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The Grand National is such a famous race that there are loads of interesting stories surrounding the race.
It is a popular event with punters who like to have a flutter on the Aintree race and as such there have been a number of examples of people winning big at the event, as well as the more unusual variety of bets.
Since 1970 only six favourites have won: Grittar in 1982, Rough Quest in 1996, Earth Summit in 1998, Hedgehunter in 2005, Comply or Die in 2008 and Don’t Push It in 2010.
And in contrast there have been a number of long shots who have provided a few shocks and there have even been three 100/1 shots have been placed since 1980. In 2009 Mon Mome was priced at 100/1 and went on to win. In the race’s history four 100/1 shots have gone on to win the event.
So with such long shots doing well and the unpredictability of betting on horse racing results, there is the chance to win big money by betting on the Grand National.
In fact one punter won half a million euros in the 2007 race all thanks to wonder horse Silverbirch. The unnamed married man staked his cash on a four horse accumulator and included the Grand National in his bet.
He placed a 20 euro (£17) bet at a betting office in Cork backing Silverbirch at 33/1 for the Grand National, 16/1 Kings Key and 12/1 Al Eile, also at Aintree, on the same day. Once all three had come in he watched his final horse, 10/1 Paymaster General run at Lingfield. And despite the National being so unpredictable, he pocked half a million euros from the accumulator.
It is not just the winning horse that has been bet on, there have also been a series of unusual bets placed in the race’s history.
For example amateur rider Peter Walker, from Blackpool, bet £10 at 1000/1 with William Hill in 1993, when he was 54, that one day he would become the oldest man ever to ride in the National.
In 1993 Judy Higby from St Albans had a premonition that the race wouldn’t be run she tried to place a bet on the fact that it wouldn’t go ahead but her bookie said he’d do her a favour by not taking her money because it couldn’t happen. However, the race was cancelled after a false-start fiasco!
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Allison is the Publisher of Eclipse Magazine. She loves going to the Races and is learning to bet (despite being officially the worst bettor in the History of the Universe), there’s a lot more to learn…
