Grand National news LIVE: Latest odds, tips, news and updates from Aintree

Nicky Henderson is up-and-running at the Grand National Festival after a shocking outing at Cheltenham saw him withdraw most of his contenders.

Sir Gino has just won the 14.20 as the 11/10 favourite with jockey Nico de Boinville.

• Maximum number of runners down from 40 to 34
• The first fence will be moved 60 yards closer to the start and a standing start – as opposed to allowing the horses to run – for all races over the National fences
• The start will be brought forward from 5.15pm local time to 4pm, therefore ensuring the ground doesn’t dry up too much and become too quick for the horses
• Horses will no longer be led by a handler on course in the pre-race parade to afford the horses more time to prepare
• Loose horses will be caught more easily by changes to the alignment of the running rail on the inside of the course
• The 11th fence will be reduced in height by two inches, from 5ft to 4ft 10in
• Softer foam and rubber ‘toe boards’ will be put at the base of the jumping side of each fence
• More pop-up irrigation to water the course
• The minimum handicap rating for horses will go up from up to 130 from 125, aligning it with all top-level Grade One races
• The introduction of a review panel of industry experts to assess every runner making jumping errors in 50 per cent or more of their most recent eight races

Ruby Walsh’s Thursday Aintree picks:

14:20 – Sir Gino – 10/11

“Kalif Du Berlais is going to be a chaser for next year but I’m finding it hard to oppose Sir Gino. Willie Mullins has Kargese, who didn’t give a true running in the Triumph at Cheltenham. He had a pretty hard race and while I can see Nurburgring getting involved, I’ll side with Sir Gino. He’s the best horse in the race. He’s hard to back with Nicky Henderson’s troubles but I can’t oppose him.”

Racing ambassador Alex Hammond spoke to Sky Bet about his tip for the big race itself on Saturday

Saturday 13 April, 16:00 – Grand National

Alex Hammond: “I’m going with a horse that actually came second in the Midlands National last time, Mr Incredible. He’s talented and quirky but certainly has the ability to run a big race if all goes to plan, so it’s Mr Incredible for me in the Grand National.”

The first race of the festival has just completed with Il Etait Temps, ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, taking the spoils ahead of Ginny’s Destiny and Grey Dawning.

Is that a sign of things to come for the Mullins-Townend partnership who will be desperate to triumph in the Grand National on Saturday?

Britain’s leading racecourse group, the Jockey Club, revealed last Sunday that it is cutting it’s contributions to prize money funds this year after declining attendance figures at last month’s Cheltenham Festival.

Dwindling attendances coupled with the impact of affordability checks have hit the Jockey Club’s revenues meaning they need to reduce their spending with the reduction in prize purses expected to total around £1.5m from May until the end of the year.

Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale said the cuts were due to the “very, very significant financial headwinds” it is facing.

Here is the full list of horses running in the 2024 Grand National.

1. Noble Yeats(J: Harry Cobden; T: Emmet Mullins)
2. Nassalam (J: Caoilin Quinn; T: Gary Moore)
3. Coko Beach (J: Jordan Gainford; T: Gordon Elliott)
4. Capodanno (J Keith Donoghue; T: Willie Mullins)
5. I Am Maximus (J: Paul Townend; T: Willie Mullins)
6. Minella Indo (J: Rachael Blackmore; T: Henry De Bromhead)
7. Corach Rambler (J: Derek Fox; T: Lucinda Russell)
8. Janidil (J: Jody McGarvey; T: Willie Mullins)
9. Stattler (J: Patrick Mullins; T: Willie Mullins)
10. Mahler Mission (J: Ben Harvey; T: John McConnell)
11. Delta Work (J: Jack Kennedy; T: Gordon Elliott)
12. Foxy Jacks (J: Gavin Brouder; T: Mouse Morris)
13. Galvin (J: Sam Ewing; T: Gordon Elliott)
14. Farouk D’Alene (J: Donagh Meyler; T: Gordon Elliott)
15. Eldorado Allen (J: Brendan Powell; T: Joe Tizzard)
16. Ain’t That A Shame (J: David Maxwell; T: Henry De Bromhead)
17. Vanillier (J: Sean Flanagan; T: Gavin Cromwell)
18. Mr Incredible (J: Brian Hayes; T: Willie Mullins)
19. Run Wild Fred (J: Tom Hamilton; T: Gordon Elliott)
20. Latenightpass (J: Gina Andrews; T: Tom Ellis)
21. Minella Crooner (J: Kevin Sexton; T: Gordon Elliott)
22. Adamantly Chosen (J: Sean O’Keeffe; T: Willie Mullins)
23. Mac Tottie (J: James Bowen; T: Peter Bowen)
24. Chemical Energy (J: Danny Gilligan; T: Gordon Elliott)
25. Limerick Lace (J: Mark Walsh; T: Gavin Cromwell)
26. Meetingofthewaters (J: Danny Mullins; T: Willie Mullins)
27. The Goffer (J: Sean Bowen; T: Gordon Elliott)
28. Roi Mage (J: James Reveley; T: Patrick Griffin)
29. Glengouly (J: Michael O’Sullivan; T: Willie Mullins)
30. Galia Des Liteaux (J: Harry Skelton; T: Dan Skelton)
31. Panda Boy (J: JJ Slevin; T: Martin Brassil)
32. Eklat De Dire (J: Darragh O’Keeffe; T: Henry De Bromhead)
33. Chambard (J: Lucy Turner; T: Venetia Williams)
34. Kitty’s Light (J: Jack Tudor; T: Christian Williams)

There will be a maximum of 34 horses running in the 2024 race, down from 40 in 2023 as the event tries to become safer. The number has not always been consistent, there were 66 for example in 1929.

The Grand National takes place on Saturday 13 April at 4pm BST, having been brought forward from 5.15pm after controversy in the 2023 edition.

The race will be shown live on ITV1 as well as Racing TV. The race can also be streamed live on ITVX.

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