Trainers
across England and Ireland have entered 126 horses for the running of
this year’s Grand National. The long list of entries is the biggest
since 2008, although only a maximum of 40 horses can start the race.
This
year’s race doesn’t just have quantity though, as many have
already commented on the quality of the field. The British
Horseracing Authority's head of handicapping Phil Smith has said that
this is the most competitive field of horses he’s ever had to
handicap for the Grand National. He told his local paper the
Liverpool Echo that he
was impressed with the strength and depth
of this year’s field, saying he struggled who to give the top
weight to. In the end he gave the top weight to last year’s winner
Many Clouds who is 12/1 favourite to win at bookmakers Coral. But
Smith told the Echo that he debated whether to give Don Poli the
heaviest weight instead. As someone who has had to assess the field
of the last 18 Grand Nationals, he is someone who you might want to
get some Grand National Tips off of.
The
packed list of entries for this year’s race means it’s much more
difficult for bookmakers and betting fans to decide which horse will
finish first or even place. Many Clouds isn’t the only previous
winner to be entered into this race, as 2014’s winner Pineua De Re
was also named in the long list of 126. At the moment he has odds of
just 50/1 to win the race on betting site Coral, who as well as
offering odds will have all of the latest news on their blog during
the lead up to their race. As one of the UK’s biggest bookmakers,
their Grand National tips are probably as
close as from the horse's mouth as you'll get
before this year’s big race.
Five
of last year’s six top finishing horses have also been named in the
long list. After last year’s winner Many Clouds, last year’s
fifth place finisher Shutthefrontdoor has the lowest odds of 20/1 on
bookmakers Coral’s site out of last year’s top 6. Second place
finisher Saint Aire has 25/1 odds with Royale Knight and Alvarado
both currently with odds of 33/1 at bookmakers Coral. Unfortunately
last year’s third
place finisher Monbeg Dude
will not start this year’s race due to a tendon injury.
None
of those top six finishers have massively rewarding odds though
compared to some horses at this early stage with weeks before the
start of the race. If you’re looking for some more potentially
lucrative Grand National tips, then there is a lot
of interest in Kruzhlinin
who is currently 33/1 at Coral. Since the weights were announced, a
lot Grand National tips websites have also backed Carlingford Lough
to win the race. His odds dropped to just 25/1 on bookmakers site
Coral when it was announced he’d
be racing just three pounds lighter
than favourite Many Clouds, and they’re likely to drop again before
the race begins.