John Smith's Grand National, Aintree, Saturday, 1615 BST
Coverage BBC One/BBC HD/BBC Radio 5 live/online, with other races also across the BBC 8-10 April. Highlights: 0030, BBC Two
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Big Fella Thanks is expected to start favourite for the 163rd running of the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.

Two-time National winning rider Ruby Walsh rides the market leader for champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who is seeking his first win in the race.

The previous two winners, Comply Or Die and last year's 100-1 champion Mon Mome, are among a maximum field of 40.

Nina Carberry is aboard Character Building as she bids to become the first woman to ride the winner.

And champion jockey Tony McCoy bids to end his National hoodoo on Don't Push It.

A bumper crowd of more than 70,000 is expected at the Liverpool course with sunshine and temperatures of up to 16C forecast.

Nicholls, who has won the Cheltenham Gold Cup four times, said the favourite has been targeted at the race since he finished sixth last year when aged seven.

"This season has been all about the Grand National for him," said the Somerset trainer, who has yet to win the four-and-a-half mile spectacular despite fielding a total of 44 candidates in his career.

"Everyone wants to win the Grand National and it would be great for the whole team at home, it would mean a lot to them. We're really looking forward to it."

Victory for the highly rated Irish amateur Carberry, whose brother Paul rides 2008 runner-up King Johns Castle, is just one of several possible fairytale victories.

606: DEBATE I have just walked the Grand National course and there is not much cut in the ground as the sun beats down and a temperature of 17C is predicted Honest Frank on 606

Nina only landed the ride on Thursday morning after new owners Patricia and David Thompson decided to replace another amateur, Jamie Codd.

"It's like a dream to get a ride and I guess a few more women will have a bet in the race now," she said.

"My brother's on a grey horse as well, so at least we'll be seen. We are both competitive, and it's the survival of the fittest but to get round is the main thing."

The Thompsons, the power behind the Cheveley Park Stud, were successful in another General Election year when Party Politics won less than 48 hours after the 1992 poll.

Galloping grey Character Building runs in the Thompson's mauve colours, rather than the red and white silks of the stud, which are familiar to racing fans.

Trainer John Quinn, who hails from Tipperary but is based in Yorkshire, said: "Mrs Thompson is a huge fan of Nina and said she would like her to ride the horse if Tony McCoy, Ruby Walsh or a top jockey was not available."

Bookmakers expect the horse to be popular with once-a-year punters, with more than £100m wagered on the race.

"Punters love nothing better than a fairytale, and we fear 'girl power' this year," said Kate Miller, a spokeswoman for William Hill.

Cerium, fifth last year at 100-1, has another opportunity this time

"Character Building had a late injury when strongly fancied for last year's National, and with the first lady of racing on board, the payouts could stretch long into the night."

Another one for the romantics is Dream Alliance, owned by a 23-strong Welsh syndicate who bred the horse on a slagheap allotment.

They all paid £10 a week to fund pioneering stem-cell treatment after the horse suffered a career-threatening injury at Aintree.

And "Dream", as they call him, made a dream return to win the Welsh National at Chepstow in December. The story has attracted the interest of Hollywood.

Meanwhile, A-level student Sam Twiston-Davies, 17, rides Hello Bud for his father Nigel Twiston-Davies, who won the race with Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002).

"I'm sure I will be nervous but the other jockeys have been really good to me and I'm looking forward to it," said Sam, who plans to turn professional after his studies.

Don't Push It is a classy sort of horse and I'm just riding him in the hope that he will produce his best run." Tony McCoy

Comply or Die, runner-up in 2009 after winning a year earlier, and Mon Mome will be bidding to do what no horse since Red Rum in the 1970s has done - win the race more than once.

And 14-time champion McCoy, who has ridden more than 3,000 winners in a trophy-laden career, would be another popular winner on Don't Push It.

The Jonjo O'Neill-trained horse is owned by JP McManus, who also has Arbor Supreme, Can't Buy Time and King Johns Castle in the race.

O'Neill, McCoy and McManus would all be securing their first National triumph if Don't Push It wins the race.

But millionaire gambler McManus revealed to BBC Sport he would be one of the few not having a wager.

"You don't get your hopes up too much. They are four who have chances of a kind but I wouldn't mortgage the house on any of them," said McManus.

"I'm not having a bet in the race, so I'm not fussy."

He would, however, relish a victory for the 35-year-old Northern Irish jockey who is his retained rider.

"He's a great character, a great man, he's dedicated. I find myself when I don't have a runner in the race, I just keep willing him to do well," he said.

Tony McCoy and Albertas Run celebrate victory in Friday's feature

"I think he deserves to win it at some stage. I'm not saying that I do, but I know he does."

McCoy, who has suffered cruel luck when travelling well on previous National mounts, knows every contender needs luck to be on their side.

"Every jockey looks forward to a ride in the Grand National. It's different from every other race because it has such a huge public interest," he said.

"Having been as lucky to ride as many winners as I have, and not having won the race, it's always going to bring a bit more interest to it.

"It's difficult. You need a bit of luck, you need the right horse.

"Don't Push It is a classy sort of horse, unfortunately he never rides two races the same. He's probably got a little bit more class than Can't Buy Time [his alternative mount] has and I'm just riding him in the hope that he will produce his best run."

All involved will hope their horses come back safely in a race which carries an element of risk.

Vic Venturi will now be ridden by Roger Loughran after original jockey Paddy Flood suffered a broken collarbone in a fall on board Schindlers Hunt in the Melling Chase on Friday.

Despite steps taken by Aintree to make the fences safer in recent years, Schindlers Hunt was one of three horses to suffer fatal falls at the meeting on Friday.

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Latest betting: (Best odds generally available as of Friday 1700 BST): 10-1 Big Fella Thanks, 14-1 The Package, Mon Mome, 16-1 Black Apachi, Snowy Morning, 18-1 Arbor Supreme, Tricky Trickster, Niche Market, 20-1 State of Play, Character Building, 25-1 Vic Venturi, Backstage, Comply Or Die, Don't Push It, 33-1 Ballyholland, King Johns Castle, Irish Raptor, Maljimar, 40-1 bar

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John Smith's Grand National entries Saturday 10 April, 1615 BST

1 01-3244 MADISON DU BERLAIS 9-11-10 (David Pipe) Tom Scudamore

2 1-P3463 MON MOME 9-11-10 (Venetia Williams) Aidan Coleman

3 211501 VIC VENTURI 10-11-06 (Dessie Hughes) Paddy Flood

4 151U-02 BLACK APALACHI 11-11-06 (Dessie Hughes) Denis O'Regan

5 5-50030 JOE LIVELY 11-11-06 (Colin Tizzard) Joe Tizzard

6 01-423P DON'T PUSH IT 10-11-05 (Jonjo O'Neill) Tony McCoy

7 P002-00 COMPLY OR DIE 11-11-05 (David Pipe) Timmy Murphy

8 121-210 TRICKY TRICKSTER 7-11-04 (Paul Nicholls) Barry Geraghty

9 1-03520 NICHE MARKET 9-11-04 (Bob Buckler) Harry Skelton

10 2404P2 MADE IN TAIPAN 8-11-04 (Tom Mullins) Niall Madden

11 UPP/-21P DREAM ALLIANCE 9-11-03 (Philip Hobbs) Tom O'Brien

12 FU-3644 CLOUDY LANE 10-11-03 (Donald McCain) Jason Maguire

13 1P00-60 NOZIC 9-11-03 (Paul Nicholls) Liam Treadwell

14 53-2057 MY WILL 10-11-02 (Paul Nicholls) Nick Scholfield

15 3606-4F PABLO DU CHARMIL 9-11-02 (David Pipe) Danny Cook

16 P6-51110 BALLYHOLLAND 9-11-00 (Colin McBratney IRE) Andrew McNamara

17 0112313 BACKSTAGE 8-11-00 (Gordon Elliott IRE) Davy Condon

18 FP-1P1PP BEAT THE BOYS 9-11-00 (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Brian Hughes

19 100-000U0 PREISTS LEAP 10-11-00 (Tom O'Leary IRE) Philip Enright

20 1103223 SNOWY MORNING 10-10-13 (Willie Mullins IRE) Paul Townend

21 314F-016 CAN'T BUY TIME 8-10-13 (Jonjo O'Neill) Richie McLernon

22 2U136-2U1 BIG FELLA THANKS 8-10-12 (Paul Nicholls) Ruby Walsh

23 60/144-P STATE OF PLAY 10-10-11 (Evan Williams) Paul Moloney

24 143301-00 CHARACTER BUILDING 10-10-11 (John Quinn) Nina Carberry

25 00-12100 ELLERSLIE GEORGE (IRE) 10-10-10 (Nick Mitchell) Christian Williams

26 02P5-011 ERIC'S CHARM 12-10-09 (Oliver Sherwood) Wayne Hutchinson

27 212/0-0000 KING JOHNS CASTLE 11-10-09 (Arthur Moore IRE) Paul Carberry

28 043545U CONNA CASTLE (IRE) 11-10-09 (Jimmy Mangan IRE)

29 2P-4P1540 BALLYFITZ 10-10-09 (Nigel Twiston-Davies) David England

30 F2-305467 OLLIE MAGERN 12-10-09 (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Tom Molloy

31 330-30U2 ARBOR SUPREME (IRE) 8-10-08 (Willie Mullins IRE) Paul Townend

32 02P-253 MALJIMAR (IRE) 10-10-08 (Nick Williams) Daryl Jacob

33 03-02312 THE PACKAGE 7-10-07 (David Pipe) Graham Lee

34 000-33010 PIRAYA 7-10-07 (David Pipe) Johnny Farrelly

35 U01-4U5 IRISH RAPTOR 11-10-07 (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Paddy Brennan

36 50PP/05-0 CERIUM (FR) 9-10-05 (Paul Murphy) Davy Russell

37 1P6-1420 PALYPSO DE CREEK 7-10-06 (Charlie Longsdon) Tom Siddall

38 11-035U00 HELLO BUD 12-10-06 (Nigel Twiston-Davies) Sam Twiston-Davies

39 P63/52-P FLINTOFF 9-10-05 (Venetia Williams) Andrew Tinkler

40 56/-33P5 ROYAL ROSA (FR) 11-10-05 (Howard Johnson) Wilson Renwick