Laura Scott
BBC sports news correspondent at Aintree

Image source, BBC Sport

A future jockey?

Three-month-old Elsie and her mum Rachel Gardner are the owners of Catch Him Derry, which finished fifth in the first race.

Image source, Getty Images

Yes, you really have read that headline correctly.

Sean Bowen - the current leader of the British jump jockeys championship - is allergic to horses and he's set to ride Three Card Brag for Irish trainer Gordon Elliott in the big race at 16:00 BST.

Bowen was a football-obsessed child and with an allergy to horses he did not seem like obvious jockey material.

Bowen's love of horses has certainly grown since childhood, even if the allergies remain.

"I still am [allergic to horses] now a little bit, it's a bit of a weird one," Bowen told BBC Sport Wales.

"If dad would come in from clipping and there'd be horse hair everywhere, I'd be itching for days. Even now, sometimes if I spend all morning round horses, I'd be sneezing for the rest of the day.

"I've always grown up loving the Grand National and dad loves the Grand National. It's something that he always said that hopefully one day he could win."

READ MORE: The Grand National jockey who's allergic to horses

BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, PA Media

There will be coverage of every race and then full commentary on the Grand National on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Mark Chapman presents from Aintree with two-time Grand National winner Davy Russell joining the team.

You can listen along at the top of this page, on BBC Sounds or just ask your smart speaker to "play BBC Radio 5 Live".

Andrew Thornton
Former jockey on BBC Radio 5 Live

Cheltenham is the pressure-cooker and Aintree is where the trainers relax a little bit. They roll with the relaxed nature of Liverpool.

It is great fun and it is the people's fixture, not just the people's race on the Saturday now.

Image source, Getty Images

Winning trainer Christian Williams on ITV Racing: "I was lucky to get sent this horse so I am thankful for that. You could put a line through his last run at Windsor because Jack thought he might be better on nicer ground."

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at Aintree

Three horses that will run in the green and gold colours of JP McManus are prominent in the betting.

Last year's winner I Am Maximus, Iroko and Perceval Legallois will all bid to make him the race's most successful owner with a fourth victory.

Approximate odds: 6-1 I Am Maximus, 8-1 Iroko, 9-1 Perceval Legallois, Stumptown, 12-1 Hewick, Intense Raffles, 16-1 Vanillier 20-1 Bar

Winning jockey Jack Tudor on ITV Racing: "I thought two out I had something to aim at and it has worked out nicely. The ground you got here today was perfect. This is where you want to be riding winners."

Image source, Reuters

1 Deep Cave (Jack Tudor) 28-1

2 Timmy Tuesday (D J Gilligan) 11-2

3 Double Powerful (C O'Farrell) 7-1

4 Park Of Kings (M P Walsh) 12-1

17 ran

A 28-1 winner to start Grand National day!

Building Bridges was reeled in by Timmy Tuesday over the last hurdle and he powered clear under Danny Gilligan for Gordon Elliott.

However, he tires on the straight and Deep Cave comes down the outside under Jack Tudor for Christian Williams.

Catch Him Derry is making eyecatching progress, but Building Bridges is still leading from the front.

Act Of Authority, who went off favourite, is starting to make progress from the middle of the chasing pack.

Building Bridges and Dartan have peeled off the front. He's gone for home early.

Building Bridges still leads from Jipcot and Dartan.

We've lost Bill Joyce though. He's fell when in mid field.

Dinons makes a bad mistake at one of the hurdles and Craig Nichol does well to stay on board.

Little change up front. Dartan is in the mix too.

Jipcot has just made a little mistake on the inside. He's still up near the front with Timmy Tuesday.

Building Bridges leads with nine hurdles to go.

"The starter didn't get that one right," says Ruby Walsh on ITV.

"The rules weren't applied correctly there."

It looked like we might have another false start but with the 17 runners near the tape they are off.

Jipcot and Timmy Tuesday are among the early pacesetters.

Image source, PA Media

Grand National day is under way at Aintree!

A huge roar from the grandstands as you'd expect.

Image source, Getty Images

Despite a number of withdrawals because of the ground, the opening race on the big day still has plenty with chances.

Act Of Authority has enjoyed a consistent season and was second in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – can he go one better for trainer Olly Murphy and jockey Lewis Saunders?

Trainer Dan Skelton has a good record in this race with three wins since 2019, including 12 months ago with Gwennie May Boy.

He saddles Catch Him Derry, who was third in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham as his brother Harry aims to start the day on a high.

While we don't have any non-runners in the Grand National at the moment, we do have some across the card. The lovely weather means the ground is faster than some horses would like and that is the reason for a fair few withdrawals. Here's the full list:

13:20 BST: William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 1 Maximilian (GER) (Going) 2 Jeriko du Reponet (FR) (Going) 9 Bo Zenith (FR) (Going) 16 Nurse Susan (FR) (Going) 22 Navajo Indy (Self Cert, Bruised Foot)13:55 BST: Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2 Fingle Bridge (IRE) (Self Cert, Going) 10 Moon Phases (IRE) (Going) 12 Lulamba (FR) (Going)14:30 BST: William Hill Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 4 Myretown (IRE) (Self Cert, Not Eaten Up) 7 Peaky Boy (IRE) (Self Cert, Not Eaten Up) 10 Doctor Ken (FR) (Self Cert, Going) 12 Heltenham (FR) (Going)15:05 BST: Ivy Liverpool Hurdle (Grade 1) 3 Dashel Drasher (Going)17:35 BST: Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Grade 2) 2m 209y 1 Blofeld (IRE) (Going) 2 Camberwell (IRE) (Going) 5 Edward Sexton (IRE) (Going) 6 El Cairos (FR) (Going)