Grand National Betting & Trading Tips
If you want to add more science and are prepared to dig around in the form lines, some things have worked pretty well at the Grand National. Here is a list of the key characteristics.
Key Betting Trends
Picking a winner is notoriously tricky, so it’s often better to use a strategy like Dutching to capture value by covering more than one selection.
It’s often easier to omit horses much less likely to win. You need a bit of luck to capture a winner, but omitting those that don’t have favourable trends is an easy way to improve your chances.
The key here is what previous winners have in common that can help you pick a winner.
- Age 8–11: Optimal age range for winners.
- Weight : Carrying between 10st 6lb and 11st.
- Official Rating : Around 140-160
- Seasonal Runs: At least three runs in the current season.
- Recent Form: Placed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in their last outing.
- Stamina: Proven performance over distances of 3 miles or more.
- Trainer GN: Trainer with past Grand National success.
- Jockey Exp.: Jockey with experience in the Grand National.
Betfair trading trends
The Grand National is one of the biggest races of the year. It will match many millions over the course of the day, which is key to trading it.
Because so much money is being traded, it is possible to trade it for most of the day. As a competitive handicap race, the market tends to move slowly and often not at all.
There will be significant amounts of money up and down your trading ladder, meaning it will take a long time to get matched. But as with most races, the volume picks up in the run into the big race itself.
When that prior race finishes at Aintree, the money will really start to fly in. The race begins at 16:00 now in comparison to 17:00 in previous years. However, the following graph will give you a measure of how that volume arrives and when it may suit your trading style.
Keep your eye on the TV and Radio
While a very competitive handicap will produce slow-moving markets and favour scalping-style strategies, there is always a news story that develops, a housewife’s favourite.
Pre-off trading is all about emotion and opinion, so stories around the Grand National will always generate betting interest and pull in the price of a runner.
Keep your eyes open for which horse is getting the most coverage, and watch the volumes on individual runners to get a clue as to how that’s affecting the market.
I discussed this in this video, so it’s worth a listen as it’s well explained.
Biggest race of the year
The Grand National is consistently a big market for me. I trade more on this race than most other races during the year, and it’s consistently produced good results for me.
I will make more from other opportunities throughout the year, but these tend to be opportunistic.
If I had to name one race I would trade profitability consistently, it would be the Grand National. That’s what I’ll be aiming for again this year.
