The Grand National returns next month in April after it was called off last year for the first time since World War Two due to the outbreak of the COVOD-19 pandemic.
The 173rd annual running of the Grand National will hold at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday the 10th of April - the crown jewel of its three-day event, which starts on Thursday 8th of April.
The greatest steeplechase in the world is woven into the fabric of the sporting calendar year - an event when once-a-year bettors get to pit their wits against the bookmakers.
But the biggest question is if spectators will be permitted to attend the Aintree Racecourse to watch the sporting spectacle.
Well, for obvious and good reasons, organizers have made it clear that spectators will not be permitted on the ground.
With United Kingdom still under a strict COVID-19 lockdown, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson confirmed sometime in March that no spectators will be allowed at sporting grounds until the middle of May.
Meanwhile, as per the release, non-essential retail will not reopen for business until the 12th of April at the earliest, which means, betting outlets will stay closed for the Aintree festival - the biggest annual betting event.
Having said that, spectators will have to make do with viewing from the comfort of their homes, with Rule The World being the horse to watch today list for the major event along with many famous horses.
As to when spectators would be permitted to return to racecourses, the United Kingdom has been in and out of nationwide lockdowns and tier systems since last year March due to covid-19.
Initially, all horse racing events were suspended until last summer when it resumed without spectators. A restricted number of fans were even permitted to attend racecourses around the country before a second wave of the virus in the autumn.
The United Kingdom entered a third nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of covid-19 cases at the beginning of January.
Restrictions are expected to start easing this month, but it's highly unlikely bettors will be allowed in for the Grand National at Aintree, unless it is picked as a test event, with sporting activities not set to welcome back spectators until mid-May at the earliest as part of the roadmap set by the UK.
The 2021 Grand National horseracing festival is scheduled for April 10, and it’s the 173rd annual running of the Grand National at Aintree, Liverpool, England.
The 2021 Grand National will be a late afternoon start for the jockeys and horses with the 4m 2f 74yds race billed to start at 5.15 pm.
In the last five editions of the Grand National, four winners have emerged, with Tiger Roll winning twice.
In 2015, Many Clouds won with Leighton Aspell, Oliver Sherwood, the following year was the turn of Rule The World with David Mullins, Mouse Morris. 2017 had a winner in One For Arthur with Derek Fox, Lucinda Russell, while 2018 had Tiger Roll winning with Davy Russell as a jockey and Gordon Elliott as Trainer. The 2018 feat was repeated in 2019 by the same Tiger Roll team.
Only time will tell which horse will dominate this year after the competition break in 2020 due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
