With the Cricket World Cup only a few weeks away, attention will be firmly on the cricketing world. But while we wait for the cricket to settle down it would be a shame not to bet on other sports as well. One of the most popular sporting events in the UK is undoubtedly the Grand National. The world’s biggest annual horse race is eagerly anticipated by all horse lovers. But it’s not just the races that make this one of the most popular UK sporting events. The whole festival has something for everyone. There are music concerts, comedy festivals, gala dinners, street parties and more all in the name of one big horse race!
The excitement builds steadily throughout the year as we get closer to the big day. But when is the best time to bet on the Grand National? Let’s have a look.
The Early Weeks (Overall)
The best time to bet on the Grand National is obviously in the early weeks, before the race gets too far ahead of the public’s interest. It would be a shame to lay down odds on a horse that eventually comes last or first because the excitement of the race caused other horse-racing fans to back the wrong horse. Backing the wrong horse is frustrating, especially if you’re one of the many punters who had placed a wager on the correct horse in the first place. So make sure you’re familiar with the race’s past performances and decide which horse to back accordingly.
The week before the Grand National is always a busy time for bookmakers. They get bombarded with requests from all corners of the world to adjust odds or place bets. The week before the big race is also known as a ‘quiet’ period as punters try to preserve what little money they have left from the previous week’s big wins. This is why it’s best to wait until at least the third week of April before placing any significant wagers on the Grand National. By then, the excitement of the event will be palpable and there will be no going back. The best tip-off that the excitement is building is the number of people placing bets. The more people who bet on a particular horse, the more chance there is of that horse being favoured to win. If only a small number of people are putting down their bets on a certain horse, there’s probably not much excitement surrounding the event.
The Early Rounds (Each Day)
On the day of the Grand National itself, the excitement will be at its peak. If you’re at all interested in betting, you’ll want to be placing your wagers as soon as possible. Bookmakers will be buzzing with activity, as people try to get their bets in before the close of betting. The longer you wait to lay your bet, the more likely you are to miss out on the action. Even if you do manage to get your bet in before the close, you’ll simply have to wait until the next day to find out if your horse won or lost. So, as a general rule, it’s best to get your bets in early morning, before the lunch break.
Each day leading up to the event is important. While it’s not vital that you follow the daily news stories and reports on the form of each candidate, it is important that you do your research. In each sport, there are always a number of leading contenders. You don’t want to get too distracted by all the talk of a certain horse’s chances of winning. You have to stay focused on the bigger picture. That is, using all your research and knowledge to identify the best horse to back, not the one who happens to be standing in front of you at the moment.
The Final Week (Overall)
The week before the Grand National is a critical one for the contenders. They need to be preparing for an epic battle for supremacy. This is the week where they try to put all their hard work and training sessions to the test. For those who have a good bet placed on them early on in the week, it can be the making or breaking of their year. The week before the big race is also known as the ‘knockout’ week, as the leading horses will be knocking on the doors of the establishment in an effort to impress the bookmakers and impress the public. The closer we get to the last week, the greater the excitement grows. While the excitement is building, the bets are getting more volatile too. This is because bettors are looking for a horse to back, not because they love watching the racing. So make sure you’re prepared for the final sprint!
If you can endure the wait until the third week of April, you’ll be able to catch the excitement of the greatest sporting event in the UK. Make sure you’re there on the big day. You can take the opportunity to witness some truly historic sporting moments. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll be able to join the celebrations if your horse does indeed win!