The smallest number of Grand National finishers was two in 1928, when Tipperary Tim beat the remounted Billy Barton by a distance - amazingly, 42 horses started that Grand National. Easter Hero got stuck on top of the Canal Turn fence, putting the majority of the field out of the contest. That number might have also finished in the 1913 Grand National but Carsey, who would have won if he had jumped the last instead of falling, was remounted by Jack Tyrwhitt-Drake to take third behind fortunate winner Covercoat and Irish Mail.

Just three also finished in 1951; largely due to a debacle at the very first fence in which 11 of the 36 contestants fell. The usual subsequent spills and thrills meant that only six runners were still going at the start of the second circuit. The most famous incident in Grand National history occurred in 1967 when the riderless Popham Down caused a huge pile-up at the 23rd obstacle at which most of the field, with the exception of 100/1 outsider and winner Foinavon, were stopped in their tracks.

Foinavon, who had been towards the rear, managed to circumvent the mêlée and had fl own the nest by the time his rivals got going again - eventually 17 other horses finished behind the easy winner. The fence that caused so much turmoil was subsequently renamed Foinavon. More recently in 1980 only four got home. Stamina-sapping ground made the race even more testing than usual for the 30 runners, who were gradually whittled down to just the winner Ben Nevis and three others.

The same number fi nished in 2001 when a loose horse (Paddy’s Return) at the Canal Turn the fi rst time around put paid to the chances of a quarter of the 40 starters. Seven years earlier just six had managed to finish when heavy rain, which had hit Liverpool the previous night, was again the main culprit. Six also got round in 1998, the year the race was won by Earth Summit who loved the soft ground.

The highest number of finishers was 23 in 1984, when Hallo Dandy was first home from 40 starters. There were 22 finishers from 47 starters in 1963, and 22 from 40 in both 1987 and 1992. The 2005 running saw the highest number of finishers since 1992 as Hedgehunter led 21 of the 40 starters across the finish line. There were only nine who completed the course in 2006, despite the going being officially the same as the year before – good to soft. Rain the previous night and showers on the day made conditions more testing than anticipated.

Last year saw a return to a double-figure number of finishers, 12, as the ground rode good following a much-praised watering programme by the Aintree groundstaff headed by Mark Aynsley.