The most anticipated meeting in the entire racing calendar, Aintree's 21 races over three days attract hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide and picking a horse out for the main event has become a tradition for many. The Grand National, first held in 1839 and won by Lottery, remains the headline race but the spring festival is packed full of world class runners and races.
150,000 punters are expected to descend on Aintree Racecourse over the three days, with Saturday being broadcast to more than 140 nations and over 600 million global fans. Each with the dream that their picks will emerge from their race victorious, in what is always a thrilling and unpredictable meeting.
You don't have to go back too far to see an upset which shocked the bookies. In 2009, Mon Mome triumphed in the Grand National after starting the race 100/1, four years later Auroras Encore won at 66/1, while Rule The World in 2016 was 33/1.
Read more: Grand National 2022: Weather forecast at Aintree for Thursday, Ladies Day and Saturday
With the famous meeting now here, we've compiled some of the best tips as racing gets underway.
Best each-way bets
Thursday
Bowl Steeple Chase (14:55)
The race has been won by the starting favourite in each of the last three outings, with star power looking to be the determining factor. Cheltenham Gold Cup third Protektorat (10/3) will face eight rivals including two former winners of the race.
Kemboy out at 5/1 looks a good each-way bet, aiming to emulate Wayward Lad and First Gold as the third horse to regain their crown, after a win in this race three years ago.
Aintree Hurdle (15:30)
A high point of the day and indeed the entire festival, this race promises to be a tight one. Though Epatante (7/4) was a terrific second in the Champion Hurdle behind Honeysuckle, look to back Monmiral trained by Paul Nicholls at 10/1 each-way.
Having raced seven times over hurdles and won five of them, the Sir Alex Ferguson co-owned horse looks good value.
Friday
Mellings Steeple Chase (15:30)
Though trainer Dan Skelton didn't have a winner at Cheltenham this year, results have picked up recently. He has saddled eight winners from the last 29 runners, an attractive looking 28 percent strike-rate - this includes Beakstown's Listed handicap chase win at Ayr.
Skelton's runner, Allmankind, sits at 9/1 in the Mellings Chase and is a value bet each-way.
Saturday
Grand National (17:15)
Flying the flag for Scotland is Dingo Dollar, a 10-year-old chestnut gelding trained by Sandy Thomson at Lambden Stables, near border town Kelso, alongside Mighty Thunder (40/1).
Ryan Mania, who rode 2013 Grand National winner on the Sue Smith-trained Auroras Encore at starting odds of 66/1, is no stranger to taking the headline prize with an outsider. Mania will be on the back of Dingo Dollar on Saturday and is a clever bet at 50/1 each-way.
"He ran a great race when second in last season's Scottish Grand National and appeared in the Grand Sefton Chase before he came to us, so we know he can handle those unique fences," Thompson said.
Which finishing places will bookies pay out on?
In the Grand National, bookies typically pay out on up to five or even six places. However, with the other races, it depends on how many runners there are.
Fewer horses mean it is less likely more than three places will be paid out on. Before you place a bet, it should be clearly stated which places will count as an each-way winner.
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