When is the 2021 Grand National? All you need to know about the Aintree showpiece

We provide all the key information for the 2021 Grand National including what date and time it's run, and which are the key horses to look out for at Aintree...

When Is The Grand National?

The 2021 Randox Health Grand National will be run on Saturday 10th April, 2021. The three-day Grand National festival will kick off on Thursday 8th April, but the main event, the 173rd running of the Grand National will take place on the final day of the National Hunt extravaganza at Aintree.

What Time Is The Grand National?

The Grand National run over 4m 2f 74y will take place at 17:15 on Saturday 10th April. Moved towards the end of the afternoon's action in recent years, the 2021 race will be shown across the globe in a teatime slot, and it's set to be an absolutely thrilling spectacle.

How Many Runners Will Line Up In The Grand National?

A maximum field of 40 horses are permitted to run in the 2021 Randox Health Grand National. Using its customary handicap system, the final field of 40 will be announced two days before the big race on April 8, with a couple of reserves named in case of any late withdrawals from the declared field of 40 runners.

How Many Fences Will Be Jumped During The Race?

There will be 30 fences jumped during the Grand National, with some of the most famous obstacles in horse racing providing a huge spectacle during the race. The legendary Becher's Brook has a significant drop on the landing side, which makes it a tricky fence to jump, while The Chair is the largest fence on the course and along with the Water Jump are the only fences jumped once during the race. Other legendary fences include the Canal Turn, which sees the horses having to immediately shift 90 degrees to stay on the track. Named after the 1967 winner Foinavon, the fence of the same name is a relatively small fence, but in the aforementioned 1967 race all bar Foinavon fell or refused at the fence, so it was tagged in honour of the shock winner of over 50 years ago.

Who Are The Key Contenders In The 2021 Grand National?

With dual winner and reigning champion Tiger Roll not running in the 2021 Grand National, there's a new name set to be etched on to the roll of honour and the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Cloth Cap is a red-hot favourite for the race. A winner of the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury earlier in the season, Cloth Cap then followed up with a fine win at Kelso, and is now clear favourite for the Grand National.

However, he will face some notable rivals including the Ted Walsh-trained Any Second Now and the former Irish Grand National winner Burrows Saint, who will be the representative of Willie Mullins. Runaway Welsh Grand National winner Secret Reprieve will look to follow up his Chepstow heroics and is well-fancied with the bookmakers, while the trio of Minella Times, Kimberlite Candy and former Grand National runner-up Magic Of Light are all prominent figures in the betting.

What Are The Latest Odds For The 2021 Grand National?

Jonjo O'Neill's Cloth Cap is a warm favourite in the 2021 Grand National Odds, but the Trevor Hemmings-owned charge will face notable opposition from the likes of Minella Times and Any Second Now, who are both sitting prominently in the betting.