Grand National Preview

The Grand National appears especially competitive this year. This is not good new as I backed the SP of the favourite to be 5-1 or less on 14.02.07 (4pts)

(http://kickingbets.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html)!

As the ground has softened, I've watched my AntePost fancy Mckelvey be backed into 16-1 (without taking the 50-1, 2 weeks ago). Damm. At the prices now, of the leading contenders you can make strong case for the following:

Point Barrow
Hedgehunter
Mckelvey
Billyvoddan
Dun Doire
Bewleys Berry
Monkerhostin

For this reason, rarher than an outright or E/W bet, I've looked for a bigger price horse to make a place. (Typiclly, bigger priced horses don't actually win the race.)

William Hill have some generous 'place only' prices and I've had 2pts on Thisthatandtother to make the first 4. He has a touch of class about him and the 28/1 is more than fair to make a place. The conventional thinking is that he won't stay (which is possiblly true) but I'd say he was simply unproven over the National trip. Nicholls thinks the 100-1 outright is an insult.

My bet of the race is not in the outright market, but a Skybet special. They make Idle Talk 10-1 to Pull Up. This is a great price - I'd make it substantially shorter. I'd have had 4pst on this but Skybet have restricted me to 1pt. Many horses pull up in the National and Idle Talk did on his last visit to Aintree.

Good Luck All!