What is the best way to pick a horse for the Grand National?

Picking a winner at the Grand National is one of the toughest races to call even for the most experienced punters. Rarely does the race fall as the form guide predicts other than exceptions with true greats such as Red Rum and Tiger Roll. They are outliers in the 183-year history of the Grand National.

Many people will claim to know the best strategies, but is there a way to pick a Grand National winner?

Form Guide

The tried and tested formula is to study the form guide ahead of the Grand National, so when you’re planning your bet on Grand National with Paddy Power, you know who the in-form horses are before the starting guns sound at Aintree Racecourse. There are all sorts of criteria to consider when backing a winner at the National.

Their overall form on the track is important, but there is also their form at Aintree Racecourse, which is fairly unique. If a horse has not competed at Aintree before it can be a detriment. You also need to consider the distance at hand. The National is a step up from usual races being contested over four miles rather than the standard three you would usually see in the National Hunt. If you find a horse that ticks all the right boxes it might be the one to back at Aintree for the main event, although there are no guarantees.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is coming more into the forefront of society and is used in sports betting to help determine the winners of events such as football and horse racing. Rather than you doing the research, AI tools can be used to whittle down the horses with the best chance of winning the National based on select criteria. It’s putting your faith in the hands of technology, which can be a gamble.

Like any using any other AI tool, you don’t know what you’re going to get, but you cannot argue with the logic of the approach, and at the least, it takes your sentiment out of the equation before placing your wager on the National.

Intuition

If the old tried and tested form guide or AI does not do the trick, you can always try your hand at intuition based on your gut instinct. The Grand National has witnessed its fair share of shocks over the years, none more so that the triumphs of 100-1 outsiders Foinavon in 1967 and Mon Mome in 2009. Both horses were considered nowhere near contention by the bookies, but the magic of the Grand National saw both underdogs triumph.

Looking at the list of runners and riders, you may have a gut call about one horse that just stands out for its name, look, jockey, trainer or owner. Based on the recent history of the National it might stand you in better stead than hours of painstaking research because of the unpredictability of the event.