Grand National – The Biggest Race of the Year

It’s Grand National time again! The biggest race of the year when millions of people tune in and people who never bet like to have a flutter. The Grand National has been held at the famous Aintree race course in Liverpool since 1839. The race starts at 5.15pm on Saturday April 8^th so make sure you’ve placed your bets and got a great seat in front of the television. There are other races beforehand too so there’s something to watch if you’re tuning in early. This year, for the first time, the race will be broadcast on ITV, so do make sure you’ve got the right channel on! Or perhaps you will be watching it in a bar and soaking up the exciting atmosphere with friends and family.

Do you like to have a bet on the Grand National? How do you choose your horse? Do you meticulously check form, look at the weather forecast and do your research or do you simply pick out a name you like best? I have to say, I just pick a name, usually one that has some sort of personal meaning to me, or sometimes just one that sounds silly so I can shout it as the race is under way!

The current favourite is Vieux Lion Rouge at 10/1 with Definitely Red following at 14/1 and Blaklion at 16/1. The million pound prize pot is up for grabs. Of course the exciting thing about the Grand National is that anything can happen and a bet on an outsider can be highly profitable. If you’d put a bet on Auroras Encore in 2013 you would have had a great day as it won the race with odds of 66/1! Since WW11 only nine favourites have ever won the race. It’s this unpredictability that makes the Grand National so exciting and nail-biting to watch. Odds do change regularly so do check the latest when you’re picking out your horse for the race.

Fancy a new private plate to show your love of the Grand National? How about a GN plate such as 27 GN or 30 GN? I think a GG plate will raise a smile such as 1111 GG or 22 GG. Any horsey person would totally suit the plate HOR 533Y or perhaps you’d prefer a rider plate such as R21 DER? If you have a favourite for the race, why not put their name into our search engine and see if there’s a plate to match? If it wins the race you could find your plate is worth a lot more than you paid for it too!