What to expect from this year’s Grand National at Aintree

It's the time of the year when the best horse racing events are taking place. Among them is the Grand National at Aintree, which is one of the most popular National Hunt horse races. This is a prominent racing event that attracts the attention even of people who normally don't watch this sport.

This year, the Grand National will take place on 13 April at the well-known Aintree racecourse in Merseyside, England. Below we will discuss what you can expect from the 2024 Grand National.

Information about the 2024 Grand National and its latest changes

The Grand National dates back to 1839, and this year will be its 176th annual edition. It occurs at the Aintree Racecourse and it features a distance of 4 miles and 514 yards. Here, every horse runs two laps during which they must also jump over 30 fences. 

However, these fences are much larger than the ones found at the conventional National Hunt tracks. In 2023, 40 horses were competing for the winning spot on the field. This year, Aintree reduced that number to 34.

There are certain changes made to the first fence, as the organisers moved it 60 yards closer to the start. Fences 11 and 27 will also feature a smaller size than last year. Lastly, this race will start at 4pm, unlike in 2023 when it took place at 5:15pm.

The Grand National is the most valuable jump race in the whole of Europe. It comes with a prize pool of £1 million, where the winner gets half of that sum.

The race attracts around 150,000 fans over its three-day duration. It also generates between 500 and 600 million viewers from over 140 countries.

Among them are people who love watching horse races and those willing to place bets on them. Many of the latter are even fond of applying for Grand National free bet offers that can stimulate their betting experience. 

What can we expect from the 2024 Grand National?

The competition at the Grand National is fierce every year. The same goes for the 176th edition, as some amazing horses are competing at this popular horse racing event.

However, some of them attract more attention, based on their past performances on the racing fields. One of them is Corach Rambler, which bookmakers as well as fans see as one of the favourites to win this year. This incredible horse managed to win the 2023 Grand National and is set to defend the title. 

Other favourites are Monbeg Genius, Mahler Mission and Vanillier. The latter was the runner-up last year. Horse racing experts believe that it will once again compete for the first spot.

I Am Maximus from famous trainer Willie Mullins is also a favourite to win at this horse racing event. Then, there is Meetingofthewaters from the same stable, a horse that finished 3rd at the Cheltenham Handicap Race.

It is interesting to see whether this year's changes will somehow affect the horses' final positions. All eyes will be on Corach Rambler and Vanillier, as fans are eager to see if they will once again go head-to-head.

However, there are some other great horses that are capable of winning the 2024 Grand National. Among them is Fastorslow from well-known trainer, Martin Brassil. This horse failed to perform at the latest Cheltenham Festival, but is still in good form.

Two other good horses trained by Brassil will also compete at this horse racing event. Those are Desertmore House and Panda Boy. Both are in great shape and will give it a go for the top 5 finish.

Here, we must also mention Noble Yeats, an incredible horse from trainer Emmet Mullins. Its last race at Cheltenham wasn't up to his standards, but he is still capable of winning this year's Grand National.

Final words

There are many great horses capable of winning the 2024 Grand National. Most fans turn their focus towards last year's winner, Corach Rambler, as well as on the runner-up Vanillier.

However, we must not forget the other amazing horses such as Vanillier, I Am Maximus, Mahler Mission and a few more. Although the winner of this event isn't certain, one thing is - the excitement and entertainment that the 2024 Grand National. 

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