A total of 115 entries, the highest since 2009, have been attracted to the first £1m Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree on April 5.

A total of 115 entries, the highest since 2009, have been attracted to the first £1m (€1.2m) Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree on April 5.

Donald McCain has given a guarded welcome to the innovation of new plastic birch for the so-called ‘cores’ of the Grand National fences at Aintree this year.

Carlisle's meeting this afternoon will go ahead as planned after the track passed a second inspection at 10am.

Officials at Carlisle will stage an 8am inspection ahead of their scheduled Sunday fixture.

LAST YEAR’S winner Don’t Push It heads 74 remaining entries for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 9.

Carlisle's meeting on Sunday has been abandoned due to a frozen track.

Roger Loughran will take the plum spare ride on Vic Venturi in the John Smith’s Grand National after Paddy Flood suffered a broken collarbone.

CHELTENHAM Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander heads 13 entries for the Totesport Bowl at Aintree on Thursday.

Conditions could be set fair for the John Smith's Grand National with no rain forecast for the second half of next week.

Carlisle have abandoned this afternoon’s National Hunt meeting due to a frozen track.

Carlisle have announced a third inspection at 12pm ahead of this afternoon’s National Hunt fixture.

This afternoon’s fixture at Ludlow goes ahead after course officials scrapped plans for an early-morning inspection, but Carlisle have announced a second inspection at 10am ahead of this afternoon’s National Hunt fixture.

Carlisle have been forced to call an 8am precautionary inspection ahead of tomorrow's meeting due to the threat of frost.

Officials at Aintree aim to provide ground no quicker than good for the three-day John Smith's Grand National meeting in two weeks' time.

Carlisle have been forced to call an impromptu inspection at 10.30am ahead of this afternoon’s meeting due to a much colder than anticipated night.

Tony McCoy’s bid to reach 3,000 British and Irish National Hunt winners has stalled again today, thanks to Carlisle’s abandonment.

Snow wiped out racing in Britain on Monday and prospects of racing on turf taking place in the next couple of days are slim.

Sunday’s meeting at Carlisle is the latest to be abandoned due to freezing temperatures.

Ayr’s gamble of staging an extra jumps meeting on Saturday looks like paying off as the course is now raceable.

Racing at Carlisle goes ahead this afternoon following an inspection.

Today’s jumps meeting at Carlisle has been abandoned because of frost.

This afternoon’s Becher Chase meeting at Aintree will go ahead as planned as the course escaped the forecast snow.

There will be a precautionary inspection at 7.30am ahead of Aintree’s Becher Chase meeting.

DONALD McCain admits he can see why Cloudy Lane is such a red-hot favourite for the John Smith’s Grand National.

The British Horseracing Authority confirmed several changes to the start of this year’s John Smith’s Grand National.

Conditions at Aintree have eased overnight with the ground described on the softer side ahead of the John Smith’s Grand National.

RICHARD JOHNSON is set to ride either It Takes Time or Therealbandit in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday week.

Richard Johnson is set to ride either It Takes Time or Therealbandit in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday week.

Aintree passed a final inspection at 12pm and will take place as scheduled.

Aintree will hold a further inspection at 10.30am to assess the prospects of racing this afternoon.

Aintree will hold a precautionary inspection at 8am tomorrow to determine whether their afternoon meeting can go ahead.

NATIONAL favourite Hedgehunter will travel to Aintree today, with his trainer Willie Mullins satisfied about the ground conditions at Liverpool.

Weatherman John Kettley predicts that the ground at Aintree on John Smith’s Grand National day will have softened up and he expects the venue to see around 20 millimetres of rain before Saturday.

Conditions at Aintree are expected to ease over the next few days with the track set for a period of unsettled weather.

All three National Hunt meetings go ahead today despite worries over the cold weather.

Following the defection of First Gold at today’s final declaration stage, the weights for the Martell Cognac Grand National will go up 3lb to leave Le Coudray at the top of the handicap for Saturday’s race.

Connections of Monty’s Pass are expecting the 11-year-old to make a bold bid to repeat last year’s memorable victory in the Martell Cognac Grand National on Saturday.

GOLD Cup winning jockey Jim Culloty will not be without a ride in the Martell Cognac Grand National – despite the shock news that ante-post favourite Timbera misses the race.

MACS GILDORAN was the only surprise withdrawal from the Martell Cognac Grand National at yesterday's forfeit stage, leaving a total of 77 entries remaining in the race a week on Saturday.

TRAINER Nigel Twiston-Davies yesterday confirmed that 2002 Grand National hero Bindaree (above) is likely to start his new campaign in the Tote Becher Chase at Aintree on Sunday.

Aintree enjoyed another rain-free night ahead of the start of the Martell Cognac Grand National meeting this afternoon.

PUNTERS latched onto Chives yesterday for the Martell Cognac Grand National, with Coral forced to cut the eight-year-old’s odds to 9-1 third favourite from 11-1.

The going remains good on all three courses at Aintree as watering continues ahead of next week’s Martell Cognac Grand National meeting.

Racing at Aintree today has been abandoned due to high winds.

Tony McCoy faces a nervous few hours before a decision can be made over his participation in tomorrow’s Martell Grand National.