Next year's Grand National at Aintree has been pushed back an hour to a 5.15pm start in a bid to boost viewing figures for the famous steeplechase.
Almost nine million viewers tuned in to this year's race, which was won by Many Clouds, but Aintree officials are hoping that starting later will draw bigger audiences after the bulk of English football fixtures finish shortly before 5pm.
John Baker, regional director of the Jockey Club North West, told the National's website: "This is a very positive move for the Crabbie's Grand National and we're excited about the possibility of showcasing the greatest chase in the world to a wider national and global audience.
"The Crabbie's Grand National is in a great place and we're already delighted to be Channel 4's biggest audience of the year at 8.9 million viewers, which is a fantastic figure, but any increase is also good for the sport."
The change in scheduling means that there will only be a handicap hurdle for conditional and amateur jockeys after the National, instead of more races.
Pascal Lemesre
