THE three courses at Aintree are slowly drying out - though 'soft' remains the main word in the going description ahead of the three-day Randox Health Grand National Festival that starts on Thursday.

The lack of spring sunshine is not helping the process, while the prospect of drizzly rain and showers suggests the ground will not improve that much come the big race on Saturday.

"Today's just been mainly dark with no sun. It's just been a cloudy day," said clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch.

"It's quietly drying out. The National course is a bit soft, and the Mildmay and hurdles courses are good to soft, soft and soft, good to soft. We're in that ball park, basically.

"It's still a bit soggy down at the Canal Turn. That's always the wettest bit on the course.

"It should be mainly dry on Thursday, just overcast and cloudy all the way through, really, with some drizzle in the morning.

"The forecast hasn't changed much. Drizzle is overnight tonight and Thursday into Friday, with possible showers on Friday and Saturday - but being showers we may miss one, and we might get one."