Beginners Guide to the Grand National: How to Bet on Horseracing

My heart was pumping hot blood about my chest as I grasped a little scrap from a torn newspaper; my randomly nominated horse. All my cousins and mothers six siblings were doing the same, eyes wide and silent. The only noise in the entire house was a scratchy commentator’s voice, escaping the small holes of the television. It is because of this memory that I hold the Grand National so dear and further still lead me to create a beginners guide to the Grand national.

Why bet on the Grand National

This particular sporting event is a household name whereby anyone from a versed racing enthusiast to a first time punter can indulge in the thrill of horseracing. Every year massive numbers of the British public place bets on the race, few with any idea of what they are doing. If you need to get clued up then this beginners guide to the Grand National is for you.

Know your pony – Beginnings to a Beginners guide to the grand national

The most important thing about placing horse-race betting is pretty self-explanatory the horse is the one who will win the race and therefore win you that all important bet. Firstly you should note that most jump horses are in their prime between the ages of 7 -10. This said no 7 year old horse has won the Grand National since 1940. Maybe this could be the year to change all that with Baie Des Iles who is coming in at a promising (16/1) at most online gambling sites such as 1xBet Sportsbook.

Feel for the form

Let’s take a closer look at the mare in question. If you have ever looked at the breakdown of a horse you will have seen the words “form” followed by some incomprehensive code. Fear not! This code has a very deliberate meaning. Baie Des Iles’s reads 13-663. The numbers 1-9 tell the position that the horse came in the last races it ran (a 0 meaning it came above the top 9 places). The - meaning the season before. Another top candidate is Seeyouatmidnight at (16/1). With a form of /1P2-3 we can assume that trainer S Thompson has some tricks up his sleeve. The positions 1, 2 and 3 assure me of this horse’s undeniable ability. The / indicates a season missed due to recovery from a minor injury and the P meaning the horse was decidedly pulled from a race. A final tip about form is that often the trainers actually won’t want a horse to win or even compete for a race if they have their sights on winning a greater goal…

Handy tips for handicaps

The Grand National is a handicap race, just to make betting even more of a minefield to the untrained gambler. Better horses will carry bigger weights to balance out the race. This is indicated unsurprisingly by the word “weight”. Anibale Fly (11/1) may have a large handicap of 11st 07lb however the horse has been known to perform well even when drowned under twelve stone weights. A horse like Blaklion (11/1), on the other hand, will be competing with a monumental handicap of 11st 09lb. Internet sportsbook sites in the UK expect this to seriously impact Blaklion’s performance in the 2018 Grand National.

Parting advice

If you’re not one judge a book by its cover, then defiantly don’t judge a horse by its name. Of course there is a degree of luck to horse racing but if your plan on picking a horse like Krackatoa King (150/1) due to its explosive title, then don’t be expecting a huge pay off. Personally, with all things considered, my bets will be going on Anibale Fly (11/1). His age (8) shows him to be in his prime moreover his form suggests that trainer A J Martin has been saving him for something very special. But regardless of whichever horse you choose to bet on make sure you enjoy the race the same way that I hope you have enjoyed this beginner’s guide to the Grand National.