The 2019 Grand National: everything you need to know about the Aintree marathon

The Grand National is the most famous race of the jumps season and the 2019 renewal will take place on Saturday, April 6.

Worth £1 million in prize-money, the Grand National is sponsored by Randox Health and is scheduled to begin at 5.15pm.

The Grand National will be shown live on both ITV and Racing TV, while you can also stream and bet on the race on the Racing Post website and mobile app.

What is the Grand National and why is it so important?

The Grand National is a £1m handicap contested by 40 runners over a unique set of fences. The marathon contest is run over 4m2½f, with the race run over nearly two full circuits of the course. Each runner will have to jump over 30 testing fences if they are to complete the race.

Because the race is a handicap, horses carry different weights relating to their previous form. The best horse carries a maximum weight of 11st 10lb, with the rest of the weights set in accordance to this.

The first Grand National was officially held in 1839 and was won by Lottery. It has been contested every year since, with the exception of three years during World War I and in 1993, when the race was completed by seven horses but subsequently declared void.

An estimated 500 to 600 million people watch the Grand National across the world each year.

Who is running in the 2019 Grand National?

Although the full list of competitors will not be confirmed until declarations on Thursday, April 4, we have a pretty good idea who will compete in this year's Grand National.

Tiger Roll: Last year's winner (right) set to be try and win the Grand National againCredit: Grossick Photography

Last year's winner Tiger Roll is the favourite and will try to become the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Grand Nationals.

With Bristol De Mai ruled out on Wednesday, Anibale Fly is set to carry the most weight in this year's Grand National.

Click here for the Grand National card and latest odds

Who is going to win the Grand National?

Good question! The Grand National is always a tricky puzzle to solve. Members can view Pricewise's ante-post thoughts here.

The race tends to suit a certain type of horse, so it is always useful to read the Grand National trends, Racing Post Ratings and Topspeed ratings.

Which horses have won the race?

Red Rum is the best known Grand National winner and the only horse to win the race three times.

Golden Miller was the only horse to complete the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National double in the same season, which he completed in 1934.

Manifesto ran in the race a record eight times, winning twice.

Tony McCoy's only win in the race on Don't Push It was another iconic moment in the race's history, as well as Aldaniti's success under Bob Champion in 1981.

Where is it held?

The Grand National is held at Aintree racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside. The full address for the racecourse is Ormskirk Road, Liverpool, L9 5AS, and it is approximately six miles from Liverpool city centre.

Why are some of the fences named?

Many of the fences in the Grand National are so notorious they have been named.

Becher's Brook (fence six and 22 in the Grand National) is named after Captain Martin Becher, who took shelter in the brook after being unseated.

Famous fences like Becher's Brook play a big part in the unique National courseCredit: Shaun Botterill

Foinavon (seven and 23) is the smallest jump on the course. It was made famous in 1967 when 100-1 outsider Foinavon was the only horse to scramble over it at the first time of asking after a mass pile-up.

The Canal Turn (eight and 24) requires horses to turn a full 90 degrees on landing, while Valentine's Brook (nine and 25) and The Chair (15) – the tallest and broadest fence – are other famously named obstacles.

What else is happening at Aintree?

The Grand National is the penultimate race of the three-day meeting at Aintree. There is a race over the Grand National course on each day, with the Foxhunters' Chase run on Thursday and the Topham on Friday.

Four Grade 1s take place on the Thursday, with the Betway Bowl and the Aintree Hurdle the highlights.

Friday is Ladies' Day and there are four more Grade 1s with the Melling Chase the feature.

Saturday is all about the build to the Grand National itself. The Ryanair Stayers' Hurdle is the main Grade 1 on the card.

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