Presented by Ed Chamberlin alongside a team of the sport’s best pundits, ITV Racing will broadcast five races a day of top class racing across the three-day Festival, with an extended show on Grand National Day. There will also be a full review of the race with Ruby Walsh alongside Oli Bell taking us through his analysis of what happened fence by fence.
Alongside Ed on the podium will be Grand National-winning jockeys Sir Anthony McCoy and Mick Fitzgerald with Ruby Walsh, dual winner of the race providing his unique in-depth pre and post-race analysis from his state-of-the-art hub.
Reporting around the course looking at horses, talking to connections and interviewing both winning and beaten jockeys will be Rishi Persad, Alice Plunkett, Adele Mulrennan and Matt Chapman. Brian Gleeson will be the betting ring with Luke Harvey down at the starts and Chris Hughes out and about around the course. Oli Bell will interact with viewers at home and talk to famous faces in the ‘social stable’ and three big race commentators will be Richard Hoiles, Mark Johnson and Stewart Machin.
Lorraine’s Mark Heyes and GMB’s Charlotte Hawkins also join the team on ‘Ladies Day’ on Friday to look at everything the racecourse has to offer away from the racing.
Oli Bell presents The Opening Show each day, previewing all the big races and taking in the morning action around the course. He will have guests with him each day including jockey Harry Cobden on Friday and a big race line up on Saturday including Sir Anthony McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Mick Fitzgerald and Tom Scudamore. Matt Chapman, Adele Mulrennan, Luke Harvey, Chris Hughes and Alice Plunkett will also contribute throughout the week.
Across the week, the Bafta and Broadcast award-winning production and technical team will use state-of-the-art equipment including a camera that swings high above the parade ring, trackers following the horses, a wire cam along the home straight and a drone.
The ITV7 team will also run a huge Grand National Sweepstake competition and every day there will be the hugely popular a free-to-enter ITV7 competition.
Opening Day – Thursday 13th April
On the opening day, three Grade One races headline the ITV Racing card – the Jewson Anniversary 4 year-old Hurdle (2.20pm), the Aintree Bowl Steeple Chase (2.55pm) and the William Hill Aintree Hurdle (3.30pm). At 4.05 is then the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase over the Grand National fences, followed by the 4.40 Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase.
Ladies Day – Friday 14th April
Ladies’ Day features more top class racing including the William Hill Handicap Hurdle (2.20pm), the Grade One Top Novices Hurdle (2.55pm), the Grade One Marsh Steeple Chase (3.35pm) and the Grade One Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (4.40pm), plus the professionals are in action over the big fences in the Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Steeple Chase (4.05pm).
Randox Grand National Day – Saturday 15th April
Saturday’s feature is the world’s most famous race, the Randox Grand National Steeple Chase, due off at 5.15pm, with supporting races on the card including the Bridle Road Handicap Hurdle (2.25pm), the Grade One Turner Mersey Novices Hurdle (3.00pm), the Grade One JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle (3.25pm) and the William Hill Freebooter Handicap Steeple Chase (4.15pm).
The Grand National will be followed by a full replay with analysis to show where viewers’ selections finished.
