The Grand National, the most anticipated race on the British racing calendar, has returned. The world’s most famous steeplechase involves 40 runners tackling Aintree’s 30 Grand National fences over four miles and 212 furlongs.
On Thursday morning, the final confirmed list of 40 runners was announced, with Fakiera, Mortal, Darren Hope, Captain Cattistock, Secret Reprieve, and Fantastikas all missing out. The defending champion, Noble Yeats, will return and is one of the favourites to win again. You can download our sweepstakes kit if you’re running sweepstakes. If you want to make an easy gamble, check out our Grand National predictions.
How to Watch Grand National 2023 Live:
Viewers around the world can watch the action live on the following channels and here for free:
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Live Broadcast: Grand National 2023 Live
When is the 2023 Grand National?
The Grand National is the world’s most famous steeplechase, and the highlight of Aintree’s three-day Grand National Festival which this year runs from Thursday, April 13 to Saturday, April 15.
The main event, the Grand National itself, is Saturday afternoon.
What time does the race start?
- Date: Saturday 15th April 2023
- Start time: 5.15 pm BST / 12.15 pm ET
The runners will go to the post at 5.15 pm today. The National itself is the sixth of seven races at Aintree that day. At just under four and a half miles it is easily the longest race of the whole three-day meeting.
How can I watch the race? What TV channel is it on?
The Festival usually welcomes more than 150,000 racing fans. Live television coverage is on ITV and Racing TV.
What is the weather forecast?
The showers from Thursday and Friday should clear by the time of the race itself.
Which horses are running in the 2023 Grand National?
The final 40-runner line-up was confirmed on Thursday morning. Unlike in recent editions, this year if a horse is withdrawn after these 48-hour declarations, that horse will not be replaced.
The five-day declarations on Monday saw the field whittled down to 50, with Gordon Elliott’s horses Gevrey and Punitive just outside the 40-horse cutline. Our Power and Dunboyne sneaked in near the bottom of the weights.
As things stand, the 40 runners will be the horses numbered 1 to 40 in our full guide to the runners and riders at the 2023 Grand National. We also have our sweepstake kit which you can download and print to see who among your friends or work colleagues picks the winner.
Where is the 2023 Grand National?
The meeting takes place at Aintree Racecourse, six miles outside of Liverpool. Aintree has hosted the race since the very first edition, in 1839. In 1993, however, the Grand National was declared void – the first and only time this has happened in the race’s history. We have the inside story from one of the jockeys riding that day.
