Grand National 2022 LIVE: Result and reaction as Noble Yeats wins the big race at Aintree

Irish jockey superstar, Rachael Blackmore, is the only current jockey in the weighing room to have won the Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National.

This is the story of her rise to stardom, as told by her mum:

Rachael Blackmore made history in this race twelve months ago becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National as she stormed home atop Minella Times.

That victory has backed up less than a month ago as she was triumphant in the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup at Cheltenham to complete that full set of jump racing’s three biggest races.

No jockey has won all three races in the same year since Tommy Cullinan in 1930, can Blackmore make history again with a second Grand National win today?

She’s riding Minella Times again and would match Tiger Roll and Red Rum as the only horses to win back-to-back Grand Nationals.

The Grand National is the biggest horse race in the UK - and probably the world let’s be honest - it’s generate 10x as much betting interest as Cheltenham’s Gold Cup which is the next biggest race of the season.

Aintree’s most famous race returns this afternoon in front of fans and punters who are back in person for the first time in three years following an ease to Covid-19 restrictions.

Let’s break down the race: This is the 174th edition of the Grand National.

There are 30 jumps, including Becher’s Brook and The Chair, over a distance of four and a quarter miles. The race gets going around 17:15 and will last for roughly nine to ten minutes.

The total prize fund is £1 million with the winning team collecting £500,000.

Significant changes were introduced before the 2013 race which saw the core of fences softened, the distance reduced and new procedures for loose horses - all in the name of making the race safer for the horses and their riders.

It’s worked as the one equine fatality in the race last year was only the second from a total of 316 runners in the last eight editions.

Racegoers are gearing up for an “electric” Grand National as crowds return to the world’s greatest steeplechase for the first time in three years.

Punters have not been at Aintree to cheer on the Grand National runners since 2019, after the race meet was cancelled in 2020 and held behind closed doors last year.

They braved rain and chilly temperatures on Saturday to make their return.

Crowds flocked to Aintree Racecourse on Friday as Ladies’ Day at the Grand National Festival got underway.

Ladies Day returned for the first time in three years after cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The racecourse usually welcomes over 150,000 visitors over the course of three days for the biggest event of the racing calendar.

The Grand National always throws up a story. This year, public sentiment has seen the odds of Snow Leopardess tumble.

It could be that her form stacks up. The Becher Chase winner has been in excellent order, having won her last three.

It could be that she is a grey, who bids to emulate Neptune Collonges (2012) Nicolaus Silver (1961) and The Lamb (1868 and 1871) as the only greys to have tasted victory in the Aintree marathon.

Yet arguably it is her fascinating backstory that appears to have caught the imagination.

The 2022 Grand National is set to take place today as Aintree welcomes back one of the most famous races of the year.

It will be the 174th edition of the iconic race as a stacked field of horses and jockeys look to make history for themselves, the trainer and owner.

Of the horses scheduled to run, there will be a maximum field of 40 and an additional four reserves in case of any drop-outs. The world’s greatest steeplechase is nearly upon us as horse racing fans prepare to descend on Aintree once more.

Here is a full list of the runners and odds.

It’s that time of year again when horse racing fans and non-horse racing fans gather round their TV screens to watch the annual Grand National.

This year’s edition will be the 174th time the race has taken place as crowds return to Aintree in their droves for the first time since 2019.

It promises to be a thrilling spectacle as more than three dozen horses seek to win the most famous race in Britain.

But who will come out on top as the punters take to the races to try and predict the winning stallion?

Today sees the 174th running of the Grand National at Aintree.

The Charlie Longsdon-trained Snow Leopardess heads the betting, but here we run through the entire field.

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the 2022 Grand National at Aintree.

Europe’s most valuable jump race always captures the imagination of the British public - whether they’re horse-racing aficianados or not - and plenty of people like to have a flutter.

For the first time in three years, fans will be at Aintree to watch the Grand National in person when it gets underway at 5.15pm.

Stick with us for all the build-up and latest updates.