The Grand National is the biggest horse-racing event of the year, which means most people will be opening their wallets to place a bet on the horse they think can bring them victory. However, for many, betting can be confusing and disappointing when their well-thought-through £10 risk falls and loses them the win. So, here are some tips, alongside information about this infamous race, on betting in the Grand National.
The number of people watching the Grand National increases every year and an estimated 600 million are predicted to tune in in 2018, so why is it that certain people happen to have the best ‘luck’ every year, whether it be someone making thousands of pounds, or just a member of your family swaggering out of the living room when their horse wins first place. And whilst there will never be a perfect algorithm that will guarantee success, there are a few things that you can do that will improve your chances.
1. Don’t just go for the obvious.
When you’re putting your money forward, it is easy to go for ‘safe’ options and pick the favorite in a race, and according to William Hill, it doesn’t always give you the advantage to pick the horse with the best odds. There is a tactic which is often employed called ‘following the money’, where you watch the market as an indication of inside knowledge. The idea is if a horse’s odds go from 20/1 to 12/1 as the race gets closer, there is probably a reason for it and you should take note of this and go maybe back it. However, it may better to go for a horse with longer odds, as they may well change as the time of the race gets closer and could provide a greater return.
2. Don’t just look at odds.
This is the thing that most people look at when choosing which horse to bet on, but there are a lot of other things that could influence your decision. Of course, the odds have been created off the back of the statistics about that horse but when the oldest winner of a Grand National was 15, and the youngest 7 (despite the ‘best’ age to pick being 8-11 years), you can sometimes take them with a pinch of salt. Look at their previous race history, what their strengths are, how they run on different grounds, and how they have performed recently.
3. Get advice, not just from a piece of paper.
Most people who aren’t ‘in the know’ about racing will pick up a newspaper, racing guide, or check online to see the stats about the races, but one of the best things you can do to improve your chances of winning is to go and ask people who are involved in the sport. Check what bookies are saying, ask people who go horse racing regularly, and see what information is being spread by word-of-mouth rather than an official piece of paper that won’t get updated as the race goes on.
There is no sure-fire way of securing victory, and often there are shock winners in the Grand National, but if you follow these tips, hopefully, you’ll be walking away from the race happy.
