The Aintree Festival is just two days away and at 2.00 on Thursday afternoon, the build-up to the world’s most famous race will begin with three days of exhilarating action in Liverpool.

The Grand National is without doubt the most famous race of the meeting, but horse racing fanatics will be eagerly anticipating a number of the supporting races on Thursday and Friday.

2010 Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander returns in the totesport Bowl Chase on Thursday, while Big Buck’s will put his unbeaten record over hurdles on the line against Time For Rupert in the Liverpool Hurdle.  With the likes of Zaynar, Kalahari King and Khyber Kim also in action at Aintree, any questions left unanswered by this year’s Cheltenham Festival will surely be resolved just three weeks on.

With a whopping 21 races for punters to sink their teeth into over the course of the three days, it is vital that practised and inexperienced punters make use of the attractive looking free bet offers some of the nation’s leading bookmakers have in place.

Leading Irish bookmaker Paddy Power will no doubt be hoping that he can topple some of England’s leading fancies and he is offering new customers that sign up HERE a free £50 bet on any of the races on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, brimming with confidence after the joy they had at Cheltenham, Ladbrokes are happy to give Bettingpro readers that sign up using bonus code MAXIMUMBONUS, a free £25 bet on the world’s most famous steeplechase.

Thursday’s card from Aintree
14:00 Bgc Partners Liverpool Hurdle (4yo+, Class 1, 3m 110y, 9 runners)
14:35 Matalan Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo, Class 1, 2m 110y, 17 runners)
15:10 totesport Bowl Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+, Class 1, 3m 1f, 13 runners)
15:45 John Smith's Fox Hunters' Chase (6yo+, Class 2, 2m 5f 110y, 27 runners)
16:20 Alder Hey Imagine Appeal Red Rum Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (5yo+, Class 1, 2m, 28 runners)
16:55 totepool Manifesto Novices' Chase (Grade 2) (5yo+, Class 1, 2m 4f, 19 runners)
17:30 Silver Cross Handicap Hurdle (Listed) (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 4f, 56 runners)

Friday’s card from Aintree
14:00 John Smith's Top Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 110y, 21 runners)
14:35 matalan.co.uk Mildmay Novices' Chase (Grade 2) (5yo+, Class 1, 3m 1f, 13 runners)
15:10 John Smith's Melling Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+, Class 1, 2m 4f, 16 runners)
15:45 John Smith's Topham Chase (Listed Handicap) (5yo+, Class 1, 2m 5f 110y, 47 runners)
16:20 John Smith's Sefton Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+, Class 1, 3m 110y, 24 runners)
16:55 John Smith's smithythehorse.com Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (4yo+, Class 1, 3m 110y, 55 runners)
17:30 John Smith's Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race (Listed) (4-6yo, Class 1, 2m 1f, 33 runners)

Saturday’s card from Aintree
13:45 John Smith's Mersey Novices' Hurdle (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 4f, 24 runners)
14:15 John Smith's Maghull Novices' Chase (5yo+, Class 1, 2m, 21 runners)
14:50 John Smith's Dick Francis Aintree Hurdle (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 4f, 11 runners)
15:25 John Smith's Handicap Chase (5yo+, Class 1, 3m 1f, 26 runners)
16:15 John Smith's Grand National Chase (handicap) (6yo+, 4m 4f, 65 runners)
17:00 John Smith's Handicap Hurdle (4yo+, Class 2, 2m 110y, 47 runners)
17:35 John Smith's Champion Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (4-6yo, Class 1, 2m 1f, 50 runners)