PICKING THE WINNER of the Aintree Grand National is difficult at the best of times, even for the self-professed horse racing experts.
Run over nearly four-and-a-half gruelling miles with 30 fences standing between 40 horses and a first prize valued at almost £550,000, it’s easy to see why many punters would rather throw their couple of pound on the lotto numbers than on a horse.
Still the race has a special place in the sporting calendar and there are plenty of casual fans who will have a small flutter and then tune in this afternoon to see how their fancy gets on.
Rather than attempt any sort of scientific analysis — that would only end in tears — we’ve pulled together a few helpful hints that could help you pick the winner. They always seemed to work for the granny, at any rate.
1. The name
Rule number one: always back a horse with your name in it. If your name is Alan, imagine the scene in the pub tonight when Weird Al hacks up and all of your drinking buddies presume that you must have backed it: “It’s got the same name as you!”
Here are the “name” horses in this year’s field:
- Weird Al
- Roberto Goldback
- Forpadytheplasterer
- Oscar Time
- Swing Bill
- Rare Bob
- Harry the Viking
2. The greys
There are people out there who love backing grey horses, particularly in the Grand National. Why? Well they’re beautiful animals and they’re easy to pick out in a crowd… but here’s the thing: a grey horse has only won on three occasions, including last year when Neptune Collonges crossed the line in front.
Here are this year’s contenders, grey fans:
- Quel Esprit
- Swing Bill
- Chicago Grey
- Tarquinius
3. The Irish
The patriots in rose-tinted glasses will always look for an Irish contender to lump on and there’s no shortage in this year’s field with 13 of the 40 horses saddled by Irish trainers. Be warned though — the last time an Irish-trained horse won was Gordon Elliott’s Silver Birch in 2007, although that did complete a run of three straight wins for the boys in green.
Here are the Irish chances this time:
- Willie Mullins: Quel Esprit, On His Own, Quiscover Fontaine
- Ted Walsh: Seabass, Colbert Station
- Tom Cooper: Forpadytheplasterer
- Paul Nolan: Joncol
- Tom Taaffe: Treacle, Ninetieth Minute
- Gordon Elliott: Chicago Grey, Tarquinius
- Dessie Hughes: Rare Bob
- Noel Glynn: Becauseicouldntsee
4. The ladies
Charlotte Brew made history back in 1977 when she became the first lady to ride in the Grand National, but no female jockey has ever won the race. The best-ever finish came last year when Katie Walsh partnered Seabass, trained by her father Ted, into an excellent third place.
Walsh is the only female jockey in this year’s field, teaming up with Seabass again. Could she make history?
- Seabass (Katie Walsh)
5. The jockey
Some people prefer to back their favourite jockey rather than the horse underneath him — and sometimes it pays dividends. Barry Geraghty, AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh (twice) and Paul Carberry have all won the race in the past so they know what it takes to get the job done.
Or maybe it will be the turn of one of the new kids on the block like young Kerryman Bryan Cooper who rode his first Cheltenham Festival winners last month and has already been in the winner’s enclosure at Aintree this week.
- Roberto Goldback (Barry Geraghty)
- Colbert Station (AP McCoy)
- On His Own (Ruby Walsh)
- Chicago Grey (Paul Carberry)
- Rare Bob (Bryan Cooper)
So it’s okay for this arrogant git to call Newcastle ‘a wee club’, but he got his jocks in a knot when Benitez called Everton a small club. Oh, the hypocrisy……
Well in all fairness everton have been in top flight football for 109 years and won 9 titles Newcastle have not won anything in 50 years, sunderland have won more than Newcastle in that time
The point I was making is that when Benitez said that he thought Everton were a small club, Ferguson was one of the first to voice his outrage at Rafa’s comments. However, he considers it perfectly alright to say the same thing about Newcastle, and fully expects to have nothing said about his comments.
Everton have won the league a couple of times in the last thirty years and what have Newcastle achieved? A Championship title?
Also Everton have never once been relegated from top flight football.
Plus the fact that Sir Alex was having a pop at the then LiverFool manager. United and LiverFool managers will take a pop at each other over anything. Which is great.
Thanks to Hans Segers!!!
I support neither of those clubs, but is definitely support Newcastle over a side full of glory hunting supporters. You find UTD supporters world wide, half of them still think Ronaldo is still in the squad.
Anyone but United!!!
Dont paint us all with the one brush. I was born into a family with heavy support for United from way back to when they were nowhere near as good as now. We’re not ALL gloryhunters. Also, Fergie should not be fired! The man knows what he does, he knows what hes talking about and hes just brilliant. Stick to what you know..
Well Sir Alex didn’t hold back on painting Newcastle with the 1 brush.
that doesn’t even make sense Dodge…
To support a team properly takes more than buying the new kit and watching match of the day, which is what you find most united supporters are.
let me guess to be a real supporter you have to be calling for the managers head after a bad game and use the word ‘us’ when referring to the club
@ Pilib. If man utd fans don’t support their club properly they why do they fill a stadium with 75,000+ fans every home game??
No no that’s Liverpool ur thinking about
Dodge you sound jealous of Utd’s success. Pipe down you clown
Liverpool supporters are so easy to pick out by what they are saying.Get over it lads,Liverpool were great 30 years ago,they are not anymore.The envy and jealousy against us is hilarious.We get it,Liverpool are not up to United’s standards.Liverpool are a mid table team,just accept it and start a rivalry with Stoke or something,more suited to your standard in the league.GGMU!!!
The circle… Remember it…. Great teams have been relegated…. Denis law…..
brillant
Ferguson should be fired.
Fired for what.
look at any premier league match any weekend and you’ll see the manager out on the touchline giving out to the ref. is it wrong. yes. but to single out fergi is just Man U bashing.
Di matteo and a few chelsea players went into clatterburgs dressing room and there was very little about that.
because he’s a spanner.
Idiotic comment. Pardew is a hypocrite.
Hey, that’s what fergie said! Someone should be fired over this! Too many handbags flying around here!!
Actually Chelsea and mikel were both fined… Don’t think a manager has the right to walk on to the pitch to the ref. if it was any other manager they’d have been sanctioned by now.
Horrid man.
@ Martin Alex Ferguson has been punished more than any other manager in English football.
His high profile makes him both more vulnerable to media circuses and strangely offers protection as well. But he is definitely right about getting more attention than other managers. Pardew “ranted” at the officials when the linesman originally flagged for offside. They all do it, we could be here all day with examples of managers hassling the officials.
He is 100% correct. They are a wee club when compared to the might of Man Utd. GGMU.
Pardew a hypocrite?
The biggest one around is that horrible, bitter, twisted old git – rednose fergie himself.
Horrible!
Not a Man Utd Fan but Pardew should just walk away now. He is not going to win this war of words with Ferguson. Ferguson is an expert at this sort of banter.
He’s not an ‘expert’ at this sort of banter, it’s just that the media put a spin on his words that make him sound like some sort of wordsmith which he certainly is not.
Yea, fergie has mastered it, but also around long enough to not give a shit about repercussions, whether he was right or wrong. Also, when media argues back, he simply boycotts them. Even Man U hierarchy afraid of him. He is irreplaceable. Can Man U replace him successfully? He has a aura about him that few ever have. Anyone who stood up to him is long gone…..from an LFC fan…. Hoping BR s given long enough to exert his philosophy… You do not need a big name coach, you need down to earth smarts….
@Graham
i totally agree and will go further. fergi mouths off on purpose. Look at when he does mouth off. Its either when his team are playing badly or when he feels there are under pressure. he diverts the media attention away from his players and onto him. where are the articles about how bad utd’d defense is, or whats up with rooney. no where. all the media, and pressure is on fergi.
oh and i actually think the ref got the decision right.
The ref could have been killed !!!
Biggest club in the world? Eh, yeah right! Barcelona and Real Madrid might have something to say about that.
Yes. Biggest club in the world by far. Fact, as a former Liverpool tw*t would say.
They are the biggest club in the world, as for your argument about it being barca or real well just look at the league there in its a two horse race the English title is watched more closely than any other world wide Spain is the 3 rd best behind Germany
Spain as third best? Check the corresponding UEFA co-efficient. Check the performances of Spanish clubs in the Champions League and Europa League.
The Bundesliga is the most fan friendly league, but it isn’t better than La Liga on the pitch yet.
I completely disagree German football is much better to watch and I’m not talking about euro football that had biting to do with my comment I’m talking about each league as individual
You may find it more entertaining. Nevertheless, the Spanish league is clearly stronger. Perhaps you should have made it clearer you were speaking about your personal preferences. If I could choose any league in Europe to attend weekly, it would be the Bundesliga. But La Liga is clearly home to the best players and teams.
Regardless of the ‘personalities’ involved, harassing a referee should result in a red card ad a walk of shame to the stands. Fergie thinks to highly of himself.
The ref did not feel he was abused, should we just keep all the managers in the locker room from now on for dear of them showing emotion
Whoever seen the game on Wednesday should have seen that Mike Dean was in no position to overrule his linesman. Cisse was offside and interfering with play. If Cisse wasn’t there, Evans would have not made the attempted clearance. With regards to Ferguson, his outburst would have landed any other manager in hot water, I suspect he (Dean) didn’t include Ferguson in the match report as he seen he made an error overruling his linesman. I don’t think the ref should have to include a person in his match report for them to be punished. With regards to the ‘Wee Club’ comment, it’s just tit for tat, Ferguson is top dog in the league and won’t let any perceived insults go unanswered.
Only Mourinho could match oul blue nose ferguson for the mind games.
Go on Fergie, let them have it! What a legend. All the haters will actually miss him when he’s gone, by the way!
Not just the haters…. Love him or hate him, he’s a character…. And I like a coach who sticks up for his team and throws himself under the bus when needed, then tells players like nanny what he thinks of them… Primma donnas! Need more of this…. Previous Liverpool managers would have given sterling big bucks too soon…. Like the way Rodgers has told him to earn it n the field….. Also fergie really wanted van nistelroy…. Did what it took…. What’s wrong with looking out for your club??? I do not like Man U… But this is football.. Our religion….
Everyone knows that the FA stands for the ferguson association. The head of the fa is a chairman on UnitedHealth board. It’s completly corrupt in favour of united. Everyone knows it.
Dumbest comment of the day so far. If you knew anything about football you would know the fa are far harder on united than any other club with dozens of incidents to prove it.
David Gill, United’s Chief Executive, is indeed on the FA board. As is Phil Gartside (Chairman of Bolton) and Anthony Kleanthous (Chairman of Barnet). I guess the FA is corrupt in favour of Barnet and Bolton too?
David Gill is also vice-Chairman of the FA. When this was announced a couple of months ago, ABUs went into overdrive. They did however forget that in the early 00s, David Dein, then Chief Executive of Arsenal, held the same position. What I’m trying to say is that it is normal for clubs’ chairpersons and chief executives to sit on the FA board and does nothing to prove your argument.
Indeed, the current chairman of the FA, David Bernstein, was chairman of Manchester City in the 90s.
But don’t let the facts get in the way of your rather wonderful argument, Martin Mac.
@Conor: Funny how Martin has yet to respond to your post. Tinfoil hat folks like him don’t seem to like documented facts. Another interesting fact is how Ferguson has served more touch line bans than any other manager.
What a hypocrite, he criticised Rafa Benitez for saying the same thing about Everton a few years ago.
He can’t speak English anyway!
Don’t know what the fuss is all about!
Vintage Fergie. I like Pardew but he’s a more gobby fecker than big Al. The reaction by some people on this go on like these type of decisions and managers having a go at each other doesn’t happen regularly. Don’t worry folks, League of Ireland is only a few months away!
FACTS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MAN-UTD AND CORRUPT FA::::::::::::::
1. Mike Dean, referee, when Blackburn beat Utd 2-3, hasn’t refereed a Man-Utd game since. FACT
2. Mike Dean – referee, in 2010, after Man-Utd’s defeat to Chelsea, was demoted t…o the Championship. FACT
3. Wiley, called “fat and unfit” by Alex after Man-Utd’s draw with Sunderland,”agreed to retire” that season. FACT
4. Mark Clattenbu…
rg (1-6 to City)hasn’t refereed a single Man- United game after that Manchester derby. (has
acted as 4th official in 3) FACT
5. Martin Atkinson – Involved in Man-Utd’s defeat to Chelsea, criticized by Alex, hasn’t refereed Utd since. FACT
6. Ex ref Jeff Winter openly stating that he hadn’t been given a Unitedgame for 2 years after sending Keane off. FACT
7. Howard Webb has been United’s most used referee since the defeat to Manchester City. FACT
8. More than 18% of the penalties Webb has awarded in his 8 year career have been to United. FACT
9. United’s CEO is on the board of the English FA. (Just in case the refs don’t do their ‘jobs’.) FACT
10. FA reacts to Ferguson’s criticisms by only appointing referees he approves of. FACT.
11.Wigan manager Martinez handed £10,000 fine for Old Trafford outburst over Danny Welbeck controversial penalty (DIVING)
Ferguson not happy with Chris Foy, Foy referees a League Two game. something he hasn’t done since the 2001-02 season.PURE COLD HARD FACTS !!!
Ah ffs, get a life will ya? Any ‘facts’ about the moon landing or the twin towers………..
#yawn
Ehhh, wasn’t clattenburg refereeing united n Chelsea game, so if you can get that obvious one wrong what about the rest of your so called facts..
Oh dear god. So many inaccuracies here but I’ll just mention the most obvious one. Mark Clattenburg officiated the match at Stamford Bridge only a couple of months back.
Idiotic comment. It seems the ABU’S have resorted to lying.
But if you say those ‘faccccccts’ in the voice of a Fat Spanish Waiter they suddenly seem true!!!
ah, Mike Dean reffed the game on Wed.
This tripe has been generated off the LFC forums. Been around the block for many years with a certain slant of non facts. Already two posters have shown the facts in correct.
Take a chill pill ferguson at your age try relax ffs
It’s funny how the same people supporting Man Utd are on here knocking Rory McIlroy for being British.
Not one of them is worth the money they get the sooner the banks call in the debt the better.then we will see who gets support when the clubs ask the fans to pay up and players to take the cut the wages ,or the club closes.
Well if they do that they bye bye to Chelsea man city and Liverpool, united would have no problem surviving beside the owners debt burden united far out earn every team in the world
Im not a united fan but I absolutely love fergies wind ups, he’s brilliant.
The only one that he could never take to pieces was Jose. He basically retired Keggy, made Rafa a comedy figure, aged Wenger about 20 years etc
He’s passionate, clever and great value and will be sorely missed when the robots like Rodgers etc take over
Regardless of his comments on Newcastle Ferguson should be arrested for attempted murder. He could have killed Mike Dean.
The ultimate fail of that comment!!
I was worried Pardew was trying to become one of those slimy managerial buddies of Sir Alex like Allardyce and Pullis(old Taggart gets on well with the long-ball merchants doesnt he). Good on him but I do worry for Newcastle the next time they get Howard Webb. As for being a wee club in the North East at least they have a good local support and dont need to fill their stadium with Tourists and mobs of Fianna Fail showoffs flyin over from this kip.
.
So once again Lord Ferg just does what he likes and the footballing authorities sit on their hands, as they did over his previous refusal to speak to the BBC.
For Dean not to mention the Manchester United boss’s antics because he didn’t shout or swear at him is to completely miss the point of what he succeeded in doing; getting in the face of all four officials and in particular the linesman on that side of the pitch, who looked unnerved by the affair – and left unprotected by the fourth official.
Watch the footage again, as Ferguson deliberately seeks out the match officials in turn and succeeds in halting the start of the second half until he completes his elongated complaint. This wasn’t done in the heat of the moment, it was over 30 minutes after the original incident.
Either Ferguson came up with this course of action himself – or someone else did during the half time break and suggested it to him. Deliberate and pre-meditated – with Dean’s omission seemingly confirming he’s been had over, or that his bosses didn’t want him to pursue this.
Larry you fool…. Every manager every week seeks out the ref to have a few words with them… Why pick on fergie
Ah now, Larry had 4 paragraphs and that was your best comeback? A wee bit more would have been nice….
@ Ray Dempsey, most managers have a few words occasionally with officials, but actively stalking and harassing every official 30 mins after a decision, is a new low,
@ larry. Open your eyes… It happens every week
@ Larry. Alex Ferguson has been punished by the FA more than any other manager. This is a documented fact.
As for the other topics, other managers have blatantly done the same thing time and again. This incident happened as the teams emerged for the second half. It would have been the first opportunity since he saw a replay at half time.
He was wrong, but he is far from the only person to do it in football. Look at Pardew’s reaction to the initial offside decision.
Nice reply Fergie! That will teach Pardew not to rant on about you!
We’ll do what we want, we’ll do what we want, we are UNITED and we’ll do what we want !
All football managers are hypocrits at some point, fergie has been around so long that he has more examples of it flying around.
A shit sport… Diving is the biggest skill in the game now & refs giving penalties for minimal contact. It’s hard to watch
Don’t watch it then
This thread is so funny.
It’s absolutely hilarious!! United fan for about 25 years now and I don’t get involved with this anymore. No point, only ever one winner and ill give everyone a clue. His first name is Alex!!
A wee small club from the north east, anyone with half a brain knows its not true. 55,000 people week in week out. Fergie is the best wind-up merchant in the world!
It will be a sad day for football when he’s finished.
It’s funny how the second a decision goes against united all were hearing about on tv is how vague the rules are and “it’s time for change”.
Whatever happened to the old “it was a tough decision for the ref” that players like Suarez have had to listen to from commentators nearly every week this season.
Are you genuinely saying that decisions don’t go against United? All teams get incorrect decisions for and against them. I could be hear all day listing examples for every single club. Don’t write such embarrassing, tinfoil hat nonsense.
To answer your question, no.
Read my comment again before you start with the usual insulting comebacks
Ferguson, 2009: “Everton are a big club, not a small one which Benitez arrogantly said.”
Hypocrite of the highest order and it galls me he gets away with on a regular basis.
get away with it? so do you feel there should be some sort of punishment for hypocrisy?
Haha owned!!!
Its all pantomime soap opera crap
“Pantomine soap opera crap” that’s watched by over a billion people worldwide and played in every country in the world. But if John Cash says it’s shit, he simply must be right.
It’s a soap opera. Soccer is a meaningless past time if you really think about. A billion people watch xfactor type shows, it doesn’t make them anymore worthwhile.
Life is also meaningless past time when you think about it. But it is an enjoyable one. As is football, so there’s no need to shit all over it.
Soap operas are enjoyable Conor. Life is what you make it.
Forever the hypoctite, Ferguson!!
Most people haven’t copped his van persie could have been killed statement was a wind up too, nobody seemed to talk about the actual result after that which is just what fergie wanted, the man is a genius
?What is a club in any case?
Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.
It?s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes.
It?s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city.
It?s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father?s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.?
Sir Bobby Robson
The last time ferguson lost was when he took on two Irish guys McManus & Desmond – got his comeuppance there and then !!! Obnoxious little man
are you sure you have the two correct lads there, I think Magner was involved and not McManus but I could be wrong
Rock of Gibraltar was the horse – Maybe McManus & Magnier – yep think that’s it!
Fu fergie ur only a tit
Fergie should know better than to say something like that. He’s gone down in my estimation. He has the experience not to be drawn into something like this. And some comments from united fans here are so arrogant
Anybody not supporting FC Barcelona should be considered a loser.
Glory hunter !
They will sink once current players move on…that is a once in a lifetime team….
Said that in 1996!!
Incredible how after villa and Sunderland the comments section were very quite of LFC fans bar a small few. Yet a comment from fergie brings them out like flies.
It’s says a lot.
Fergie didn’t need to make the comment, that said if anyone heard the interview they would soon see how it was chipped and pieced together to make it sound a lot worse.
Sounds like a lot of people here have played a lot of football and won a lot of titles!
A1-88 .PEOPLE LIKE YOu never cease to amaze me man utd won 19 league titles coz they are simply good u can go on gloat about the corrupt FA as you say,but this is a cold hard fact