Ante-post favourite Blaklion headlines 105 excellent entries for the £1-million Randox Health Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, April 14 - the 171st running - details of which are revealed today.

The Last Samuri will have to defy a hefty rise in the weights if he is to complete back-to-back victories in the BetBright Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster on Saturday.

Despite a field of just six runners in last year’s renewal of the Grimthorpe Chase, it very nearly provided the perfect trial for the Grand National, as the winner The Last Samuri went on to finish second at Aintree five weeks after.

A splendid field of 24, the second highest ever, is set to go to post for the £140,000 Betfred Becher Handicap Chase the highlight of the seven-race programme at Aintree on Saturday.

Grand National runner-up The Last Samuri is set to make his seasonal reappearance in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal next weekend.