Grand National 2021: How can you Bash the Bookies?
We take a look at some of the factors worthy of consideration when hunting for a potential winner in the 2021 Randox Grand National
The Cheltenham Festival has only just passed and we’re already on the verge of another huge horse-racing event, namely the Grand National 2021. The famous steeplechase is just part of a larger festival that takes place over three days, starting on Thursday 8th April 2021. The marathon 40-horse feature race takes place at 5:15pm on Saturday 10th April 2021 and is contested over a distance of around 4 miles 2 furlongs with 30 testing obstacles needing to be negotiated along the way. A measure of just how difficult it is for a horse to win this race is provided by the fact that just two have managed to triumph on more than a single occasion – namely Red Rum in 1973, 1974 and 1977, plus Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019. This also underlines how hard it is to pick a winner!
The Randox Grand National is one of the most thrilling and rewarding races in the world, as well as being one of the richest with a prize purse of £1million. Over half of this goes to the winner of the race, £561,300 in the last renewal in 2019.
Does Age and Weight have a bearing?
Experience is certainly a big factor in determining how a horse will fare in this race and it is something that you should consider. An older runner will probably have been in more longer-distance contests and will have likely featured in more big fields although to be fair this isn’t always the case, there are exceptions. Indeed looking at recent winners of the Grand National, there is a pretty even split between horses over under 10 years and those over 10 years.
Weight is also a big factor, especially when it comes to races with a longer distance. Stamina is extremely important in a marathon race such as the Grand National and it should be noted that six of the last ten winners of the steeplechase have been carrying no more than 11 stone.
How important is distance?
Clearly you should know the distance that your choice of horse is best over and with this being amongst the most gruelling race in the world, runners which have performed well over long-staying chases are certainly worthy of consideration. If your horse tends to struggle at distances over 3 miles, then they will have little chance of even completing the testing course, let alone going on to actually win. As such you need to make sure that your horse has tons of stamina.
You should also consider horses that have previously completed the Grand National but not won. Many winners in the past have previously appeared in the race but not been placed.
Don’t let big odds put you off
One thing you shouldn’t do is let big odds put you off. Forty horses will be contesting the Grand National and as such, it is unlikely that the favourite will win so rank outsiders shouldn’t be overlooked. Over the past ten renewals, the favourite has won on just two occasions and exactly half of the last ten winners have went off at 25/1 or more. Aurora’s Encore won at 66/1 in 2013 while the Irish Grand National was won by 150/1 shot Freewheelin Dylan just two days ago. Proof if ever any were needed that any horse can win a big race such as this.
