The Grand National

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Anyone do a bet on the horses at Aintree today? Not sure what it's like in the rest of the country, but on Merseyside it's an annual tradition to choose a few horses, even for those who'd never go near a bookies any other day of the year - hence the "helpers" that the betting shops employ on such days.

Thought I was onto a winner this year, with Santa's Son in first place for most of the race (at 100 to 1!) until he was pulled up at the 27th fence. My other horse, BecauseIcouldn'tsee, fell at the second fence. Still, the sun was out, spent the day in the garden with the telly on indoors. All fun enough really.

[markopoloman]

Did a sweepstake at the club...........


and my horse won


£40 for £1 seems good to me

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Congratulations

There was a group of people who did a tri-bet or something (predicting the first, second and third horses), and £1 got them around £1900. Would've been nice.

[The Mask Seller]

A young girl told me today that she'd won the National, I was surprised she was staggering around Bartley Green swigging out of a can of Carling as opposed to lording it up in the winner's enclosure.

[sscott]

My horse 'Character building' finished 15th, I had a pound each way on that lazy horse!
Still, it did finish.

[Matt_B]

The last time I put a bet on the National the horse fell badly and needed to be put down.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Yeah, two of them had to be put down yesterday. For the first time ever it seems they were killed instantly, as on the second lap they had to follow a diversion and you could see the dead horse on the other side of the avoided fence.

[Frank Chickens]

Won £200 on the national, had a £10 each way bet on Sarah Jessica Parker.

[Shinobi]

Bet £1 each on five Horses both ways and three of them came in 1st - 4th place.. Not sure how much i won till my neighbor comes over after, also did a random one in work'

[The_Pope]

I'd never watched it before but was really rather repulsed - something like 3 fallers in 4 fences and I think two dead horses by the end of it all!?!

[djcarlos]

I got second place in the work sweepstake....fiver!

[thingonaspring]

My horse 'Character building' finished 15th, I had a pound each way on that lazy horse!
Still, it did finish.

that's who i got on my office sweepstake. ho hum.

[lanky316]

Backed Ballabriggs in about September at 33/1 so ended up being a nice little earner this year! The second casualty (Dooner Gate?) was particularly nasty as it was landed on by the chasing pack so there's nothing anyone could do about that, the second worst accident over the last couple of months I've seen at racing. It's something that's hard to avoid with that many runners and such glorious weather. Great for us but it left the ground harder than you'd like, and also meant they were travelling faster.

They try and water the track so that in the event of a faller it's a softer landing but in that heat it dries out. Hopefully they can come up with a sprinkler system of some sort that can refresh between races, won't stop external heat but at least it'd get some protection. Next step would be a smaller field but when you consider the number of races, every day over the course of a year chances are that there will be some accidents. Worst thing is with the hype and attention on the National it's probably the worst one to have any think like that happen as people get a false perspective on what the sports really like.

[boggyb68]

My mum read through the Riders in the paper about an hour to go.. said I like the name Ballabriggs as it sounds similar to a town in Ireland near where she is from.. I said well go and back it then...

An hour or so later I hear shouting from the dining room.. the bloody thing only went and won.. did she back it.. whatta you think??!!?!?!

B.

[psj3809]

I'd never watched it before but was really rather repulsed - something like 3 fallers in 4 fences and I think two dead horses by the end of it all!?!

I know thats the reason i wont watch it. The thing is if all the jumps were lower people would still bet millions, they bet tons on the National as each way are places 1-5 , not because the jumps are so high and every year a few horses get shot and killed.

Saying that my mates dad gave me a 'great' tip, had £50 each way on it, could have won 950 quid but just missed out. Oh well win some lose some (still gutted though;)