Up at dawn and time to deliver for Sharp Rise and the team

Charlie Longsdon's assistant Marcus Foley with the daily lowdown as Sharp Rise prepares to tackle the American Grand National in New Jersey today

It's the big day and Sharp Rise feels in great order. We put the finishing touches to him this morning, with a trot around the schooling field then across the road to a bank, which is about four furlongs, cantering up there the first time and breezing up there the second time to open his lungs a bit.

He's already schooled over the American-style fences so it was all about keeping things simple: getting washed and brushed after his morning exercise, then putting him out in the field until we tuck him up for bed for his evening feed.