There aren’t many races that capture the attention of both pros and laypeople alike, but the Grand National is certainly one of them. With television audiences of hundreds of millions, a sizeable on-course crowd, and also £300 million plus of bets placed on the race itself, the anticipation for the race takes hold each and every year. And it’s of course also one of those races where we all enjoy having a flutter.
But how to best make the most of your Grand National betting opportunities, I hear you ask? Well first off I’d say that it’s not always best to follow the crowd when you bet. Draw your own conclusions based on either your statistical knowledge, the look of a horse, the trainers you follow, that kind of thing. Another angle of merit is in in tracking down the best free bets out there. The top bookmakers all scrambling to attract your custom reaches fever pitch when The National approaches, so it pays to keep an eye out for the various offers and incentives available. Free bets, , rewards, and bonuses are all a possibility if you sign up to the right bookmaker. Anybody can get a horse racing free bet with many of the household name bookmakers out there, so there certainly isn’t a shortage of that. Comparison sites can certainly be a good way of working out who you should be betting with and getting ‘more bang for your buck’ if you will!
As for who to bet on in the 2020 Grand National, well that decision is, as always, in the eye of the beholder. Many people elect to go for a pot luck approach to choosing their bet, perhaps they simply like the name of the horse in question. Others opt for a much more analytical and holistic approach of factoring in form, the going, who trains and rides a particular horse. What attracted a punter to bet on a horse can be a very nuanced situation. Much like a fingerprint, no two punters will make exactly the same betting decisions.
Of course, with an event that involves such prestige, many will be looking for the fairytale ending of Tiger Roll winning an impressive three Grand Nationals in a row (following wins in 2018 and 2019), eclipsing the long standing achievement of another racing icon, Red Rum. This is why many online magazines and bookies sites will playfully suggest placing your money on Tiger Roll to be the big winner. This allows punters to on the way earn a spot in the page of history while making a bet on one of the best winning horses ever. At 8-1 it could be argued that there’s a lot of value in this dream outcome, but for some they will think it’s a Grand National too far and look elsewhere for a potential winner. Whichever horse you eventually opt for, the nation will pause for a moment as we all stop what we’re doing and get absorbed into the perfect combination of atmosphere and ability that the Grand National has to offer the betting public.