The Grand National is officially back, and what a way to welcome it.
Thousands of people descended upon Aintree Racecourse on Thursday, dressed to the nines and hoping to win big. The first day of the Grand National, NHS Day, was a day to honour the efforts of staff during the coronavirus pandemic and some 10,000 free tickets were given to NHS workers.
Tomorrow will see more racegoers turn out for Ladies' Day. And on Saturday, April 9, the headline event will see one horse will be crowned winner of the world's greatest steeplechase.
READ MORE: New fashion trend spotted all over Aintree racecourse on Thursday
While the weather hasn't been what racegoers were hoping for, the wind and rain definitely didn’t put people off. People came prepared with umbrellas, coats and hats in order to fight off the dull weather - and looked fabulous while they did.
The atmosphere has been fantastic, with people clearly wanting to make up for lost time due to the pandemic. There's been singing and dancing, and many people have picked winners.
Take a look in the gallery above to see if you can spot yourselves - or someone you know - in our pictures from day one of the Grand National Festival.
We'll be following the Grand National Festival live across all three days. For all the latest results, weather and fashion updates, follow here
