The 166th John Smith’s Grand National kicks off on Thursday 4th April with Liverpool Day.
The 7 race event will feature the John Smith’s Aintree hurdle, a race that has been switched over from its traditional slot on the Saturday afternoon. The horse that is currently considered favourite for the race is Oscar Whisky. The eight year old is looking to claim a hat trick of wins in the John Smith’s Aintree hurdle having won the race for the previous two years.
On Friday 5th April is Ladies day at Aintree. One of the feature races of day two is the John Smith’s Melling Steeple Chase. Two of the main horses to look out for in the two and a half mile chase are Sprinter Sacre and Flemenstar. Both horses will be battling to maintain their unbeaten record. Sprinter Sacre is considered by many to be one of the best chasers in the sport at the minute having won the Queen Mother Champion chase at Cheltenham festival by 19 lengths.
Day 3 of the Aintree meet is headlined by main event, the 2013 John Smith’s Grand National. The four and a half mile race will see 40 runners competing for a share of the £925,000 prize fund. A few of the favourites for the race are Seabass, Cappa Bleu and On His Own. Seabass finished third in last year’s race and his trainer suggests that the 10 year old has significantly improved over the lasy year. Cappa Bleu finished fourth in last year’s race and third in the Welsh national. In the space of a year his form has gradually improved making him many people’s favourite to win the illustrious race. The current favourite with many bookmakers is On His Own. The 9 year old was looking strong in last year’s race before falling on the second circuit. His performance’s this season have seen him installed as the early favourite for the 2013 race.
