Grand National, Boat Race, Masters, Manchester United vs Manchester City and the Chinese Grand Prix - sport on TV this weekend

With a plethora of sport available to watch this weekend, there's no reason for you to be more than 10 yards from a TV

The Grand National, Boat Race, Burnley v Arsenal, The Masters, Manchester United v Manchester City, Chinese Grand Prix and QPR v Chelsea (Getty Images)

Sit back, relax, unplug the phone and make sure everything you could possibly need this weekend is within an arm’s length of the sofa, because despite the glorious weather outside, there’s simply no reason for you to leave the sofa – or more importantly the television.

Kicking off with The Masters on Friday night, you can watch Rory McIlroy, Justin Spieth, Justin Rose and all the other leading contenders juke it out on the second day at Augusta.

Don’t stay up too late though, as the Chinese Grand Prix qualifying will get underway at 8am, so you can ease into a day of sporting greatness with a cup of tea, bacon sarnie and 20 V6 thoroughbreds tearing round the Shanghai International Circuit. Hopefully the session will remain a wheels-only affair given the track invasion by one over-eager fan during the second practice session.

After a few hours to compose yourself, converse with the family and maybe watch a spot of Saturday kitchen, it’s time to turn attentions to the Premier League. Swansea City take on Everton in the opening game of the day, and while it may not be the most enthralling of ties, it’s almost certain to provide goals and entertainment with 15 goals coming in their last five games.

Bafetimbi Gomis will hope to continue his form for Swansea at 12.45pm (Getty Images)

Then it’s time for the big one of the day – the Grand National. 40 horses will duke it out over four miles and three and a half furlongs to be crowned the winner of the longest National Hunt race in Britain.

Ap McCoy will retire at the end of the season (Getty Images)

The race will be all the more special given it is AP McCoy’s farewell to the National, with the record-breaking champion jockey set to retire from the sport at the end of the season. As it stands, McCoy only has on win in the Aintree showpiece in his career, which came aboard Don’t Push It in 2010, but McCoy is likely to set off on favourite Shutthefrontdoor in his final attempt to win the great race.

No sooner has the drama of the Grand National settle down than the tensions will rise in South-west London, where the Boat Race will see Oxford and Cambridge go head-to-head once again. The day’s action will be all the more special as the Women’s Boat Race will take place an hour before the Men’s, signalling the first time in history that both have taken place on the Tideway on the same day.

The 161st running of the Boat race starts at 5.50pm (Getty Images)

If the Boat Race isn’t to your taste, then why not watch a second Premier League fixture of the day as second-place Arsenal travel to Burnley in their bid to catch Chelsea at the top of the league. With none of their top-four rivals playing until Sunday, the match will give in-form Arsenal a chance to put pressure on the Blues as well as Manchester United and Manchester City (more on them later).

Arsenal face Burnley at 5.30pm (GETTY IMAGES)

Finally, we’ll end Saturday’s action with the third day of The Masters with the field whittled down after Friday’s second round cut. It’s here that the field will begin to take shape and competitors will move into position to mount a final day surge in the hope of claiming victory.

Jordan Spieth will hope to remain in contention at the Masters (Getty Images)

Sunday kicks off with the Chinese Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton will look to rebound from Sebastian Vettel’s surprising victory in Malaysia to continue his assault on the Drivers’ Championship. Lights go green at 7am, giving you just enough time to get enough sleep to ensure you’re ready for the day ahead.

Can lewis Hamilton get back to winning ways in China at 7am? (EPA)

The Premier League will return to take centre stage at Sunday lunchtime, with West London side Queens Park Rangers welcoming city rivals and league leaders Chelsea to Loftus Road. With Rangers in a relegation dogfight and Chelsea charging for the title, anything can happen in this one, and recent results suggest it will do once again.

Jose Mourinho makes his first ever trip to Loftus Road at 1.30pm (GETTY IMAGES)

But proceedings in London are merely an appetiser for the main course at 4pm, where the red half of Manchester faces the blue half as Manchester United face Manchester City at Old Trafford. United ‘s resurgence has coincided with City’s slump in form, meaning that the Red Devils have leapfrogged their ‘noisy neighbours’ for third place, and with United having lost the last four derby meetings, they’ll be hungry to end their poor run while adding further misery to City’s misfiring season.

The Manchester derby kicks off at 4pm (Getty Images)

All this brings us to the final, and possibly most important event of the weekend, as The Masters heads towards a close with the remaining challengers making their bid for the famous Green Jacket. Bubba Watson was the man who emerged victorious last year just after midnight, and he’ll be involved in the closing ceremony no matter what come the early hours of Monday morning. The question is, will he be presenting himself with a third Green Jacket in four years, or will he be passing the mantle onto one of his rivals.

Will Bubba Watson retain his Green Jacket? Find out from 7pm

Your full guide to the greatest sporting weekend of the year:

Friday:

Masters Day Two – 7pm, Sky Sports 4

Saturday:

Chinese Grand Prix qualifying – 8am, Sky Sports F1

Premier League: Swansea vs Everton – 12.45pm, BT Sport 1

Grand National – 4.15pm, Channel 4

Women’s Boat Race – 4.50pm, BBC1

Premier League: Burnley vs Arsenal – 5.30pm, Sky Sports 1

Men’s Boat Race – 5.50pm, BBC1

Masters Day Three – 7pm, Sky Sports 4, BBC2

Sunday:

Chinese Grand Prix race – 7am, Sky Sports F1

Premier League: QPR vs Chelsea – 1.30pm, Sky Sports 1

Premier League: Manchester United vs Manchester City – 4pm, Sky Sports 1

Masters Day Four – 7pm, Sky Sports 4, BBC2