Do you know everything about the Grand National? Do you know how many wins took Red Rum in to the record books or Golden Miller deserves his reputation as a Grand National hero? Do you know how much prize money is up for grabs or how many people tune in each year to watch the National on TV. It doesn’t matter if you know a lot or just a little, we know you will enjoy this excellent Grand National Race Guide info-graphic from www.grand-national.me.uk, download it for free an put your knowledge to the test.

Once you have absorbed the facts on the “greatest steeple chase in the world” maybe you can have a go at picking this years winner. There are some great horses going through to the final cut that look like strong contenders for this years trophy, such as Chicago Grey, trained by Gordon Elliot or maybe this is the year for Junior who just missed out on a place in 2011.

However you decide to pick this year the 2012 Grand National is looking like a superb race and if you can’t make it to Aintree then you can watch the great event live on the BBC with coverage starting at noon with the big race starting at 4.15pm.

Spring is upon us and brings a host of great sports to keep you entertained through the month of April, beginning with Cricket and the start of the Indian Premier League. The first match of the season is between Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians with a further 72 games packed into April and May before the final on May 27th.

The ‘Worlds Greatest Steeplechase’ in the guise of the Grand National should keep all you Horse Racing fans on tenterhooks as Aintree hosts its world famous event in the middle of April. Can Ballabriggs retain his title or can a newbie such as Organisedconfusion become a Grand National hero.

Finally for those of you who enjoy Formula One there are races throughout April taking place in China and Bahrain. With Jensen Button and Fernando Alonso already off to a great start with wins in Australia and Malaysia respectively, who will come out on top after April?

April’s Sporting Events

• Apr 4 CRICKET – Indian Premier League starts
• Apr 5 CRICKET – LV= County Championship starts
• Apr 14 RACING – Grand National
• Apr 15 FORMULA ONE – Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
• Apr 22 FORMULA ONE – Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir
• Apr 24-28 RACING – Punchestown Festival

WELSH trainer Evan Williams is tempted to allow Deep Purple to continue his John Smith’s Grand National preparations in Saturday’s Racing Plus Chase at Kempton.

A winner of his only start this season in Sandown’s London National, Deep Purple has begun to show more of a stamina capacity at the age of 11, as he has spent most of his career running at between two and a half and three miles.

“I think there’s a fairly dry forecast and as long as the ground doesn’t get testing, I think he could run,” said the trainer.

“He would have a lot of weight but it’s very good prize-money.

“I hadn’t thought about the Grand National before he ran at Sandown, but now you’d have to say it’s definitely on the cards.”

Williams could have another interesting runner or two on the day as he has entered ex-John Oxx pair Kayalar and Zarzal in both the william hill Adonis Juvenile Hurdle and the williamhill.com Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle.

“They finished first and second on their first runs for me in a maiden at Lingfield the other day and I could run both of them on Saturday,” Williams added.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how Kayalar gets on at Kempton.”