BBC to broadcast Grand National in HD

The BBC has confirmed plans to show the entire 2010 Grand National in high definition next month.

From April 8 to 10, live coverage from all races and events during the three days at Aintree, Liverpool will be broadcast on BBC HD.

BBC Two will air five races on the Thursday and Friday, while BBC One will broadcast Saturday's John Smith's Grand National programme, with coverage starting at 1pm and the big race getting underway at 4.15pm.

Clare Balding and Rishi Persad will present the coverage, with former Grand National-winning jockeys Mick Fitzgerald and Richard Dunwoody acting as expert pundits. Jim McGrath will lead the commentary team, joined by Ian Bartlett and Darren Owen.

For the 2010 event, the corporation plans to place two new high-speed cameras at The Chair and Becher's Brook to capture the action and provide superior replays.

Radio 5 Live will also carry coverage from all days at Aintree, with Mark Pougatch presenting the build-up and live action from the main event on Saturday.

Live and on-demand video from the Grand National day will be available on the BBC website, along with information on all the runners and riders. Coverage will also remain available on BBC iPlayer for seven days after transmission.