Expect the Unexpected at the Grand National

Grand National Betting Sets Records

On Saturday 9 April, the attention of the horseracing world will focus on Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, where the Grand National event will take place. As the highlight of the three-day festival, which will kick off on 7 April, the Grand National is legendary for the stars that are born and the course on which they compete. 

The 2015 champion, Many Clouds, is looking to win back-to-back titles, but other greats will be in the thick of things, including Silviniaco Conti, a perennial favourite with great ante-post odds. Betting on the Grand National is always massive and this year will inevitably break records, as well.

Although the atmosphere at Aintree is electric, and horseracing fans come from far and wide to see the action in person, most of the betting is done conveniently and easily from the internet. For betting on Grand National winners & jockeys, just visit this site.

It is expected that more than 70,000 lucky attendees will show up at Aintree for the Grand National, while millions more will be viewing the races online and on the telly. Thursday 7 April is Grand Opening Day, when the featured races include The Betfred Bowl Steeple Chase and The Doom Bar Aintree Hurdle.

The following day is Ladies Day, when fashion and style are a key element of the atmosphere, although the races still take centre stage, with great events such as The Top Novices’ Hurdle and The JLT Melling Steeple Chase. Undeniably, however, many view these two days as merely a lead-up to the big event – The Crabbie’s Grand National Steeple Chase.

The Course, the Fences, the Horses… the Thrills

The historic Grand National race was first run at Aintree in 1839, over a challenging course that is 4 miles, 3½ furlongs long, and that encompasses famously daunting fences over two circuits. It is one of the premier races of the season, not in small part due to the impressive prize fund, which last year topped £1 million.

A maximum of 40 horses will face 16 fences, jumping each fence twice (except for the last two, which are skirted in the second circuit). The treacherous fences include Becher’s Brook, with a landing side that is 10 inches lower than the take-off side; the Chair, which at five feet, three inches, is the tallest fence of the course, and includes a landing side that is six inches higher than the take-off side; and the Canal Turn, which has stymied more than one champion steed. Due to the obstacles along the way, the outcome at Aintree is never a given, and many a long shot has come from behind to take the cup.

Anticipation always runs high in the weeks preceding the Grand National, which many consider the pinnacle of the UK racing season. Come 9 April, more than half a billion viewers will hold their breath as the finish line draws near, and as horses, jockeys, bettors, and racing fans become a part of history once again at Aintree Racecourse.