The Grand National will take place in front of a capacity crowd this weekend for the first time since 2019, and plenty will be finalising their sweepstake before the big day. The iconic steeplechase was cancelled back in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and was replaced by a virtual race.
The action returned to Aintree last year, but due to Covid restrictions there was no crowd in attendance to watch Rachael Blackmore ride to victory on Minella Times and become the first woman to win the historic event. The jockey, who is fresh off the back of her Cheltenham Gold Cup win in March, will ride the same horse again in this year's National as she looks to defend her title.
With thousands expected to attend Saturday's big race and many more watching at home, the return to a more normal way of life also means a return for the all-important Grand National sweepstake. Whether you're playing with office colleagues or friends and family, setting one up won't be a hassle with our easy-to-use kit, which includes a full list of runners.
We suggest charging £2 a ticket, which will give you a prize kitty of £80. Simply cut out the names, throw them in a bag or box, get your friends or family to draw a ticket and fill in the list, with the details of who has picked which horse. The winner can take away £40, the second £25, the third £10 and the fourth a fiver. Good luck!
Race coverage begins on ITV on Saturday, from 2pm, with the Randox Grand National starting at 5.15pm. You'll find brilliant coverage of the entire Aintree Festival and the Grand National on the Liverpool Echo.
