Bradley Lowery: Terminally ill boy given Grand National Aintree racecard honour

Bradley and his family will attend Grand National day at Aintree on Saturday

Terminally ill five-year-old Bradley Lowery is to be given honorary 41st place in the racecard for the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.

The young Sunderland fan was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2013, and has won widespread admiration for the way he has dealt with the cancer.

"We're thrilled to be coming to Aintree and really appreciate everything everyone is doing for Bradley and us," said his mother Gemma.

"He's very excited about the big day."

Bradley led the England football team out at Wembley alongside striker and friend Jermain Defoe before last month's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania.

Jockey Club Racecourses has created the honorary Aintree berth and even his own set of colours - on paper in the racecard - to support Bradley's campaign to raise awareness and funds.

A maximum field of 40 runners will line up for the big race, with the final line-up announced on Thursday morning.

• All the Grand National entries

• Grand National names to follow

In the graphic, Bradley's red and white silks match those of his beloved Sunderland.

His age is listed and his date of birth, 17 May, is given in place of the weight a horse carries (17-5).

The 'form figures' of five wins (11111) are designed to show he is unbeaten at every turn, while his five-star rating confirms he is very highly regarded.

Also featured are the team behind Bradley: his father Carl and mother Gemma, and both sets of grandparents, Howard and Marie, and Dave and Christine.

His jockey is listed as his older brother, Kieran, while Defoe is in the slot normally reserved for the trainer.