JOHN SMITH'S GRAND NATIONAL, Aintree: Saturday 4 April, 1615 BST
Coverage:
Full TV coverage from Aintree on BBC2 and online from 1300; radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles
 Walsh and McCoy ride the two leading fancies for Saturday's big race
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Tony McCoy, the 13-time champion jockey with 13 failed attempts in the Grand National, will again ride a fancied horse in Saturday's famous race.
McCoy's Butler's Cabin is vying to be favourite with My Will, whose jockey Ruby Walsh chases a third National win.
McCoy was in contention on Butler's Cabin last year before falling, while his hopes were cruelly dashed on Clan Royal in 2005 by a loose horse.
Around 400m people all over the world will watch Saturday's race.
It is expected to take place on good ground although there may be occasional showers in Merseyside.
Leading bookmaker Coral is predicting punters will defy the recession and equal last year's record-breaking £300m, with more than 15m people expected to place a bet on the big race.
"The Grand National remains the one event that people everywhere like to have a flutter on, and we expect that to be the case this year," said the firm's spokesman David Stevens.
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With over 460,000 people in the UK called William,the housewives' choice will be My Will
Coral's David Stevens
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"We think punters will forget about the credit crunch, for one afternoon at least.
"My Will is sure to be popular with both professional punters and the general public. Ruby Walsh gave the bookies such a hammering with his seven winners at last month's Cheltenham Festival - and with over 460,000 people in the UK called William, he will be the housewives' choice for many people.
"Tony McCoy rode a record-breaking 3,000th career winner earlier this year, and remains the most popular jockey riding today, and either My Will or Butler's Cabin could start favourite for the big race.
"A win for either of those horses will cost the bookies more than £50m, so we'll be cheering on the other 38 runners!"
Despite the nine-year-old having shown little in his first three starts of the season, there was more to like about Butler's Cabin's run in a three-mile handicap at Cheltenham Festival, where he finished fifth.
And McCoy is putting his faith in trainer Jonjo O'Neill to have given the horse the ideal preparation for the marathon four-and-a-half miler over the giant obstacles.
"Jonjo appears to be able to get horses to peak specifically for a certain race, Clan Royal being the obvious one, and it looked like he had done the trick with Butler's Cabin last year as he was running a big race until he fell," said McCoy.
The horse failed to clear the daunting Becher's Brook in 2008, the 22nd of the 29 fences.
"He ran his best race since then at Cheltenham last time so, hopefully, he is hitting form at the right time. It's the Grand National, and you need a bit of luck, but we are happy with him.
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606: DEBATE
BBC Sport's Oliver Brett
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"Last year's race was the sweetest he'd travelled all year. Obviously he had been trained for the race, but it was the best he travelled and jumped and hopefully he'll come alive again."
Asked which were the horses he feared in the race, McCoy added: "I think Rambling Minster has a good chance, Kilbeggan Blade is a horse I have won a couple on who stays well and My Will undoubtedly has the best form - but the question mark over him is his jumping and no French-bred horse has won the Grand National."
Walsh said of My Will, fifth in the big race at Cheltenham in March: "He has plenty of weight but he ran a cracker in the Gold Cup.
"I went for him because of the ground. You had to weigh it all up and you'd love to be on one with less than 11st - they have the best record in the race - but he has 11st 4lb and is a classy individual.
"He has had a tendency in the past to make the odd mistake, so we are hoping to eradicate that, but I think he has a good chance."
Rambling Minster, winner of the Blue Square Gold Cup at Haydock, has had a smooth build-up - but trainer Keith Reveley accepts luck is likely to be a key factor in the race.
"He's had a perfect preparation and we can't do any more, we're in the lap of the gods now and we'll see what happens," said the Cleveland-based handler.
"The ground will be fine, everything will be fine, we just need loads of luck in running. We've had a dream preparation and we just hope for the best.
"Everything's perfect, it's just the fences and 39 other horses. The horse is in great order and we just pray that everything goes well."
One horse who has been popular with punters over the last couple of weeks is 2006 Hennessy Gold Cup winner State Of Play.
Trained in Wales by Evan Williams, the nine-year-old has that undoubted touch of class needed to win the National these days.
"I have been very happy with his preparation and have schooled him over some small National fences to get his eye in," said Williams.
Aintree Grand National latest betting:
8-1
My Will,
9-1
Butler's Cabin,
12-1
Rambling Minster,
14-1
State of Play,
16-1
Black Apalachi,
20-1
Parsons Legacy, Hear The Echo & Comply or Die,
22-1
Darkness, Kilbeggan Blade & L'Ami
25-1
Irish Invader & Big Fella Thanks
28-1
Southern Vic,
33-1 bar
Best odds available from UK bookmakers, as of 1710 BST
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