Hedgehunter carries Irish hopes at National

Forty horses take on the four miles and four furlongs and thirty fences of the Aintree Grand National this afternoon.

The Willie Mullins-trained Hedgehunter leads the Irish charge.

It's been a rotten two days for the Irish so far, but it's hoped our luck will change today.

There are 12 Irish runners in the big race and many of them have got chances, headed by the 2005 winner Hedgehunter, Chelsea Harbour who won impressively at Punchestown, and Slim Pickings who came third in the race last year

It will cost the bookmakers some £25m (€31m) if the favourite Cloudy Lane wins, but the Irish have other ideas.