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If you’re still struggling to narrow down the potential winners from the dozens of horses entered into the 2008 Grand National, the following tips will help you to narrow down which of the 40 Grand National runners have a realistic prospect of achieving a show (first, second or third placed finish).
Pay attention to age. Grand National bets on old horses are wasted bets. In the entire history of the Grand National only 12 horses aged 12 and over have won the race. That figure dwindles to three 12 year old winners in the last two decades. Scratching horses over the age of 12 is therefore essential. A good Grand National betting tip for ruling out inexperienced horses is to scratch any horse aged 7 or younger - a 7 year old last won the Grand National in 1940.
Going the distance. One of the most obvious, but often ignored, Grand National betting tips is to scratch horses lacking experience over long distances. The 4 mile 4 furlong distance run at the Grand National is right at the distance limit permitted by the national hunt format. This means it is virtually essential for a horse to have won over at least 3½ miles for it to have the experience and stamina required to win the 2008 Grand National.
Watch out for falls in previous races. Whilst Grand National runners have traditionally shown a remarkable ability to recover from adversity and win the race, the fact remains that a fall in a race immediately prior to the Grand National is likely to have severe repercussions for the horse’s prospects in the race. Falls have a tendency to create hidden injuries and dent the confidence that even the best jumper will need to take on the fences at Aintree racecourse.
Study a formbook. All the 2008 Grand National betting tips mentioned on this page require you to make use of a formbook. Studying the recent form of a racehorse is a critical step in picking a winner. The Racing Post offers a comprehensive up-to-date form guide for every horse racing in the United Kingdom.
When studying the form book, also look out for the racehorse preferences in terms of racetrack and turf conditions. Also look out for recent wins as success builds a horse’s confidence. With the 2008 Grand National run towards the end of the national hunt season, ample information should be available on a horse’s recent form.