Most of us like to pick out a horse as our selection for the iconic £1 million race or draw one in the workplace sweep. And it's that time of the year again on Saturday when the latest edition of the National, first run way back in 1839, graces the Merseyside turf.
Sponsored by Randox, the tapes for the race, over the marathon 4m2f distance, will rise at 4 pm, and you can follow the action live on ITV and Racing TV. To help you find your fancy, I have compiled this easy-to-follow pinstickers' guide to all of the runners, in racecard order, complete with their best odds at the time of writing. Comments on each horse are based on the assumption that the going will be Soft.
Those horses include the last two winners of the race, Corach Rambler and Noble Yeats but, amazingly, no fewer than 16 of the contenders are trained in Ireland by either Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott. Only eight are trained in the UK.
It's exactly 40 years since I made my first trip to Aintree when Hallo Dandy landed the spoils, beating Greasepaint and Corbiere into second and third. Things have changed dramatically since those days, with the course's stands and facilities now among the best in the country and the track's famous 30 fences, such as Becher's Brook and The Chair, far less demanding and daunting in the interests of safety.
Animal welfare is now of paramount importance, and more new safety measures have been introduced for Saturday's race. The number of runners has been cut from 40 to 34 to reduce the risk of falls and accidents, while the start has been moved to prevent a headlong charge to the first fence that can result in the horses setting off too fast.
Hopefully, the measures will contribute to an entertaining, thrilling spectacle, from which all horses and riders return home safe and sound. Good luck!
MY 1-2-3-4-5 PREDICTION
1 MEETINGOFTHEWATERS
2 PANDA BOY
3 MR INCREDIBLE
4 MAHLER MISSION
5 CORACH RAMBLER
Best Outsider: CHAMBARD

5. I Am Maximus (8/1)
Talented but quirky 8yo who won the Irish Grand National last season on his first start for leading owner JP McManus, thanks largely to an inspired ride by jockey Paul Townend, who is on board again at Aintree. After a Grade One success on his reappearance this term, Willie Mullins's charge is a strong fancy, although his tendency to lazily get behind in his races and jump waywardly could prove costly. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

6. Minella Indo (20/1)
Arguably the class act of this year's National, having won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2021 and finishing second in the same race 12 months later. On that form, he's nicely handicapped for the winning Aintree combination of 2021, trainer Henry De Bromhead and jockey Rachael Blackmore, the first female rider to win this race. But he's 11 years old now and almost certainly in decline Photo: Tim Goode/Getty Images

7. Corach Rambler (7/1)
Rider Derek Fox and assistant trainer, ex-champion jockey Peter Scudamore, celebrate Aintree glory last year with Lucinda Russell's Scottish raider. He must carry a stone more in the handicap this time, and it's very rare for horses to win successive Nationals. But he is in prime form to emulate the likes of Red Rum and Tiger Roll, and earn the stable their third National in seven years, after grabbing third spot in last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

8. Janidil (100/1)
Not many charges trained by Willie Mullins and owned by JP McManus go off at such a whopping price, but this 10yo, although likeable, is very much a nearly horse. He often runs well over his optimum trip of 2m4f without quite being able to match the best. He's also struggled to stay 3m in the past, so this stamina slog is likely to be beyond him. Photo: Submitted