THE Martell Grand National meeting was under starters orders today as bookmakers braced themselves for potentially the biggest festival ever.
Cancellation of race meetings across the country due to the current foot-and-mouth crisis is expected to result in a flurry of bets.
In addition to the security scanners, introduced in the wake of the 1997 IRA bomb hoax, the entrances to the Merseyside course are this year lined with disinfected mats.
Since the cancellation of the 2001 Cheltenham Festival and this week's announcement of Irish runners in the Martell Grand National at Aintree, organisers of the three-day event say there has been a sudden surge for tickets.
A crowd of up to 120,000 is expected for the three-day meeting.
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