The 172nd staging of the world's greatest and most valuable chase, will take place on Saturday April 6th at 5.15pm.

The maximum field for the Randox Health Grand National is 40 runners.

In order to have 40 runners or near enough, a system of reserves was brought in ahead of the 2000 running.

The next stage for the 2019 Randox Health Grand National is the five-day confirmation stage at noon on Monday, April 1st.

Eliminations

If elimination is necessary at the final 48-hour declaration stage on Thursday, April 4th (i.e. there are more than 40 horses declared to run) the balloting of horses set to carry the same weight at the bottom of the handicap will be decided upon by using the horses' current handicap mark at the time of elimination.

The latest order of elimination, based on current BHA ratings, can be found below.

In the event of two or more horses on the same weight having an identical current handicap rating, their elimination sequence will be determined by random ballot.

Reserves

The Randox Health Grand National is restricted to 40 runners plus four reserves. The four reserves are nominated as R1, R2, R3 and R4.

Reserves can be utilised if any horse from the 40 runners is declared a non-runner by 1.00pm on Friday April 5th.

The trainers of horses in the list of five-day acceptors who are not among the 40 highest-weighted horses at the 48-hour declaration stage must indicate at that time whether they are prepared to be a reserve.

In the event that the number of declared runners exceeds 40, up to four reserves will be selected.

These horses will be the four horses with the highest handicap rating among those who are subject to elimination from the race after the 48-hour declaration stage and who indicate that they are prepared to stand as reserves. If the trainer does not make any indication and cannot be contacted, the horse will not stand as a reserve.

When the list of declarations is released, the reserves will not be allocated a saddlecloth number, but will be listed as R1, R2, R3 and R4. They will take sequentially the number of any horse who becomes a non-runner, with reserves who gain a run placed at the bottom of the racecard in the correct weight order.

Non-runners declared by 1.00pm on Friday, April 5th, 2019, will be replaced by reserves. This means that 1.00pm on Friday April 5th, 2019 will be the latest time when reserves can be added to the runners' list and secure a place in the field for the 2019 Randox Health Grand National.

Raising of weights at the 24-hour stage

Weights may be raised at 1.00pm on Friday April 5th, 2019 in the same manner as at the 48-hour declaration stage if there are any relevant non-runners (i.e the top-weighted horse or horses).

Weights will not be raised if all final declared runners are already in the weights at the 1.00pm deadline on Friday, April 5th.

If this is not the case and the weights are raised at this time, revised declaration of riders will be accepted for all declared runners up to 1.30 p.m. on the same day.

The weights as listed below are currently set to rise by 4lb, with original top-weight Bristol De Mai having been scratched on March 27th.

Best-Shod Horse

The Worshipful Company of Farriers will present a memento to the owner and farrier of the best shod horse in each of the three races staged over the Grand National fences during the Randox Health Grand National Festival - the Randox Health Foxhunters' Chase, the Randox Health Topham Chase and the Randox Health Topham Chase.

The judging will take place during the pre-race veterinary inspection.

Successful farriers and owners both get a memento.

The winning owner of the best shod in the Randox Health Grand National also receives the Le Reve Trophy.