It’s one of the biggest fixtures of the racing calendar, and around a third of the UK population is likely take a punt on one or more of the horses in this year’s Grand National, on 9th April.
For many of us, it’s a bit of fun rather than serious betting, and the thrill is as much about watching the jockeys and their horses taking on the formidable fences of the Aintree course as it is about the chances of winning a few quid!
Regarded as one of the most prestigious races of its kind, the Grand National has a long and proud history, going all the way back to 1839, when the inaugural race was won by a horse called Lottery.
Even people who rarely bet on a horse, or have little interest in horse racing, recognise the famous names associated with the event, such as three time winner Red Rum (1973, ’74, and ’77), the jockeys Tony McCoy and Bob Champion, and the names of some of the jumps themselves, including Becher’s Brook, The Chair, and Foinavon. But who the horses are in the Grand National?
This year’s Grand National will be watched by an estimated 10 million people, with some 70,000 packed into Aintree for what is the highlight of the three day Grand National Festival.
Last year’s winner Many Clouds is being tipped to win again this year, but will face some fierce competition from the likes of The Last Samuri, Silviniaco Conti, Don Poli, and Cause of Causes.
For the best odds on the market at Aintree, check out William Hill: Grand National 2016
It could also be a third National win for owner Trevor Hemmings and back to back wins for trainer Oliver Sherwood. But as anyone who’s ever watched the Grand National knows, the race is totally unscripted and anything can happen.
Form is only a guide for a gruelling course that can strike at any moment, a fact that is borne out by the number of outsiders who’ve won the event in years gone by. Mon Mome won at 100/1 odds in 2009, a feat also achieved by Foinavon in 1967.
The 2013 winner was Aurora Encore at 66/1. Just completing the race is an achievement in itself. Only two from 42 starters finished the race in 1928 and the most to finish to date is 23 from a field of 40, in 1984. How many will finish this year’s event from a field of 40 starters is – as always – anybody’s bet, but whatever the outcome, the loudest roar of the festival will get them underway at 17.15 and cheer them every step of the way to the finish! For the Aintree Grand National 2016 betting odds, head to William Hill.
Whoever wins the Grand National this year, the horse, jockey, trainer, and owner is sure to go down in racing history. Jockey Leighton Aspell, who rode Pineau de Re to victory in 2014, and Many Clouds in 2015, is going for a hat-trick of wins this year, riding Many Clouds again.
