THOUSANDS of people will travel to Aintree today for the first day of the Grand National festival. More than 25,000 people are expected to attend today’s opener – traditionally Connoisseur’s Day – to enjoy a full day of racing.

The world-famous racecourse has undergone its final preparations and hundreds of staff are ready to welcome the long-awaited crowds.

A team of 50 groundsmen have already spent three days re-seeding the grass to ensure Aintree’s glorious turf is good to go.

Huge tractors fitted with 50m sprays have fertilised the ground and the course has had a final spray of liquid iron to ensure it sparkles.

More than 60 tonnes of spruce are firmly woven together to form those daunting fences.

Aintree firm Landcare has spent the last six weeks carting 14 truck loads of the branches from Grizedale Forest, in Cumbria. Food and drink is also top of the agenda with lorry-loads of Champagne, wine and beer transferred into chilled cellars.

In the many kitchens spread across the course, chefs have been preparing food for 150,000 people.

Culinary delights on offer range from steak and winner tipple pie to goat’s cheese and beetroot lasagne, and five-spice Chinese pork.

Chef Paul Rollason, who has cooked at Aintree since 2004, said: “The National is a great event to work because it feels more than work.

“In my kitchen, there will be five chefs and we will be cooking for around 15,000 each day, maybe more.

“There is pressure to get everything right and we will work from 7am to 9pm, then start prepping for the next day.”