Grand National 2011

[blueday]

One of the biggest steeplechases in the racing calendar will take place on 9th April at Aintree.  It's the Grand National which is one of the most gruelling four-and-a-half mile races.  It's the time of year that you will see plenty of women entering the bookies to place a bet.

The first 'Official Grand National' was in 1839 however, the race was first run three years earlier in 1836. 

In the record books is Red Rum who won the race 3 times and is the only horse ever to do this.  Red Rum won in 1973, 1974 and 1977,   You can watch him beat "Crisp" in one of the most exciting finishes in 1973 here.

Here are some early odds from some of the sportsbooks

Paddy Power:

The Midnight Club12/1
Big Fella Thanks14/1
Backstage 14/1
Niche Market 14/1

William Hill

The Midnight Club    12/1
Ballabriggs    14/1
Big Fella Thanks    14/1
Oscar Time    14/1

VCBet

The Midnight Club    10/1
Big Fella Thanks    12/1
Backstage    12/1
Oscar Time    14/1

Good luck if you have a flutter.

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[blueday]

I just found out that Paddy Power are paying each ways on first 5 places.  Generally it is onlly the first 4 for each way bets.

Here are the movers and shakers:

Paddy Power

The Midnight Club down to 10/1
 What A Friend from 25/1 down to 11/1
 Oscar Time down to 12/1
 Big Fella Thanks from 33/1 down to 14/1
 Backstage from 20/1 down to 14/1

William Hill

The Midnight Club down to 10/1
Backstage    12/1
Oscar Time down to 12/1
What A Friend    12/1

VCBet

The Midnight Club    10/1 (No change)
What A Friend    11/1
Big Fella Thanks    12/1 (No change)
Backstage down to12/1

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[blueday]

A quick update. 

Betfair are offering the best odds for the Grand National of all the popular sportsbooks:

THE MIDNIGHT CLUB    10.45 / 189/20
WHAT A FRIEND    13.78 /  639/50
BACKSTAGE    13.78 / 639/50
OSCAR TIME 15.68 /  367/25
BALLABRIGGS 15.68  /   367/25

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[blueday]

Today is the day for the biggest race of the year and I've been doing a bit of nosing around at my favourite tipster who shall remain nameless.

The horse that this tipster has picked is Bluesea Cracker and here are the prices at some of the bookies:

Paddy Power

Don't Push It 8/1 (fav)
Bluesea Cracker 20/1

William Hill

Don't Push It 10/1 (Joint Fav)
Midnight Club 10/1 (Joint Fav)
Bluesea Cracker 20/1

VCBet (Paying 6 places!)

Don't Push It 9/1
Bluesea Cracker 22/1

Whichever horse you pick, I wish you luck.  

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[blueday]

Result:

1 Ballabriggs 14/1
2 Oscar Time 14/1
3 Don’t Push It 9/1
4 State of Play – 28/1
5 Niche Market – 16/1

Two fences were withdrawn from the race on the 2nd lap as one horse was fatally injured at each of the two fences.  Very sad news that two horses lost their lives in this race.

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[Feelin froggy]

The tragic deaths of two horses took place at Saturday's event. Here's the story....



Safety is being reviewed at the Grand National after two horses died after the race due to the searing heat and hard ground.

Even the winning horse Ballabriggs was too tired to be ridden into the winner's enclosure after completing the race in just nine minutes and one second, the second fastest ever. He was taken straight to his stables.

Protest group Animal Aid has called for the event to be banned, saying it is "on a par with Spanish bullfighting".

The incredible speed at which the horses race increases the chance of injuries.

Only 19 out of the 40 horses competing actually finished the race, with some falling, others unseating their riders and others being brought down by other fallers.

Ornais was one of the horses that died, falling at the fourth fence and breaking its neck. Dooneys Gate fell at the sixth, breaking his back.

Winning horse Ballabriggs had to be given oxygen and cooled down with water after the race. Rider Jason Maguire had to enter the winner's enclosure on foot.

Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler said: "When horses are killed at the Grand National meeting, their deaths are not accidents but entirely predictable. The public has been conned into believing that the Grand National is a great sporting spectacle when, in reality, it is straightforward animal abuse that is on a par with Spanish bullfighting."

The BBC was also condemned by animal rights groups after its commentator Mick Fitzgerald described the dead horses as "obstacles".

"When a horse gets hurt, everyone is deeply upset," said Julian Thick, managing director of Aintree racecourse.

"Safety is the first priority for the organisers of the Grand National meeting and we will redouble our efforts to make sure that everyone involved in the event – the horses, the jockeys, the spectators – is able to participate in safety and comfort."

Source: TNTMagazine.com

[orren]

I had never heard of this event before you first posted about it. I thought the video you had linked was amazing...

But this is terrible. Horses dying??? Is this a common occurrence for this sporting event?

[blueday]

I had never heard of this event before you first posted about it. I thought the video you had linked was amazing...

But this is terrible. Horses dying??? Is this a common occurrence for this sporting event?

Yes it is sadly.  It's the toughest steeplechase of them all and the fences can be low on the side they jump from and have a huge larger drop on the other side (and vice versa) which the horse cannot of course see. 

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