed at this for a long time, but there's no point him running on that ground.'

Vicente, a dual winner of the Scottish Grand National, was also taken out before the 1pm deadline.

First reserve Thunder And Roses, who won the 2015 Irish Grand National, is now guaranteed a run for trainer Mouse Morris.

Morris, who won the 2016 National with Rule The World, will now fire a twin assault at this year's renewal, with Thunder And Roses, who will wear the number one saddle cloth, joining stablemate Alpha Des Obeaux.

He said: 'If you're not in you can't win and it's good Thunder And Roses has got a run.

'The two horses have travelled over fine and everything is good. We can't complain.'

Second reserve Delusionofgrandeur, trained by Sue Smith - who struck gold in the National in 2013 with Auroras Encore - and ridden by Henry Brooke, will take Vicente's saddle cloth number of 12.

What Horse To Pick For The Grand National Championship

Beeves' spot has been taken by third reserve Walk In The Mill, who runs in the colours of Baroness Harding, who won the Gold Cup in 1998 with Cool Dawn. He will be ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen and has been handed saddle cloth number 24.

Walk In The Mill's trainer Robert Walford said: 'I'm absolutely amazed, I didn't think we had a chance of getting a run as third reserve.

'We've got Sam Waley-Cohen booked, and his record speaks for itself over the fences, and the ground won't be an issue.

'If he gets into a rhythm, he's the sort of good jumper who could go well.'

The weights for all runners in the Grand National are now raised 1lb. The new top-weight is Blaklion with 11st 10lb.

The reasons as to why the three reserves now must wear particular saddle cloth numbers are due to an agreement between the BHA and the racecourse.

What Horse To Pick For The Grand National Parks

'It has been agreed by the BHA and Aintree that where a reserve runs, following a withdrawal before 1pm on Friday 13 April, that horse will appear at the base of the racecard, and shall carry the racecard number of the horse it replaced,' Robin Mounsey, head of media at the BHA, said in a statement.

What Horse To Pick For The Grand National Park

'This in order to ensure that the runners and riders remain listed in order of weight carried, as opposed to saddle cloth number, to avoid confusion for all those who are following the race.'