IRELAND is responsible for 27 of the 40 runners in Saturday's Grand National at Aintree. The past four runnings of the race have been won by Irish-trained horses.

The final declarations for this year's edition were issued on Thursday morning and are headed by top weight Any Second Now, who has been placed second and third in the past two runnings for trainer Ted Walsh.

Last year's winner Noble Yeats is number two on the racecard, while Davy Russell is jocked up to ride number three, Galvin, for trainer Gordon Elliott.

Elliott, who has won the race three times in the past, has six runners. Willie Mullins has five in the race, with stable jockey Paul Townend opting to ride recent Cheltenham winner Gaillard Du Mesnil.

The general 7/1 favourite is Corach Rambler, trained in Scotland by Lucinda Russell, who won the race in 2017 with One For Arthur.

Derek Fox has been declared to ride Corach Rambler after recovering from a minor injury.

Next best in the betting is the Elliott-trained Delta Work, who has won the last two runnings of the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham.

Aside from Corach Rambler, only the Dan Skelton-trained Le Milos is shorter than 20/1 to keep the prize in Britain this time around.

The ground on the Grand National course was described as "good to soft, soft in places" on Thursday morning and the weather forecast is for a mix of sunshine and scattered showers between Thursday and Saturday.

RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL HANDICAP CHASE (Premier Handicap) 4m 2f 74y

5.15pm, Aintree, Saturday 15th April

1 Any Second Now (IRE) bl 11 11 12 Mr John P. McManus T. M. Walsh Ireland Mark Walsh

2 Noble Yeats (IRE) p 8 11 11 Mr Robert Waley-Cohen Emmet Mullins Ireland Sean Bowen

3 Galvin (IRE) 9 11 11 Mr R. A. Bartlett Gordon Elliott Ireland Davy Russell

4 Fury Road (IRE) ts, p 9 11 6 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland Jonjo O'Neill Jr.

5 The Big Dog (IRE) 10 11 5 Damien J. Kelly/Colin Kelly Peter Fahey Ireland Aidan Coleman

6 Capodanno (FR) ts 7 11 5 Mr John P. McManus W. P. Mullins Ireland Daniel Mullins

7 Delta Work (FR) ts, p 10 11 4 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland Keith Donoghue

8 Sam Brown ts 11 11 4 Mr T. C. Frost Anthony Honeyball Jonathan Burke

9 Lifetime Ambition (IRE) 8 11 3 Linda Mulcahy/Mary Wolridge Mrs J. Harrington Ireland Sean O'Keeffe

10 Carefully Selected (IRE) 11 11 1 Miss M. A. Masterson W. P. Mullins Ireland M. J. M. O'Sullivan

11 Coko Beach (FR) bl 8 11 0 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland Harry Cobden

12 Longhouse Poet (IRE) ts 9 11 0 Sean & Bernardine Mulryan Martin Brassil Ireland J. J. Slevin

13 Gaillard du Mesnil (FR) 7 11 0 Mrs J. Donnelly W. P. Mullins Ireland P. Townend

14 Darasso (FR) bl,ts 10 10 13 Mr John P. McManus Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland Luke Dempsey

15 Le Milos 8 10 11 The Jolly Good Partnership Dan Skelton Harry Skelton

16 Escaria Ten (FR) 9 10 10 McNeill Family Gordon Elliott Ireland A. P. Heskin

17 The Big Breakaway (IRE) bl 8 10 10 Eric Jones, Geoff Nicholas, John Romans Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell

18 Cape Gentleman (IRE) p 7 10 8 Mr Pierre Manigault John Joseph Hanlon Ireland Jody McGarvey

19 Roi Mage (FR) 11 10 8 Pryde/Van Der Hoeven/McGladery/Beaumont Patrick Griffin Ireland Felix de Giles

20 Diol Ker (FR) bl 9 10 8 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade Ireland Kieren Buckley

21 A Wave of The Sea (IRE) p 7 10 6 Mr John P. McManus Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland Shane Fitzgerald

22 Minella Trump (IRE) 9 10 6 Mr T. G. Leslie Donald McCain Theo Gillard

23 Vanillier (FR) ts, p 8 10 6 Mrs H. M. Keaveney Gavin Cromwell Ireland Sean Flanagan

24 Velvet Elvis (IRE) 7 10 6 Mr D. Kierans T. Gibney Ireland Darragh O'Keeffe

25 Ain't That A Shame (IRE) 9 10 5 Robcour Henry de Bromhead Ireland Rachael Blackmore

26 Corach Rambler (IRE) ts 9 10 5 The Ramblers Lucinda Russell Derek Fox

27 Enjoy d'Allen (FR) bl,ts 9 10 5 Mr John P. McManus Ciaran Murphy Ireland Simon Torrens

28 Mr Incredible (IRE) 7 10 4 Paul Byrne & J. Carthy W. P. Mullins Ireland Brian Hayes

29 Mister Coffey (FR) 8 10 4 Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville

30 Cloudy Glen (IRE) 10 10 4 Exors of the late Mr Trevor Hemmings Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch

31 Hill Sixteen ts, p 10 10 2 J Fyffe & S Townshend Sandy Thomson Ryan Mania

32 Gabbys Cross (IRE) 8 10 2 Mr R. S. Brookhouse Henry de Bromhead Ireland Peter Carberry

33 Recite A Prayer (IRE) ts 8 10 2 The Turner Family W. P. Mullins Ireland

34 Eva's Oskar (IRE) v,ts 9 10 2 Sally & Richard Prince Tim Vaughan Alan Johns

35 Our Power (IRE) p 8 10 2 Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group Sam Thomas Sam Twiston-Davies

36 Dunboyne (IRE) bl 8 10 2 S. P. O'Connor Gordon Elliott Ireland Jack Tudor

37 Francky du Berlais (FR) ts 10 10 2 Mr Roddy Owen Peter Bowen Ben Jones

38 Fortescue bl 9 10 2 Mrs L Nixon Henry Daly Hugh Nugent

39 Back On The Lash 9 10 2 Maughan, Redknapp, Ryan, Salters Martin Keighley Adam Wedge

40 Born By The Sea (IRE) 9 10 2 Natalie Gilligan Paul John Gilligan Ireland Phillip Enright

40 declared runners

27 Irish-trained

Eliminated horses: Fakiera (FR) Mortal (IRE) Darrens Hope (IRE) Captain Cattistock Secret Reprieve (IRE) Fantastikas (FR)

CURRENT BETTING: 7 Corach Rambler, 8 Delta Work, 9 Noble Yeats, 14 Gaillard Du Mesnil, Le Milos, Longhouse Poet, Mr Incredible, 16 Any Second Now, 18 Capodanno, 20 Aint That A Shame, Galvin, Our Power, Vanillier, 25 Lifetime Ambition, The Big Dog, 33 Coko Beach, The Big Breakaway, 40 Velvet Elvis, 50 Carefully Selected, Evas Oskar, Gabbys Cross, Mister Coffey, Roi Mage, 66 Fortescue, Fury Road, Hill Sixteen, Minella Trump, Sam Brown, 80 Cloudy Glen, Darasso, Diol Ker, Dunboyne, Enjoy Dallen, Escaria Ten, 100 A Wave Of The Sea, Back On The Lash, Born By The Sea, Cape Gentleman, Francky Du Berlais, Recite A Prayer.