The 2019 Grand National gets underway on day with A Day For Champions and the first race at 1.45pm is the Manifesto Novices’ Chase.
Run over 2 miles and 4 furlongs the first race of the Grand National attracts horses who need a longer trip than the 2 miles of the Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham.
La Bague Au Roi is the favourite with most bookmakers, who sidestepped running at the Cheltenham Festival last month in favour of this opener at Aintree .
The Warren Greatrex-trained mare won the Flogas Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown in February and the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase in Kempton on Boxing Day.
The chances of La Bague Au Roi have been further boosted by the confirmation that Defi Du Seuil has been ruled out after knocking a joint.
“It’ll be interesting to see which of those horses takes her on again but in all honesty I think she’d be seriously competitive on level weights so getting the 7lb allowance I have to be confident she’ll uphold the Boxing Day form,” Greatrex told sportinglife.com.
Kalashnikov may step up in trip at Aintree Racecourse
Full list of runners, trainers and latest odds:
1. Bags Grove, H Fry - Sky Bet: 13/2, Ladbrokes: 7/1, Betfair: 7/1, Paddy Power: 7/1
2. Drovers Lane, Miss R Curtis - Sky Bet: 10/1, Ladbrokes: 12/1, Betfair: 12/1, Paddy Power: 12/1
3. Glen Forsa, M R Channon - Sky Bet: 5/2, Ladbrokes: 3/1, Betfair: 5/2, Paddy Power: 5/2
4. Kalashnikov, Miss Amy Murphy - Sky Bet: 4/1, Ladbrokes: 7/2, Betfair: 3/1, Paddy Power: 3/1
5. Kildisart, B Pauling - Sky Bet: 12/1, Ladbrokes: 14/1, Betfair: 14/1, Paddy Power: 14/1
6. Mengli Khan, G Elliott - Sky Bet: 8/1, Ladbrokes: 8/1, Betfair: 8/1, Paddy Power: 8/1
7. Spiritofthegames, D Skelton - Sky Bet: 6/1, Ladbrokes: 13/2, Betfair: 7/1, Paddy Power: 7/1
8. The Russian Doyen, C L Tizzard - Sky Bet: 25/1, Ladbrokes: 50/1, Betfair: 33/1, Paddy Power: 33/1
9. Us And Them, J P O’Brien - Sky Bet: 9/1, Ladbrokes: 9/1, Betfair: 14/1, Paddy Power: 14/1
10. Castafiore, C E Longsdon - Sky Bet: 33/1, Ladbrokes: 40/1, Betfair: 33/1, Paddy Power: 33/1
11. La Bague Au Roi, W Greatrex - Sky Bet: 7/4, Ladbrokes: 7/4, Betfair: 2/1, Paddy Power: 7/4
