2019 Aintree Grand National Odds and Betting Preview

With a line up of forty runners, thirty fences to overcome and almost four and a half miles to navigate, the greatest steeplechase in jumps racing cannot be considered as the easiest task to pick a winner. However, this is the Aintree Grand National. This is the race that stops a nation, with once a year gamblers trudging out of their homes to local betting shops and placing wagers on a lucky number, a favourite name, or perhaps even the most striking colours to be worn by the jockey.

However, for the more interested supporters of National Hunt racing, the groundwork will have already been done in weighing up potential winners of the most prestigious prize in the jumps calendar.

From a betting perspective, the National is one of the most difficult races in the calendar to make money from. 40 possible winners make it into a very tough race to predict, but most bookmakers now pay six places for each way bets instead of four in days gone by, to offer more opportunity of a return for the punter.

A piece of sound advice is to get your bets on early in the day, if punting on the Saturday. The bookmakers always shorten up the prices of the leading contenders in the few minutes up to the race beginning at 17:15 GMT, so get your bets on early for the best morning prices on your selections.

For those who are a little behind in their research, here below are some of the possible winners ahead of the Aintree showpiece, many of whom have already performed with credit so far this season.

Repeat Bid for Tiger?

Tiger Roll

The obvious starting point for this race is last year’s winner, Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott. Following the then eight year old’s success in the 2018 renewal, everything has been geared towards a repeat bid on Saturday afternoon.

The current best odds on Tiger Roll are a prohibitively short 4/1 with William Hill and 888 Sport. The Irish raider is highly likely to go off the shortest priced favourite in the race since Poethlyn in 1919; has a horse won at such short odds?

So, here’s the important bit: Will Tiger Roll win? Of the three runs that the Gigginstown House Stud star has encountered this season, Tiger Roll has won twice, and none more impressive than taking the Cross Country event at the Cheltenham Festival last month. It is fair to suggest that the nine year old is in the form of its life, however, Tiger Roll must carry an extra five pounds this year and was tiring badly at the finish of the event twelve months ago. The price is just too short for any bet to be involved at this stage, and is confidently passed on.

Other Leading Hopes

A trio of potential winners look to come from the likes of Rathvinden, Vintage Clouds and Joe Farrell.

Firstly, Rathvinden is likely to be the mount of leading jockey, Ruby Walsh for this race and he claimed the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse back in February, which is a leading trial for the Grand National over the Irish Sea. The 11 year old should have zero stamina issues after winning last season’s National Hunt Chase over four miles at the Cheltenham Festival and looks to be a solid candidate at a generally available price of 10/1.

Vintage Clouds was tipped up in last season’s Grand National preview, to sadly miss the cut of forty runners. Sue Smith’s charge has made the grade this season, and he will take his chance over the marathon trip. Vintage Clouds was seen to good effect in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month in finishing second to Beware The Bear – Lake View Lad was behind in third – and will relish the expected good to soft conditions underfoot. The nine year old can be backed at the best industry odds of 14/1 with Ladbrokes and 888Sport.

Rebecca Curtis has had several horses with chances in the Grand National in recent years, and perhaps Joe Farrell could be her most successful runner, provided the ten year old makes the final forty runners. Currently 42nd in line, Joe Farrell needs two horses not to declare in the final declarations on Thursday to get into the line-up on Saturday afternoon.

Curtis has been incredibly bullish about her horses’ chances in recent days, and with that confidence, has seen plenty of market support. As short as 20/1 with Ladbrokes and SportingBet, if you must back Joe Farrell before the day of the race, then please wager with a bookmaker, who offers the non runner, no bet option.

Lively Outsiders

Gordon Elliott

Another trio of potential winners could come from the likes of Mall Dini, Jury Duty and Ramses De Teillee.

Mall Dini comes from the same stable as the 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup pre-race favourite, Presenting Percy. Patrick Kelly knows how to ready a horse for the big day, as Mall Dini win at the 2016 Pertemps Final at Cheltenham suggests. The horse was kept away from Cheltenham this season and a light campaign could come to some fruition at a generally available 20/1.

Jury Duty is another hope of the Gordon Elliott stable, and will be ridden by former National winning jockey, Robbie Power. Jury Duty has been highly active this season with five runs already, and he has won his last two starts – most notably the $200k Grand National Hurdle Stakes at Far Hills in the USA. This is an obvious step-up in distance from that victory over two miles and five furlongs, but Jury Duty could make his presence felt here at 25/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral.

Ramses De Teillee is one of two chances for David Pipe in the race, and he will be ridden by David Noonan. Following a lean period for the stable, the yard has had five winners, and seven second placed efforts within the last ten days to suggest this improving seven year old should be under consideration at the general odds of 25/1.

Conclusion

It is possible to make cases for several other horses that I failed to mention within this preview, however, these are the horses which I believe are likely to run well in the big race. If I was pushed to offer main selections for the race, I would select Rathvinden for the win and Ramses De Teillee for place money.

Do not be fearful of placing smaller bets on several horses in the race. A scattergun approach is more advisable rather than placing one larger bet on a horse that could easily be brought down by a loose horse in the blink of an eye. It is very difficult to pick the winner of this race every year, but hopefully we have pointed you in the right direction on this occasion.

Best Bets:

• Rathvinden to win the 2019 Aintree Grand National at 10/1 with William Hill
• Ramses De Teillee (each way) at 25/1 with 10Bet