Sarah Jayne Dunn looked effortlessly chic as she and her husband Jonathan Smith attended the Aintree Grand National in Liverpool on Thursday.

The actress, 43, exuded elegance in a chic red midi dress and a matching fascinator as she and her husband, also 43, walked hand-in-hand through the crowds. 

Sarah’s stylish ensemble featured a V-neckline, a structured bodice, fluted sleeves, and a gold ʙuттon-up fastening. 

She added inches to her height with a pair of red crystal heart slingback heels and accessorised with a stack of chunky statement rings and a delicate gold necklace.

The former Hollyoaks star toted a mini silver handbag and completed her look with a glam makeup palette, including a bold swipe of red lipstick to match her ensemble.

Meanwhile, her husband cut a smart casual figure for the outing wearing a black ʙuттon-up coat, a blue denim shirt, and black tailored trousers.

Sarah Jayne Dunn looked effortlessly chic as she and her husband Jonathan Smith attended the Aintree Grand National in Liverpool on Thursday 

The actress, 43, exuded elegance in a chic red midi dress and a matching fascinator as she and her husband, also 43, walked hand-in-hand through the crowds 

The personal trainer appeared in high spirits as he smiled for the cameras alongside his stunning wife.

Aintree racecourse was a sea of colour this morning as revellers kicked off the Grand National Festival in conventionally bright and bold fashion.

Racegoers embraced the warmer April weather in sleeveless dresses with plunging necklines and figure-hugging skirts as day one of the Merseyside racing meet got underway.

Every year, millions of people gather at Aintree for the steeplechases, which span 4 miles, 7 furlongs and 74 yards, making it the longest horse race in Britain even though it used to be around one and a half furlongs longer.

The World’s Greatest Steeplechase is the biggest gamble on horserace on the planet and bookmakers estimate £250m will be wagered on the three days of the Aintree and £150m on the big race alone.

This year’s Grand National Saturday – the final day of the event – is predicted to be a ‘grey’ day for Britain’s bookmakers after it was revealed that a record six of the punters’ favourites to win this year are all greys – including Intense Raffles (9-1), Vanillier (10-1) and Kandoo Kid (16-1); the other three are Hyland (20-1), Coko Beach (66-1) and Fil D’Or (80-1).

Due to their stand-out hue, greys are loved by part-time punters at the National – despite only three ever winning the famous 30-fence contest, The Lamb in 1868, Nicolaus Silver in 1961, and Neptune Collonges in 2012.

Coral’s David Stevens said: ‘Five is the previous highest number of grey horses running in the Grand National, but that was when there were 40 or more runners, so the six lining up among the 34 runners this year sets a new record.

Sarah’s stylish ensemble featured a V-neckline, a structured bodice, fluted sleeves, and a gold ʙuттon-up fastening. Meanwhile, her husband Jonathan cut a smart casual figure for the outing

The former Hollyoaks star added inches to her height with a pair of red crystal heart slingback heels and appeared in high spirits as she got a selfie with her partner 

Read More Aintree revellers welcome sunny spring weather in plunging necklines and figure-hugging dresses as day one of the festival gets underway

Greys have always been popular with racing fans, they stand out from the rest and are easier to spot in a race, which is particularly important in a race like the National.

‘Although with six in this year’s race, punters will need to watch even more closely to see which grey is carrying their cash!’ Stevens continued. 

The bookmaker are offering odds of 5/2 that one of the six greys are victorious on Saturday, 12-1 that there is a grey horse one-two, and 40-1 greys fill the first three places.

With millions of adults placing a flutter on the big race, and considering grey horses are always popular, the bookmaker expects to face a flurry of bets on the Sєxtet.

Coral expects up to £150 million to be staked on the National this year, making it six times bigger than the second-highest turnover horserace of the year, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while the race will be watched by the biggest TV audience of the year.

Last year’s winner, I Am Maximus, is the runner bookies fear the most with William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps reporting ‘a big gamble’ on the horse on Wednesday that cuts the 2024 winner from 11/1 to 8/1.

Aintree racecourse was a sea of colour this morning as revellers kicked off the Grand National Festival in conventionally bright and bold fashion

This year’s Grand National Saturday – the final day of the event – is predicted to be a ‘grey’ day for Britain’s bookmakers after it was revealed that a record six of the punters’ favourites to win this year are all greys

I Am Maximus now stands as the favourite for the race at 8/1, followed by Iroko and Stumptown, who are both priced at 9/1.

Phelps said: ‘This year’s Grand National looks one of the most open for a long time, with I Am Maximus now heading the betting for the 34-runner race at 8/1, and he’s the third different favourite we’ve had in as many days.

‘Given the open nature and big odds available across the field this year, we’re expecting plenty of betting interest up and down the country and could see total turnover on the race north of �150m.

‘It’s a huge week at Aintree, where total betting turnover for the three days could comfortably hit a quarter of a billion.’