A First Grand National for Any Second Now on Saturday?
Not since Red Rum in 1974 has any horse carried more than 11-stone nine-pounds to victory in the Grand National. On Saturday, three horses will attempt to break the 49-year-old weight-carrying record. One of these, Any Second Now, is fancied to replicate Red Rum’s feat of winning a Grand National after finishing second in the race the prior year.
Any Second Now jumped the final fence ahead in the 2022 Grand National, but Noble Yeats wore him down on the run to the line. ©GettyImages
Corach Rambler may go off as the big-race favorite. Over the course of the last 70 Grand Nationals, only ten favorites (or joint favorites) have won the grueling marathon. In the same period, more than half of the market principles failed to finish the course. Consequently, Saturday’s favorite – whoever that may be – is one worth opposing.
Why Second’s Grand National Sequence Can Become 3-2-1?
Ironically, Any Second Now started favorite in last year’s race, where he beat all but one rival, the eventual winner, Noble Yeats, by 20 lengths. Twelve months on, and now aged 11, statisticians and historians will rightly argue Any Second Now’s chances of capturing the Grand National crown appear diminished.
11-year-olds may not have a great overall record in the Grand National, but they have supplied three of the last ten winners. Our fancy – available on 14/1 with the horse racing betting sites – has not been over-raced for a horse of his age – winning seven of 32 lifetime starts – and Red Rum won his third National aged 12.
Any Second Now has jumped 60 Grand National fences during his career, as he previously finished an excellent third in the 2021 Grand National. With the excitement of Rachael Blackmore becoming the first female rider to win the famous race, the misfortune of a faller all but ending Any Second Now’s 2021 chance was overlooked by many.
The Irish-trained horse performed miracles to finish eight-and-a-quarter lengths adrift of Minella Times in the contest. The feeling that only an exceptionally well-handicapped horse prevented him from gaining compensation in 2022 cannot be denied, and if there is any justice, Any Second Now will take his Grand National sequence to 3-2-1 on Saturday.
How Can I Watch the 2023 Grand National?
Saturday’s Grand National meeting begins at 1.45 pm. The big race is the penultimate contest on the card and is scheduled to start at 5.15 pm. Subscription channel, Racing TV will broadcast all of the afternoon’s races live.
ITV will show five races including the showpiece contest. Its cameras will swing into action from 2 pm. Live streaming betting sites will also cover the racing, but, unlike the terrestrial broadcaster, interviews and feature packages will not be commonplace with them.
Tickets to the racecourse are sold-out. However, some places are still available at the Embankment. This area offers prime viewing of the first fences of the Grand National Course and boasts bars, catering, big-screen viewing, and betting facilities. Access to the main course is not possible with this ticket option.
Should I Shop Around for Grand National Betting Value?
Each Grand National bookmaker will have different each-way betting terms. Most horse racing betting sites will pay five places for each-way punters. Others will payout for sixth and seventh place. Similarly, some bookmakers will pay one-quarter of the odds and others one-fifth the odds.
So, it is prudent to shop around, not only for favorable each-way terms but also for the best odds. And then there are concessions to consider. ‘Double Result’ – whereby your bet will be paid as a winner regardless of a subsequent disqualification and ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ are all additional benefits of betting with quality online betting sites.
A Grand National Longshot to Consider?
Your horse racing betting strategy may be to simply find a longshot capable of making the frame in the Grand National. Half of the national field is expected to start at 50/1 or greater, and last year’s winner returned at those odds.
Cloudy Glen is one such outsider that might sneak into a place at huge odds on Saturday afternoon. He is trained by Venetia Williams who was responsible for Mon Mome, the 100/1 2009 Grand National victor. This 10-year-old has a similar profile to that memorable winner and should not be discounted.
