HELP! THERE ARE 40 RUNNERS – WHERE DO I EVEN START?Don’t worry, there are lots of ways to trim that field down to a more manageable size. Some people use trends – looking at historical results to determine who can and can’t win – while others stick to the form, but if you prefer the easy life you can also just follow a tipster, pick a name you like or throw a dart at the board. The beauty of the National is its unpredictability, so whatever horse you choose should have a squeak, even if it is 100-1.

I’M TAKING A MORE METHODICAL APPROACH – WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN MY NATIONAL CANDIDATE?A National winner should have stamina, so look out for horses who have shown form over staying trips (three miles and upwards). Experience of the unique Aintree fences is also a massive bonus – they are huge obstacles and not all horses will take to them, so backing a horse with previous experience of the National course can be a big boost. In a similar vein,be wary of horses with a record of falling, as they’re unlikely to relish the jumping challengeof Aintree.

HOW MANY HORSES SHOULD I BACK?It depends how much you want to bet, but it’s never a bad idea to have a few horses on your side. The National is a marathon and anything can happen during the race, so backing two, three or even more runners is a good way of hopefully ensuring you have a runner to cheerfor at the finish.

WHERE AND WHEN SHOULD I PLACE MY BET?Try to place your bet in the morning or as early as possible and take a price because as thebig race approaches bookmakers have a tendency to start shortening prices – meaning you’llget worse odds on your fancy. Beyond that, try to shop around and compare prices, as some bookmakers will be a biggerprice about your fancy. Pay attention to place terms if you’re betting each-way – some bookies will pay out on the first five or even six places, while others will onlyoffer four. Betting online is often a better policy than betting in a shop, as firms offer tempting bonuses on their websites and apps (especially for new customers), but then again there is nothing to quite compare with walking out of a betting shop with your pockets full of your winnings.

YOUR GRAND BETTING STRATEGY

TOM KERR

POINTERS FOR FINDING THE WINNER

THE ‘AVERAGE’ NATIONAL WINNER*AGE WEIGHT

CARRIEDSTARTING

PRICEOFFICIALRATING

PREVIOUSCHASERUNS

9.9 YEARS 10ST 12LB 33-1 146 16

BIG‐RACE TRENDSFORM RATING RUNS WEIGHT JOCKEY

The last 10 Grand National winners have all won over at least 3 miles before.

9 of the last 10 winners have been officially rated between 135-157. A negative for Many Clouds.

Look for runners carrying a low weight. 8 of the last 10 runners have carried no more than 11st.

9 of the last 10 winners had between 3 and 6 runs since the start of August.

Leighton Aspell won the race in 2014 and 2015. He rides last year’s winner Many Clouds again this year.

3 +Miles

11st 1lb

*Stats based on the last ten runnings of the Grand National.**The highest rated (or ‘best’) horse in the race is given the highest weight to carry.

**

KEVINMORLEY

AINTREE ONE‐TWO‐THREE

EDQUIGLEY

UNIONISTE

SIR DESCHAMPS

MANY CLOUDS

DAVIDJENNINGS

THE DRUIDS NEPHEW

GALLANT OSCAR

MANY CLOUDS

PAULKEALY

MANY CLOUDS

WONDERFUL CHARM

JUST A PAR

PIETRO INNOCENZI

ONENIGHTINVIENNA

MORNING ASSEMBLY

ROCKY CREEK

FOUR RACING POST EXPERTS SELECT THEIR TRICAST TO FILL THE FIRST THREE GRAND NATIONAL PLACESWhat is a Tricast?A Tricast consists of three selections in the same race and asks you to predict who will come first, second and third in that order.

You can order your Tricast by tapping the arrow next to your selections.

BET WITH YOUR HEAD ON THE GRAND NATIONALTHROUGH THE RACING POST APP

PICK YOUR BOOKIELog in to your existing William Hill, Ladbrokes or Paddy Power account or register by visiting the Accounts tab

NARROW DOWN THE FIELDStudy our new and improved cards withfull career form now available for every horse

GET ON THE WINNEROnce you’ve made your selection, tap the price, input your stake and hit place bet