Aintree Grand National 2007 - How to..

13th Apr 2007

The world's most exciting and long running steeple chase takes place on Saturday 14th April 2007 at Aintree. It was back in 1839 that the first official Grand National was run and the last 168 years have seen it become one of the most hotly anticipated events in the British sporting calendar. Although the race itself only lasts 10 minutes the atmosphere is electric as the thousands wait to watch the horses complete the four mile, four furlong course complete with over 30 enormous fences. Nothing is certain in this race and punters will need all the help they can get to choose the right horse.

Handy Hints for betting on the Grand National:

Narrowing Down the Field:

WEIGHT - is critical given the height and frequency of the jumps and the length of the course. Since the war, only 4 winners have weighed in at 11 stone 5 pounds (Red Rum winning twice). So concentrate on those below that crucial figure. In last years race, out of the 9 horses to complete the race, only one was over 11 stones.

AGE – All of the horses that completed last years race were between 9 and 12 years. Not for 66 years has a horse under the age of 8 won the race, so punters should concentrate on the 8-12 age bracket. It has been 83 years since a horse older than 12 has won, so this narrows down the field for you.

HISTORY – due to the harshness of the course, it is crucial to research the history of your chosen horse. Make sure that it has proved its stamina over at least 3 miles, and be a reliable jumper.

This all narrows down the field to horses that have proved themselves in other steeple chases previously and who meet the age and weight requirements.

Of course don’t always rule out the outsiders as anything can happen, but the safe bet is to follow the above guidelines.

The prize money is over £400,000, so many trainers spend the year training their horses for this one race alone. It is these horses who stand the better chance of winning. Look out for those who avoided Cheltenham – this might give them the edge (unless it was for medical reasons).

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