It looks like Balthazar King has been taken to Leahurst Veterinary hospital. Word is he may have up to three broken ribs. It will probably take a while to get any further updates, so I’ll wave a final farewell now. Bye!

I guess we’ll just have to wait for definitive news of Balthazar King.

Still no absolute confirmation of Balthazar King’s status. Latest is he’s “under assessment”, but it’s certainly better than first feared.

I’m being booted out of my prize seat next to Guardian racing editor Tony Paley, so I’m going to leave you now (though I’ll pop back if anything big happens). I depart with a doffed cap in the direction of Paul Moloney, who rode Alvarado to fourth place here, his seventh consecutive top-four Grand National finish. Bye! For now, anyway!

Ladbrokes have sent over a press release celebrating “another terrific outcome in a sequence of bookie-friendly Grand Nationals”. David Williams of Ladbrokes says this:

It’s been another cracking Grand National for us. We were cheering every runner apart from Shutthefrontdoor. He was the only one we were sweating about and when he started to tire we were able to relax. As Many Clouds raced up to the line we knew we were on the right side of a £30m windfall across the entire betting industry.

Bah.

Confirmation that Balthazar King has got back fine. Most excellent news.

Chris Cook has filed his report from the National. You can read it in full here, but this is how it starts:

Many Clouds has won the Grand National, providing Leighton Aspell, his jockey, with a second consecutive success in the famous race, while his owner, Trevor Hemmings, was winning for the third time. Tony McCoy, riding in his final National, was fifth on Shutthefrontdoor after racing prominently throughout.

But possibly the best and most unexpected news to emerge from this National concerns Balthazar King, who fell at the Canal Turn on the first circuit and was then run into by Ballycasey. Cameras caught Balthazar King trying and failing to rise and he was behind green screens as the field passed him on the second circuit but he was later reported to have risen to his feet without evident injury.

Indeed, that’s where he’d fallen.

Balthazar King is “still being assessed”. The screens had gone up around him, never a good sign, but he got up and they came down.

Monbeg Dude had to vault a faller – River Choice – two paces after Becher’s first time, and came back from that – he was near the back of the field by then – to finish third. Very nicely done. “Unbelievably tough and unbelievably brave, I’m just so, so proud of him,” says Michael Scudamore.

Here’s our initial report on the National, which we’ll update as more comes in.

We’re told that Balthazar King, who took a heavy fall, has got up and is fine.

Winning trainer Oliver Sherwood speaks to Channel 4, who have to tell him how Many Clouds is before he’ll talk (he’s being hosed down, and has calmed down considerably).

I just can’t believe it. He was just foot-perfect I think (I think he’s talking about Leighton Aspell here). I don’t think he made a mistake. I thought it was a year too soon. Trevor knows that. It was his decision. I said the horse is healthy, he’s fit, if you want him to run, he’ll run. It was his decision, he should get all the credit, not me.

The horse has been unbelievable all season. He hasn’t stopped blossoming all season. To this day I don’t know what happened to him in the Gold Cup. He got out of bed the wrong side, you know. I’ve done nothing with him since the Gold Cup. He hasn’t seen a National fence, a couple of quiet bits of work, that’s all we’ve done. What do I know about horses?

It’s Trevor Hemmings’ third Grand National win as owner.

Many Clouds is behaving a little erratically after the race. He’s getting bucket after bucket of water thrown over him to help him cool down, and is staying out of the winner’s enclosure for now.

The official top four:

1 Many Clouds (L P Aspell) 25-1
2 Saint Are (P J Brennan) 25-1
3 Monbeg Dude (L Treadwell) 40-1
4 Alvarado (Paul Moloney) 20-1
39 ran
Also: 6-1 Fav Shutthefrontdoor

No fairytale finish for AP McCoy, then.

“He was awesome,” says Leighton Aspell. “I was just hoping the battery life would last, and it did.”

Monbeg Dude is third – big news for Mike Tindall and James Simpson-Daniel, its co-owners.

Many Clouds is looking good here, from Saint Are.

Over the final fence, Many Clouds leads by three lengths. Shutthefrontdoor drops to third.

Many Clouds leads, Shutthefrontdoor behind him.

Portrait King goes too. Shutthefrontdoor still excellently placed here, Many Clouds leads.

The Druids Nephew leads over Valentine’s, but then it falls! As does The Rainbow Hunter! The two leaders, both gone!

The Rainbow Hunter, Soll and The Druids Nephew are the top three over Becher’s.

The Rainbow Hunter has taken over, as they clear the 20th.

Over the 17th, Rebel Rebellion still in the lead though there are three horses basically alongside him.

Over the 14th, Rebel Rebellion still leading, at the head of a cluster of perhaps 20.

Rebel Rebellion from Portrait King in the lead. Shutthefrontdoor is well placed.

Rebel Rebellion leads the field. Balthazar King is down.

The favourites have all cleared the first few. Unioniste is another early faller.

Gas Line Boy and Ely Brown are among the fallers at the first!

They’re approaching the tape, moments away from the start now. Deep breath...

Betting latest: Shutthefrontdoor is going to be the favourite at the start, having been backed down to 7-1. Rocky Creek and Balthazar follow on 8-1, while Soll has joined The Druids on 10-1.

As the build-up continues, a class of children, all clad in burgundy Aintree waterproofs, sing the national anthem. And not just the first verse either!

Monbeg Dude is co-owned by the former England rugby players Mike Tindall and James Simpson-Daniel. Here’s our feature on them from last year.

The big stories from the pre-race betting are Soll, who’s been backed down from 20-1 a couple of hours ago to 11-1 now, and Rocky Creek, who has held off Shutthefrontdoor’s presumed assault on favouritism.

The jockeys are being shepherded out of the weighing room even as I type. Fifteen minutes to go.

Jim Culloty just gave an update on Robbie McNamara, who was due to ride Lord Windermere in the National but fell at Wexford yesterday. Eight broken ribs, a punctured lung, a fractured T11 vertebra, and pressing on his spinal chord – he’s in surgery today. “My heart and my prayers are with him really.”

Here’s a picture of people having fun at Aintree:

And here’s the sound of people having fun at Aintree:

NB Not the same people.

Chris Cook has been casting an eye over the horses at the paddock.

Shutthefrontdoor and Rocky Creek are, as it stands, 8-1 joint favourites for the big’un.

This is how they’ve prepared the course, apparently. I’m not sure what the benefit is of watering the landing sides in particular. Presumably the water jump didn’t need it.

Half an hour to go. Get your bets on (if that’s your thing)!

Today’s racegoers got a chance to walk the course and get up close to the fences (assuming they got to Aintree early enough and had the right kind of ticket). For those of us at home, this’ll have to do. The spruce is sourced from the Lake District, since you ask:

Surely there’s some cameratrickery involved in this? I mean, surely?

The official result of the 3.25 is as follows:

1 Duke Of Lucca (R Johnson) 9-2
2 Your Busy (D J Casey) 12-1
3 Wonderful Charm (Sam Twiston-Davies) 9-2
10 ran
Also: 3-1 Fav Buywise, 25-1 Raajih 4th

And here’s Peter O’Sullevan, doyen of racing commentary, on AP McCoy (as told to greatbritishracing.com):

What makes AP very special is his absolute focus, his dedication, his application, his absolutely single-minded approach to the sport. I think it’s his determination to give of his best all of the time that’s made him, as much as his ability, the hero of so many people. It’s a v difficult thing day in day out when you’re facing horrible injuries, very unfavourable weather and everything is conspiring against you.

To remain as actively devout almost, but certainly devoted, to success is something that enormous application and he has application in abundance. He’s a very brave man and a very articulate man. He’s an amazing man to put his body through what he has put it through to succeed and not just on the big occasion but on any occasion. He’s a serious hero in his own right.

Here’s the man of the moment, looking ahead to the big one:

Like Whisper, winner of the last, Duke of Lucca wins this race for the second year on the spin. “It’s an amazing place to have a winner,” pants Richard Johnson, the winning jockey.

Over the last, and Duke of Lucca has the lead, from Your Busy, with Wonderful Charm to his right!

Two to jump, and Your Busy has taken the lead, with Duke of Lucca on his shoulder!

Vino Griego continues to lead, with four horses jumping the fifth-last simultaneously behind him, and Your Busy landing first of them.

Vino Griego leads the field by a length and a half, ahead of Mart Lane and Your Busy.

It looks like lots of snappers have noticed the poor woman whose photo I used a few minutes ago, and also that she’s happy to use unconventional expressions even in her own photographs.

So the last race before the Grand National is but moments away. There are 10 runners, with Buywise the favourite, ahead of Wonderful Charm and Duke of Lucca.

I do feel sorry for this woman, however a photographer has caught her pulling a funny face and I am duty-bound to make the nation aware of it. Just doing my job, your honour.

Fifteen minutes now until the Betfred Handicap Chase. Here’s Chris Cook’s preview:

3.25 It is interesting that Paul Moloney has been taken off Buywise and replaced with Adam Wedge, who used to ride this horse and is second jockey to the trainer, Evan Williams. Buywise has frustrated his followers and was again running on too late in a handicap at the Cheltenham Festival last time, but the fear has always been with him that his jumping frailties might be exposed if he were asked to race more prominently. Perhaps this story will have a happier ending today but Vino Griego is preferred. He was beaten only a head in this race last year and is 7lb lower than then, having been disappointing through the winter. He copes well with a lively surface and a first-time tongue tie may help.

The winning jockey, Nico de Boinville, has been chatting about that last race:

He’s just come into himself in the past couple of weeks. He’s really progressed since Cheltenham. He loves the sun on his back and the sun’s come out at the right time and he’s just thrived on it. I was never particularly worried. I knew I had to be on the heels of Coal Harden, because he lasts forever. I’ve had a dry couple of weeks and that’s put me on a high again, it’s just fantastic.

The result in full:

1 Whisper (Nico de Boinville) 5-1
2 Cole Harden (G Sheehan) 2-1 Fav
3 Un Temps Pour Tout (T Scudamore) 15-2
9 ran
Also: 5-2 Zarkandar 4th

Whisper takes over as they go over the second last, and is still there as they go over the last. It’s between Whisper and Cole Harden.

Three to jump. Cole Harden has led from the off and is still there. Brother Brian still at the back.

Cole Harden still leads, from Un Temps Pour Tout, with Whisper and Zarkandar level in third.

The field’s already stretched out, with Brother Brian last by a distance.

It’s a little over three miles, this one, over 11 fences.

Cole Harden will go off as 9-4 favourite, with Zarkandar 5-2 second favourite, and Whisper 5-1.

Here’s Chris Cook’s preview of the Silver Cross Stayers’ Hurdle:

2.50 Cole Harden was deeply impressive in winning the World Hurdle from the front but that came during a week when several front-runners proved able to keep on going and things may not work out so well for him this time. Whisper was only fifth that day but it was effectively his first run of the season, barring an abortive attempt over fences in January, and he is likely to strip fitter here. He won this race last year and another big run is expected, with the hurdlers from Nicky Henderson’s yard holding their form well.

The 2.50 starts in, ooh, about four minutes. If you’re wondering what Aintree sounds like about now, it sounds like this:

Crikey, Channel 4 have just interviewed Sean Bowen, the youngest Grand National jockey. He’s 17, rides Mon Parrain, and looks and sounds ludicrously young (the picture below was taken, I’m guessing, a couple of weeks ago). Al Co, another National rider, is trained by his parents.

Here’s an interview with Ruby Walsh from earlier, if you’re feeling a lack of audio:

Warren Greatrex, the horse’s trainer, has spoken, briefly, about Seedling:

Hey, these horses are cared for and loved very much. It’s cruel, but we have to dust ourselves off and get on with the next race. It’s one of those things.

Those kind people at GB Racing have sent me a list of fascinating nuggets of obscure Grand National-related information. Here are some of them:

1. Aintree Racecourse has staged the Formula 1 British Grand Prix on six occasions – with Stirling Moss’ 1955 victory the first to be won by a Brit.
2. Jockey Richard Johnson will be aiming for glory at the 17^th time of trying this year aboard last year’s runner-up Balthazar King – the most attempts without a success in the race.
3. After the first Grand National was run, the Liverpool Mercury newspaper reported the following day: “We have heard with alarm and regret that it is in contemplation to establish steeplechasing annually or periodically in this neighbourhood. If any such design is seriously entertained we trust that some means will be adopted to defeat it”!
4. 9m Brits watched the Grand National in 2014, with a global TV audience of 600m.

Next up is the Silver Cross Stayers’ Hurdle (previously known as the Liverpool Hurdle Race), at 2.50pm BST. In half an hour, basically.

Henry de Bromhead trained Sizing Granite

He’s always been a gorgeous horse. He’s taken a bit of time, but he’s getting better and better. He’s massive. He was very immature, but I think he’s going to keep improving. Absolutely. Yeah.

As for Burke:

He’s just a very accomplished rider for a guy of his age. He’s just getting better and better. He’s a very exciting guy to have on your team.

Jonnie Burke was the winning jockey in the 2.05, just four months after turning professional.

I got some great leaps out of him, delighted. I was keen to press on down the bank as I didn’t want to turn it into a sprint. He winged the crossfence and up the straight he was brilliant.

Sizing Granite takes over as they go over the last fence, two lengths clear!

Solar Impulse jumped the last fence, the fourth from last, poorly and has fallen away. Art Mauresque continues to lead.

Court Minstrel is at the back of the field, still led by Art Mauresque. Anyone’s race, no fallers so far.

Art Mauresque takes the early lead in the 2.05, with Solar Impulse second.

Greg Wood has been looking into the betting on McCoy’s Grand National mount, Shutthefrontdoor:

It is now two-and-a-quarter hours to post time for the Crabbie’s Grand National, and still there is precious little sign of the anticipated plunge on Shutthefrontdoor. Tony McCoy finished second on Parlour Games in the opener, his only ride before the big one, so there will be doubles running up to kick-start the market, and most of the once-a-year punters have, in all likelihood, already popped in to their local bookie to get their money down.

Shutthefrontdoor’s starting price, then, may depend on how busy the off-course firms get in the one-course market, from which the SP will be derived, and how effective the money they blow back to the track proves to be in forcing down the odds against McCoy’s mount. The betting ring at Aintree on National day is one of the strongest of the year, and the layers can also hedge money on the Betfair betting exchange, so it is entirely possible that they will be willing to take on Shutthefrontdoor, who is undoubtedly trading at an artificially low price even at his current odds of 9-1.

One rep from a major firm suggested yesterday that there is a “natural ceiling” to the price of Shutthefrontdoor, which he reckoned to be around 5-1. If the office money goes straight through the ring and onto Betfair, however, it might prove very difficult to squeeze his odds underneath it.

Just six runners in the 2.05, run over two miles. God’s Own is not just Chris Cook’s tip, he’s the favourite at 2-1. Court Minstrel and Traffic Fluide are both 4-1 with most bookies, and Art Mauresque is the 14-1 outsider.

Chris Cook adds, from Aintree:

Sad to relate, Seedling was killed by that nasty-looking fall in the opening hurdle race here. Initial reports say that he was killed instantly and was dead before the vet got to him, seconds after the incident.

News is in on Seedling, and it’s not good.

Next up is the Doom Bar Maghull Novices’ Chase, at 2.05pm BST. Here’s Chris Cook’s race preview:

2.05 We saw a mighty effort in the Arkle at Cheltenham from God’s Own, who briefly looked like beating Un De Sceaux. While that may have been a demanding race, it was his first since December and he has had a full month to recover, so he should be able to give his running again, back on the type of sound surface that suits him so well. While he qualifies as a novice, this is his second season over fences and it is 11 months since he won a Grade One chase, so he has a lot going for him.

I’m trying to find out what happened to Seedling in the first race. As soon as I find out, I’ll pass it on.

Here’s Chris Cook’s latest update from Aintree:

On Channel 4 Gok Wan is in AP McCoy’s house, raiding Mrs McCoy’s wardrobe. Nice house, full of very clean cream carpets. The wardrobe, since you ask, is enormous.

Hatwatch latest:

If you’re in the market for one more Grand National tip, here you go:

Willie Mullins, the trainer:

I didn’t expect him to do that. I thought his coat had gone a little bit, thought he could go flat today. I told Ruby, we’d do what we did at Leopardstown and forget about Cheltenham.

Here’s (some of) what Ruby Walsh said afterwards:

It’s a great game, isn’t it. Ups, downs, ups, downs, that’s just the way it is. This horse nailed it today. It was just too keen at Cheltenham. Jumped like a bunny. It’s great to get back on track, and it’s great to win.

And here comes Parlour Games! Seedling has fallen at the penultimate fence, and Parlour Games is now second, behind Nichols Canyon!

Ten runners in a bunch, still led by Ballybolley, with McCoy and Parlour Games at the back. Two jumps to go.

Ballybolley still in front. If your money is on Grand Partner, go get yourself a drink – it’s been dropped by the field.

A faller! Jake Greenall has come off Go West Young Man!

So the front three as it stands: Ballybolley, by a couple of lengths, with Mister Fizz second and McKinley.

McCoy is right at the back of the field on Parlour Games. It’s a marathon not a sprint, etc and so forth.

Ballybolley is the early leader, from Mister Fizz.

And they’re off!

The runners just getting ready for the 1.30, the wind whipping the jockeys’ shirts. Action very much imminent.

Here’s Chris Cook’s race preview. AP McCoy rides Parlour Games in this one, incidentally:

1.30 The eye is drawn first to As De Mee, not least because Paul Nicholls has had such a great week in the Grade One races, but it is just the mildest of concerns that his two best efforts have come at Sandown and he has to prove himself in these rather different conditions at the end of a busy novice season. Seedling should be fresher, having not raced for three months before unseating at the Cheltenham Festival. His early-season form stands comparison with anything else on offer and he appeals as the type to enjoy this drier surface.

The World Famous JUST EAT Mersey Novices’ Hurdle is the first race of the day. Two miles four furlongs of fun, coming up in about 10 minutes.

It’s a bit breezy up at Aintree today, which has opened the door to all sorts of hilarious hold-on-to-your-hats photographs.

Hello world!

So, the racing begins at 1.30 and the last of the day’s seven races at Aintree goes off at 5.40, and there’s a great big bag of excitement for us to open and rummage through between now and then. The Racing Post reports that the going over hurdles is now good, good to soft in places (from good to soft, good in places). Which is nice (nice to really great in places).

Okay, that’s all from me and as they approach the Melling Road … well actually as they rest in their stables unaware of what they will be asked to until a couple of hours from now, I’m going to hand you over to Simon Burnton. Good luck and best wishes to all those taking part in the greatest race in the world.

A going concern? Here’s a breakdown of the official going for the Grand National since back in 1971 when Specify won.

In 1997 we decided to have another Grand National party. We haven’t bothered since.

Chris Cook reports from Aintree on the latest thoughts about who will start favourite for today’s Grand National:

Despite all our weeks of Tony McCoy-related chatter, it is not yet clear that his mount, Shutthefrontdoor, will start favourite for today’s Grand National. Bookmakers have so far been happy to take him on and you can get 8-1, whereas the horse was 7-1 across the board in recent days. Rocky Creek is just one point bigger at 9-1, having been well tipped in this morning’s papers.

This seems a good time to mull the record of Grand National favourites and it would have to be admitted that the betting market has done well over the last decade. Three winners have either been favourite or joint-favourite, although punters have had some trouble picking a single clear favourite:

2014 Double Seven (3rd) and Teaforthree (UR 15th) 10-1
2013 Seabass (13th) 11-2
2012 Seabass (3rd) and Shakalakaboomboom (9th) 8-1
2011 The Midnight Club (6th) 15-2
2010 Don’t Push It (WON) and Big Fella Thanks (4th) 10-1
2009 Butler’s Cabin (7th) 7-1
2008 Comply Or Die (WON) and Cloudy Lane (6th) 7-1
2007 Point Barrow (Fell 1st), Joes Edge (PU 20th) and Monkerhostin (REF 7th) 8-1
2006 Hedgehunter (2nd) and Clan Royal (3rd) 5-1
2005 Hedgehunter (WON) 7-1

Have you made up your mind which horse to bet on?

Bookmakers Coral have released a list of the top ten best-backed Grand National horses as at 11.45am, according to the number of bets placed on each of the 39 runners in the firm’s 1,800 betting shops, and Shutthefrontdoor is at the top of the list.

“We are taking twice as many bets on Shutthefrontdoor as the next best backed horse Rocky Creek, and we have already cut him to 7/1 and that price will be a distant memory come race-time. I expect him to go off around the 5/1 mark,” said Simon Clare, Coral spokesman.

“Of the bigger priced horses Oscar Time is proving the most popular despite his advancing years and we have cut him to 25/1 from 40/1 but once again this is proving a wonderful, wide-open Grand National and we are taking a spread of money across all the 39 runners”, added Clare.

Dolatulo is the horse that has attracted the least number of bets with Super Duty second last and Owega Star third last.

In 1983, when I was an impoverished student, I went to the Grand National for the first time. I won the BBC-TV competition for a package that included an overnight stay at the Adelphi Hotel, champagne lunch, a pair of Grandstand tickets and a chance to meet some of the greats prior to the meeting. I didn’t back the winner, which was Corbiere, who was trained by the first female trainer to win the National, Jenny Pitman.

I think it will be difficult to spot me (or my old man who went along as well) as the late Julian Wilson introduces the highlights by stating: “This was the year when everyone, public and professional alike, were asked - is it worth keeping the Grand National alive?” It’s easy to forget that not so long ago the National was in serious danger of not surviving into the 21st century.

Here’s a clearer picture of ‘McCoy’s’, the new watering hole at Aintree

Tony McCoy is famously teetotal but there are bars named after great horses all over the country and Aintree are opening one in honour of the great man. What is AP’s tipple?

Shame on the Liverpool Hilton Hotel. They were charging Daily Mail tipster Sam Turner £3 for a Racing Post this morning (that’s 50p dearer than in the shops)

After Foinavon, the next National I remember vividly was Red Rum’s first win in 1973. It was memorable for being the first time I had a bet on the race and I won money. Now I can hardly bring myself to watch the race - Grey Sombrero, one of my favourite horses, suffered a fatal fall and Crisp, who my dad later revealed he had backed, was caught in the dying strides after leading all the way and jumping the fearsome fences as if they were hurdles. The runner-up put up arguably the most remarkable display in Grand National history and if ever a horse deserved to win a race it was Crisp that day.

And Mr Cook has the latest news direct from Aintree

Spring always seems a painful time for some jump jockeys, perhaps because drying ground has less give in it when you have a tumble. Joshua Moore is the latest to have suffered a bone break, in his fall on Sire De Grugy here at Aintree on Friday.

Moore broke his collar bone in a ride he inherited from his brother, Jamie, who has a broken leg. He did not have a Grand National ride but had two good mounts in other races. Leighton Aspell will now be on Traffic Fluide (2.05) while Tom Cannon gets aboard Vino Griego (3.25).

Talking of that man Cook, here’s his guide from the track on horses to be wary of in the National - and that includes those who ran well in the race the previous year:

Every year, one temptation with the Grand National is to look at the horses that ran well the previous year and try to make a case for them taking this year’s prize. But this has been anything but a sure route to profit in recent decades and in fact you’d be better off looking for the winner among the horses that lost their jockey at some point the previous year.

It’s 31 years since I first came to Aintree. In all that time, only two horses have won after being placed the previous year, Hallo Dandy and Amberleigh House. Mon Mome won in 2009 after finishing 10th, beaten 58 lengths, in 2008.

But all these horses have won, 12 months after failing to get round:

1986 West Tip (fell 1985)
1989 Little Polvier (unseated rider 1988)
2001 Red Marauder (fell 2000)
2005 Hedgehunter (fell 2004)
2007 Silver Birch (fell 2006)

The Rainbow Hunter is the only runner today who dropped his jockey during last year’s race. In fact, he has been hideously unlucky in the past two Nationals, as his jockey was essentially knocked out of the saddle in 2013 and the horse was all but brought down last year. So hopefully anyone who fancied him then has kept the faith today at 80-1.

But if he wins, spare a thought for Aidan Coleman, who has ridden him for the past two years but has jumped ship this time for the more fancied The Druids Nephew. Coleman also rode Mon Mome the year before he won but then chose to ride something else when that horse’s big day came around.

Here’s why you should be reading our Talking Horses blog each day. Chris Cook highlighted the odds of 20-1 on Shutthefrontdoor and the fact that Tony McCoy would be riding the beast before anyone else on 10 February. Hope you got on!

Jockey news from the track as Joshua Moore is replaced on his mounts this afternoon

I’ve already had a neighbour (hello Jan Mckay at No36) querying about a sweepstake down our road. I’m directing Jan, and everyone else, here to the Guardian online sweep. It’s easy to download and use and it’s not too late to get your work colleagues, friends, enemies or nearest and dearest involved. You can find it via this link here.

An aside here (for devoted racing fans only). Which horse has put up the best chasing performance of the year? There’ll be plenty of candidates - Coneygree, Silviniaco Conti, Vautour etc. Well, the respected ratings organisation Timeform have given their highest rating of the season to Don Cossack, who won the Melling Chase at Aintree yesterday by 26 lengths.

The Grand National has an amazing history of course. This was the first one I can remember. And I recall the BBC showing the race the next day again on Sunday such was the extraordinary nature of the 1967 race, the ‘Foinavon’ National. “And now it’s over to Michael O’Hehir...”

Fergus Wilson, the owner of Grand National runner River Choice, runs no-hopers in the big races. That has been controversial enough in the racing world. He and his wife are also Britain’s most controversial landlords, whose property empire extends to nearly 1,000 homes in Kent. In 2014 they began evicting families with more than two children, banned tenants on zero-hours contracts and threw out extended families where the grandmother comes to stay. You can read all about Mr Wilson here.

Meanwhile, here is River Choice, oblivious to all the controversy and enjoying a munch of grass ahead of his run in the big race this afternoon.

There are other ways to find the winner than following our sage correspondent’s advice. There’s always Mystic Meg :-/

For those jockeys today who need fattening up before they go out to ride Sally Ann Grassick has made the now traditional delivery to the weighing (!) room at Aintree

There’s only one story in town (though potentially there are many) for the 2015 running and with the great AP McCoy stating he will retire if he wins the Grand National on Shutthefrontdoor today all eyes are on the remarkable jockey. He told Karthi Gnanasegaram on the Radio 4 Today programme this morning that he won’t be thinking too much about the race until much nearer the off and it’s clear he’s chilling out as he’s just posted this via Twitter.

More fallers this year?

Since the modifications to the fences there have been fewer fallers but there were plenty of casualties in the Topham Chase over the the National obstacles yesterday. There’s some speculation that they’ve been made a bit tighter this year. Last year Pineau De Re got away with mistakes and still won. This year you might want to be looking at safe jumpers among the 39-strong field.

Hello and welcome to the greatest day of the racing year bar none. It’s the Grand National, the event that transcends the sport. Everyone has their own idea of what is going to win and most people will have a wager on this one day.

Personally, I loved the days before chief handicapper Phil Smith became “The Tinkerman”, started fiddling with the weights and we started to get 100-1 winners again. It’s not such a hot betting medium for me these days but I’m pinning my hopes on Rocky Creek. There’s still some 10-1 available if you shop around. You can see the latest odds from all the bookies here via the Oddschecker site.

There will be plenty more, and probably much more sage advice, here in the build-up to today’s first race at Aintree at 1.30 with the big race set to go off at 4.15. Stay with us here for all the latest news, opinion and best bets as we bring you the Grand National, the only Thoroughbred contest that actually merits the tag ‘greatest race in the world’.

News from Chris on Lord Windermere’s jockey:

Brian O’Connell has been named as Lord Windermere’s jockey for today’s Grand National, replacing Robbie McNamara, who was badly injured in a fall at Wexford on Friday. O’Connell is not well known in Britain but has won six Grade One races in Ireland, starting in 2009 with Dunguib and peaking with Last Instalment in last year’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown, the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

O’Connell has had two previous rides in the National, finishing eighth on Tharawaat in 2012 and pulling up on Quito De La Roque last year. Neither was well fancied and, while Lord Windermere is a 50-1 shot, the horse won last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and is a potentially exciting ride, if the unique National fences revive his enthusiasm.

The choice of O’Connell may be deflating for those on social media who allowed themselves to become excited by the prospect of Katie Walsh coming in for the ride, five days after her Irish Grand National success.

McNamara has been transferred to the Mater Hospital in Dublin with injuries said to affect his chest, abdomen and spine. No further updates on his condition are expected until Sunday.

This from Chris Cook:

Aintree has reported increased attendance for each of the first two days of the Grand National meeting. Friday’s Ladies Day crowd of 45,078 was up 6% on last year, following a 4% increase to 34,752 which was a new record for the Thursday card.

Both days benefited from warm, dry spring weather. Today’s sky is overcast and rain has fallen but this crowd will be the least weather-affected of the three; Grand National day is a sellout with more than 70,000 expected.

The desire for a National free of injuries has created a tense atmosphere on this day in years gone by, at least among those closest to the sport, but there have been no equine fatalities in the big race for the last two years, since the fences were softened, and there have been none here on Thursday or Friday, despite two-thirds of the field failing to complete the course in yesterday’s Topham Chase over the National fences.

As a result, the fears of recent years have dissipated to some extent and been replaced by optimism, perhaps even confidence. Even so, racing’s officials are well aware that days of ugly headlines are only one unfortunate mid-race incident away.