Last year's winner I Am Maximus heads the field for Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree as a maximum line-up of 34 runners is named.

The sun is shining and Cheltenham is a distant memory! Aintree’s Grand National Festival kicks off on Thursday and you’d struggle to find a better day of racing with four Grade 1s straight off the

When the gates open at 11am, the temperature will be around 14°C. By the time the first race begins, temperatures will rise to between 17°C and 18°C. The final race is scheduled for 5.15pm, and temperatures at that time will be around 19°C.