JOHN SMITH'S GRAND NATIONAL, Aintree: Saturday 4 April, 1615 BST
Coverage: Full TV coverage from Aintree on Thursday and Friday on BBC2 and online from 1345, and on Saturday from 1300. Saturday - radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles

By Cornelius Lysaght BBC racing correspondent

Star steeplechaser Denman is a hot favourite to continue to turn around his season in the totesport Bowl, the feature race on the opening afternoon of the Grand National meeting at Aintree at 1510 BST.

The nine-year-old, winner of the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup, was all-but written off by some after making a disappointing return to the track in February following treatment for a fibrillating heart.

Denman surprisingly finished second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup

But, amidst emotional scenes, the horse stunned his doubters into silence when finding only old rival Kauto Star, trained like him by Paul Nicholls, too good in this season's Gold Cup.

Jockey Sam Thomas keeps his place in the saddle despite speculation that jockey-of-the-moment Ruby Walsh might take over. Walsh rides Nicholls' Star De Mohaison in the £160,000 prize.

Assessing Denman's season, Thomas said: "It shows how good a horse he is that he was able to bounce back at Cheltenham. He seems to have come out of the Gold Cup very well, so it's onwards and upwards, and we'll see further improvement at Aintree."

Denman's opponents are headed by Gold Cup third Exotic Dancer and the favourite's Kempton conqueror Madison Du Berlais , who prefers a flat track like Aintree, rather than undulating Cheltenham where he was eighth in the Gold Cup.

606: DEBATE A sharp track like Aintree is unlikely to suit a big, long-striding horse like Denman and he could certainly be vulnerable to something speedy captainchristy2

Also on day one, look out for:

- The Cheltenham Festival's World Hurdle winner Big Buck's returns to action in the Liverpool Hurdle (1400 BST) when he's expected to face a fierce challenge from Cheltenham fifth Mighty Man, an Aintree favourite.

- First talk for this year of the famous Grand National fences will come in the Foxhunters Chase (1545 BST) in which much attention will be on jockeys Nina Carberry (Where Now) and Claire Allen (Christy Beamish) as they attempt to join the small group of female riders to have won races over the famous obstacles.

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