When is this year's Grand National, what time does it start and is it live on television

Liverpool will be at the centre of the horse racing world this weekend as one of the most prestigious events in the calendar takes place.

We are now just days away from the start of the 2024 Randox Grand National event as 2023 winner Corach Rambler returns with the aim of writing another chapter into the history books by following in the footsteps of Tiger Roll, Red Rum and Reynoldstown by winning successive Nationals.

However, the Lucinda Russell-trained ride will face significant competition from the likes of the much-fancied Meetingofthewaters, Vanillier and Mr Incredible as punters take part in what is one of the most lucrative races for bookmakers across the country.

With this year’s event now just hours away and the main event rapidly approaching, we take a look at everything you need to know about the 2024 Randox Grand National.

When and where does the 2024 Randox Grand National take place?

This year’s Grand National will take place on Saturday 13th April and, as always, will be held at Aintree in Liverpool. The first running of the Grand National is said to be the 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase and, barring a short spell during World War One when the event was temporarily held at another racecourse that is now the site of Gatwick Airport, Aintree remains the traditional home of the event.

What time does the 2024 Randox Grand National get underway?

The first race on Grand National Day will get underway 1.20pm on Saturday as the William Hill Handicap Hurdle kicks off one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. The Grand National will revert to a start time at 4pm after the controversial move to get the 2023 Grand National underway at 5.15pm.

Sulekha Varma, head of racing and clerk of the Course at Aintree Racecourse, gave an insight into the decision, saying: “This was a decision we took after a number of participants and other racing stakeholders raised concerns about the long build-up to the race throughout the day and heightened tension as a result. These were not issues which had been identified as a problem when the race was previously staged at 3.45pm and 4.15pm. Bringing forward the start time of the Randox Grand National by 75 minutes to 4pm will also help us to maintain optimal jumping ground, as warm or breezy conditions can dry out the racing surface.”

Where can you watch the 2024 Randox Grand National?

ITV1 will be running a live broadcast of all three days of racing from Aintree with coverage getting underway at 2pm on Thursday and Friday, with a slightly earlier start of 12.55pm on Saturday. The show from Aintree will end at 5pm on all three days as the broadcaster continues its coverage of British racing’s most prestigious events. Dedicated racing broadcaster Racing TV will be showing the event on Sky channel 424 and Virgin Media channel 536.