Read this Grand National betting guide and you can ditch the pin.
>>Win: The simplest and most popular bet is a bet on one selection to win. For example, bet £10 on Big Fella Thanks to win the Grand National today at 8/1 with Sportingbet (the current best price). If Big Fella Thanks wins, you get £10 x 8 (stake x odds), plus your stake is returned. The total return is £90.
>>Each-way: With this bet, half the total stake is for the selection to win and half is for the selection to be placed in the first four. A Therefore, a £10 each-way bet costs £20 (£10 x 2). Note, some bookmakers are currently paying out on the first five home in the National, including bet365, Paddy Power, Blue Square and Victor Chandler. A quarter of the odds are paid for the place portion of the bet.
>>Starting Price: Usually referred to as the SP, this is the price prevailing at the time the race starts (4.15pm) and, unless otherwise stated, these are the odds used to calculate your winnings. When placing your bet, you have a choice of taking the price available at the time or taking the SP. Note, some bookmakers are paying Best Odds Guaranteed (including bet365, Paddy Power and Stan James), meaning you can take a price on your selection and get paid out at the SP if it's bigger, which is a great concession.
>>Best Price: Not all bookmakers offer the same price, though, so shop around for the best price on your selection.
>>Handicap: The race is a handicap so the weight carried by each horse is allocated according to the official ratings. The biggest weight goes to the highest-rated horse (Madison Du Berlais, this year's top-weight, is rated 162) and the others are allocated weights based on the gap between them and Madison Du Berlais (66/1 Blue Square) in the ratings.
>>Well-in: Since the weights for the National were revealed back in February, several horses have improved their official rating and, therefore, are at a theoretical advantage as the weights cannot be changed. These horses are described as being well-in and include the fancied The Package (14/1 William Hill), who is 6lb well-in here compared to future handicaps.
>>Reading the market: Since 1970, the 12 hottest favourites (13/2 or less) have all been beaten but winners tend to be well-fancied with 18 of the last 26 winners starting at 16/1 or shorter. That said, in the last decade, 12 horses at 33/1 or bigger (including last year's 100/1 winner Mon Mome) have finished in the first four, so don't let a big price put you off.
>>Form matters: While luck plays a big part, the race is not the lottery that most people think. Half of the last 10 winners had finished in the first three in their previous race, while punters often latch on to horses with previous Aintree form and for good reason. as six of the last nine winners had previously run over the National fences. Black Apalachi (14/1 Ladbrokes) was running well when unseating his rider at Becher's Brook on the second circuit last year.
>>Weighty burden: From 1984 to the present there have been 103 National runners who carried 11st 2lb or more and every single one has got beat. That said, the first four home last year all carried 11st or more so perhaps it is only a matter of time before a horse bucks that trend.
>>Age range: Chasers are normally at their peak around the ages of nine and ten - 11 of the last 14 winners have been in that age range. Younger winners are rare; only three have been aged eight since Red Rum in 1973, while it's 70 years since the last winning seven-year-old (Bogskar 1940), which is not a good omen for Tricky Trickster (16/1 Stan James). Older winners are more common, with seven of the last 21 winners aged 11 or 12. If he gets in, 2007 winner Silver Birch will be the oldest runner in this year's race at 13. Both Ollie Magern (150/1 bet365) and Hello Bud (50/1 Coral) are aged 12.
>>Staying power: Stamina is another factor to consider and most National winners have proved their stamina by running well over a long distance - every single one since Gay Trip in 1970 had won over at least 3m.
Bookies are offering a number of free bets on the 2010 Grand National. Our tips are to go with one of these top firms:
- Blue Square - £66 free (use code MAXIMUMBONUS)
- Ladbrokes - £25 free (use code MAXIMUMBONUS)
- Bet365 - £200 free (use code MAXIMUMBONUS)
- William Hill - £25 free (use code F25)
- Bwin - £30 free (use code MAXIMUMBONUS)
