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Cheltenham 2022 – Day Four Diary

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Just a reminder I am tracking my results from this year’s festival using a twofold strategy, which is:

1. To use all the bookies offers, brought together via Profit Maximiser; and

2. Use three of my favourite tipsters – Quentin Franks Racing, the Bet Alchemist and the Irish Cash Consortium – to find the best bets for Cheltenham.

By combining the above two approaches together, this should give me a good chance of beating the bookies this week.

So how did this strategy perform on Wednesday at Cheltenham? Let’s have a look below.

 

Day Four Results

After some rotten luck on the first three days things had to turn around on the final day – right?

Let’s see how we did on the Friday of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. My stakes were £20 per point once again.

 

1.30 – Triumph Hurdle

It was a good start to the day with Quentin Franks’ pick Vauban grabbing the win and Bet Alchemist’s tip Fil Dor finishing second.

Profit/Loss from Race: +£44

 

2.10 – Handicap Hurdle

The Bet Alchemist had two picks in this race and both finished in the places thankfully. Quentin’s tip was third but was win-only so no returns from that.

Profit/Loss from Race: +£20

 

2.50 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

Quentin’s tip Hillcrest had to be pulled up whilst Bardenstown Lad from the Bet Alchemist grabbed a nice third place at tasty odds of 33/1.

Profit/Loss from Race: +£36

 

3.30 – Gold Cup

Both Quentin and the Bet Alchemist were on the same horse, Galvin, who never really looked like winning and ended up fourth.

Profit/Loss from Race: -£60

 

4.10 – Hunter’s Chase

The Irish Cash Consortium’s first tip of the day, Winged Leader, looked all over the winner and traded as low as 1.14 on Betfair before being pipped on the line. An each-way return though.

Profit/Loss from Race: +£1

 

5.30 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

No bets in the 4.50 so it was on to the last race and the Irish Cash Consortium’s tip Hollow Games finished third for some more each-way returns.

Profit/Loss from Race: +£8

 

TOTAL PROFIT/LOSS FROM THE DAY: +£49

It was nice to finish with a profit on the final day after some tough days previously.

After a few years in a row of healthy profit at Cheltenham this was a disappointing week however, with a lot of seconds, fallers at the last and horses finishing just outside the places. It was just “one of those weeks” sadly.

Quentin performed well and you can really see the value of his ante-post picks, which all got smashed in by the time of the races. With lots of bookies now offering non-runner no bet for these big races nowadays, it is well worth taking advantage of this early bets and locking in some profit.

The Bet Alchemist had a really tough festival in truth. His record over the years at Cheltenham is very good but he just couldn’t get the rub of the green this year for some reason. Hopefully next year will be better.

The Irish Cash Consortium had a fairly light betting week and could only manage a few places, but no major damage done.

Just a word on the free bets from the bookies – sadly these are not quite what they used to be with nowhere near the kind of value previously. In prior years for example Bet365 had offered £50 free bets but now it is just £5.

Lots of the other bookies have tightened up the terms of their offers too. With Sky bet for example you now need your horse to finish second to qualify for a free bet from the first race for example where as it used to be more generous.

The real value now lies in the extra places which are quite generous, going up to six, seven or even eight places in some races. So those are well worth taking advantage of.

Anyway, that concludes this year’s betting diary from Cheltenham. We hope you enjoyed it and had a little bit more luck than I did!

 

 

 

What is the Secret to a Successful Week’s Betting on the 2022 Cheltenham Festival?

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The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest horseracing events on the global horseracing event calendar – it’s considered by many to be the ‘World Cup of Jumps Racing’.

This idyllic corner of the Cotswolds hosts hundreds of thousands of fans across the four-day festival. With so many of the sport’s best steeplechasers and jockeys travelling to the southwest of England, the festival creates plenty of opportunities for bettors to get involved with the markets.

If the 2022 Cheltenham Festival is the first time you plan to bet on this iconic event, read on as we explore the top tips to give you the best possible chance of finishing the four-day festival in the green.

Increase your Bankroll with Bookmaker Promotions

If you want to maximise your betting bank for the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, many of the UK’s most reputable bookmakers can help you out.

If you only have one or two accounts with bookies that you’ve used over the years, now is the ideal time to broaden your horizons. That’s because most sites will dish out free Cheltenham bets to those creating accounts for the first time. Some will give you free bets just for signing up and becoming a member, while others may hand out free bets matched to the size of your first real-money deposit.

Spread your Risk with Each-Way Bets

Many of the 28 races staged across the Cheltenham Festival feature sizeable fields of horses. We’re not just talking seven or eight, it could be double that amount.

When you factor in the large fields with Cheltenham’s gruelling racecourse – and the plentiful fences to overcome – there is plenty of risk for punters to negotiate. Not to mention the plethora of failed betting systems that you’ll encounter in the lead up to Cheltenham.

One way to spread your betting risk at Cheltenham is to bet on horses each-way. This means you’ll not only get a payout if your selection wins, but you can also receive a percentage of your profits if your horse places.

Take Advantage of ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ Promotions

Source: Photo

If you don’t have the time to place your bets at the Cheltenham Festival in the minutes leading up to the big races, it’s no problem. You can place your wagers for the upcoming day in the morning, just make sure you choose a bookmaker that offers ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ on all its markets.

This gives you zero downside to your early selections. If the price falls on your selection, you’ll still get the odds available at the start of the day. However, if the price rises before the off, you’ll get the better starting price. This all adds up and gives you optimal value for your Cheltenham bets.

Look at the Past Performances of Runners at Cheltenham

It’s a good idea to get a measure of how well certain horses have raced at Cheltenham in the past. Of course, if you’re betting on a horse running at Cheltenham for the first time, it’s not possible to use past form as a guide.

Many races, however, feature regular runners at the festival. Some horses simply thrive off the Cheltenham atmosphere and the ground itself. Meanwhile, others may be well-suited on paper but lack the stamina to stay the distance.

Take Note of the Best Trainers at the Cheltenham Festival

One of the main talking points at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival will be which trainer finishes top of the pile as the most successful across the four days. It’s often a battle between Irish and English trainers. Ireland is well-represented with the likes of Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins leading the way in recent years.

Meanwhile, English trainers Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have made their mark too. Keep an eye out for these names on the form guides, as well as emerging names like Henry de Bromhead.

With so many races, there are plenty of opportunities to profit at the Cheltenham Festival. You can afford to be selective and pinpoint the best picks of each day to give yourself the best chance of ending the week as a winner.

 

 

 

Cheltenham 2022 – Day Three Diary

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Just a reminder I am tracking my results from this year’s festival using a twofold strategy, which is:

1. To use all the bookies offers, brought together via Profit Maximiser; and

2. Use three of my favourite tipsters – Quentin Franks Racing, the Bet Alchemist and the Irish Cash Consortium – to find the best bets for Cheltenham.

By combining the above two approaches together, this should give me a good chance of beating the bookies this week.

So how did this strategy perform on Wednesday at Cheltenham? Let’s have a look below.

 

Day Three Results

After losses on the first two days it was all to play for on the third day of the festival and crucial to get things back on track. 

So here are the results from Thursday at Cheltenham. My stakes were £20 per point once again.

 

 

1.30 – Turner’s Novice Chase

You really couldn’t make it up. Thinking that finally the luck may have turned when the horse tipped by both Quentin and the Bet Alchemist burst clear and looked to be sailing onto a huge victory, well of course the horse had to fall at the last didn’t it! 

Having traded at 1.01 in-play on Betfair it was a cruel blow and a tough way to start the day. 

Profit/Loss from Race: -£80

 

2.10 – Pertemps Network Final

The tale of woe predictably continued in the next race as Quentin’s tip Alphillipe looked the winner before being pipped on the line. 

The Bet Alchemist’s tip Sire Du Berlais was never really in it nor was the Irish Cash Consortium’s pick. 

The only consolation from my own point of view was that I did have the 25/1 winner of the race, but that was a personal bet rather than one of the tipster’s selections. 

Profit/Loss from Race: -£100

 

2.50 – Ryanair Chase

Just the one bet in this race and that came from Quentin’s ante-post bet on Allaho at a tasty 3.50, which moved away nicely to land the first winner of the day. 

Profit/Loss from Race: +£50

 

3.30 – Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle

Just the one bet in this race and that was Home By The Lee (without Flooring Porter) from the Bet Alchemist, who finished well down the field. 

Profit/Loss from Race: -£20

 

4.10 – Plate Handicap

No bets from Quentin on this one but one from the Bet Alchemist, who – yep you’ve guessed it – finished one position outside the places. The ICC’s tip was well down the field once again. 

Fortunately I did have the winner in this race from my personal bets. 

Profit/Loss from Race: -£40

 

4.50 – Mares Novices Hurdle

The Bet Alchemist’s tip ran a reasonable race for sixth whilst Quentin’s tip, despite being well backed, failed to deliver for a change. 

Profit/Loss from Race: -£60

 

5.30 – Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase

The Bet Alchemist had two more selections in this race and they both were pulled up whilst Quentin’s tip finished sixth. 

Profit/Loss from Race: -£60

 

TOTAL PROFIT/LOSS FROM THE DAY: -£310

A brutal day then, but it could have looked a lot different if we hadn’t had the runaway leader fall at the last hurdle in the opening race. There was more bad luck with seconds and horses finishing just outside the places again.

From my personal point of view the day was salvaged by Third Wind winning at 25/1 and Flooring Porter winning at 9/2, but those were unofficial bets and not part of this experiment. 

In any event, tomorrow is the last day of the festival and whilst it hasn’t been great so far, one big winner could turn it all around…

 

 

Cheltenham 2022 – Day Two Diary

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After a frustrating first day of Cheltenham I was hoping things would pick up on Day Two at the festival. 

Just a reminder I am tracking my results from this year’s festival using a twofold strategy, which is:

1. To use all the bookies offers, brought together via Profit Maximiser; and

2. Use three of my favourite tipsters – Quentin Franks Racing, the Bet Alchemist and the Irish Cash Consortium– to find the best bets for Cheltenham.

By combining the above two approaches together, this should give me a good chance of beating the bookies this week.

So how did this strategy perform on Wednesday at Cheltenham? Let’s have a look below.

 

Day Two Results

After yesterday’s loss of £106 it was a case of seeing if we could get back on track on the second day of the festival.

So here are the results from Wednesday at Cheltenham. My stakes were £20 per point once again.

 

1.30 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

Just the one bet in this race and that was Journey With Me advised by the Bet Alchemist. Unfortunately it was a faller, so not the ideal start to the day.

Profit/Loss from Race: -£20

 

2.10 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

On to the second race then and Quentin Franks bet was withdrawn before the race so stakes were returned.

Bet Alchemist’s tip Beacon Edge finished well down the field but the Irish Cash Consortium’s tip grabbed a place to at least give us some sort of return on the race.

Profit/Loss from Race: -£17

 

2.50 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle

Bet Alchemist’s tip Call Me Lord pulled up whilst the Irish Cash Consortium’s tip Drop The Anchor did exactly as it name suggests and went backwards, finishing 14th.

Profit/Loss from Race: -£40

 

3.30 Queen Mother Champion Chase

Finally a winner! Once again it was thanks to Quentin who is single-handedly keeping things afloat this week. This time it was Energumene at 5.0 coming home nicely in the feature race.

Profit/Loss from Race: +£80

 

4.50 Grand Annual Challenge Cup 

With no bets advised in the previous race, it was on to the Grand Annual.

Once again it was frustration as the horse both Quentin and the ICC had tipped, Andy Dufresne, came second after being backed very heavily before the race. The ICC had it each-way though, so at least some kind of return.

Profit/Loss from Race: -£18

 

5.30 Weatherbys Champion Bumper

Onto the final race of the day and it was frustration once again as Quentin’s Tip, American Mike, finished second after a strongly-run race.

The ICC picked an 80/1 shot who finished well down the field.

Profit/Loss from Race: -£40

 

TOTAL PROFIT/LOSS FROM THE DAY TWO OFFICIAL BETS: -£55

Well looking on the bright side it was a better day on Wednesday than on Tuesday, with a smaller loss made. Hopefully things are moving in the right direction. 😉

Once again however it was a case of “close but not cigar,” with more seconds to add to the (growing) list from Tuesday.

Quentin is having a good festival so far though and is once again showing why he is our number one recommended horse racing tipster.

 

 

Cheltenham 2022 – Day One Diary

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Day one of this year’s Cheltenham festival is over and here is an update on how I got on during the opening day.  

Just to recap that my strategy this year is the same as the last few years and is twofold:

1. Take advantage of all the bookies’ offers and bonuses this week.

There are some fantastic offers this week with extra places, money back and free bets being thrown around by the bookies like confetti. I am using Profit Maximiser to see each day’s offers and make sure I use them to extract the most profit possible.

2. Use some top tipsters.

I am using three of my favourite tipsters:

  1. Quentin Franks Racing
  2. Bet Alchemist
  3. Irish Cash Consortium

They all specialise in finding winners at Cheltenham and the top two have done me very well in previous years at the festival so hopefully they can do so again this year!

By combining these tipsters with the best bookmaker offers, this should give me a great chance of beating the bookies at Cheltenham.

So how did this strategy get on today? Let’s have a look below.

 

Day One Results

So here are the results from Tuesday at Cheltenham. My stakes were £20 per point.

 

1.30 Supreme Novices Hurdle

Quentin Franks got the festival off to a strong start, with his ante-post pick Constitution Hill winning impressively at advised odds of 5.00. Sadly there was nothing “mighty” about the Bet Alchemist’s pick Mighty Potter, who had to be pulled up.

Profit/Loss from Race: +£60

 

2.10 Arkle Challenge Trophy

Quentin continued his positive start with another winner in the form of Edwardstone at advised odds of 4.00.

Sadly the Bet Alchemist’s pick, Haut En Couleurs, finished just outside the places in sixth.

Profit/Loss from Race: +£40

 

2.50 Ultima Handicap Chase

Whilst it was a blank for Quentin in this race with Tea Clipper finishing down the field, the Bet Alchemist landed an each-way return with Oscar Elite at 23.0 (BOG).

His other pick, Lostintranslation, finished just one spot outside the places.

Profit/Loss from Race: -£6

 

3.30 Champion Hurdle

Just the one bet in this race and it was from the Bet Alchemist who tipped Adagio without the favourite, which unfortunately finished well down the field. 

Profit/Loss from Race: -£20

 

4.10 Mares Hurdle

Both Quentin and the Bet Alchemist tipped the same horse in this race, Telmesomethinggirl, who was annoyingly brought down by another runner, putting paid to its chances.

The Irish Cash Consortium got their festival bets underway but also picked a loser in the shape of Echoes of Rain, who never really got into contention.

Profit/Loss from Race: -£80

 

4.50 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 

The story of the day for the Bet Alchemist was their pick finishing just outside the places and it happened again here with Iberique Du Seuil at 40/1.

Meanwhile Quentin’s pick Gaelic Warrior was narrowly beaten by a short head, adding to the frustration in this race.

The ICC’s pick Britzka finished dead last 🙁

Profit/Loss from Race: -£60

 

5.30 Ukraine Appeal National Hunt Challenge Cup

Just the one bet in this race and that was from Quentin with Run Wild Fred. Again it was a runner-up finish, which just sums up the day really!

Profit/Loss from Race: -£40

 

TOTAL PROFIT/LOSS FROM THE DAY ONE OFFICIAL BETS: -£106

A disappointing day in the end after it started so promisingly with two winners in the first two races. 

It was a tale of frustration with a host of seconds and horses finishing just one position outside the places at big odds.

So it was a day of what might have been, but we soldier on and hope for better luck on day 2 of the festival.

 

 

 

Cheltenham 2022 – Plan of Action

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It’s nearly upon us – yes tomorrow is the start of the Cheltenham Festival!

It’s Dan here and my plan for Cheltenham is similar to the last few years – which has made me £24 profit, £504 profit and £711 profit the last three years, as chronicled in my betting diaries.

However, I will be mixing things up a little bit this year. My approach will be:

1. Take advantage of all the bookies’ offers and bonuses this week

There are some fantastic offers this week with extra places, money back and free bets being thrown around by the bookies like confetti. I will be using Profit Maximiser to see each day’s offers and make sure I use them to extract the most profit possible.

2. Use some top tipsters

Where as the last few years I have used two of my favourite tipsters – Quentin Franks Racing and the Bet Alchemist – to find the best bets for Cheltenham, this year I will be sticking with these two but adding a third – the Irish Cash Consortium.

They are a relatively new kid on the block but have been doing really well in our trial and have some huge gambles lined up for the festival. Having an inside track on the top Irish-trained horses could be a big advantage here.

So by combining that with my two longstanding favourite tipsters, hopefully it should give me a good chance of beating the bookies at Cheltenham.

And not forgetting the bookies’ offers, which alone can add up to hundreds of pounds if done correctly, so used in conjunction with some shrewd betting advice then it should be a winning formula.

Anyway, just thought I would share my plans for the week with you. Will keep you posted on how it goes in my Cheltenham betting diary!

 

 

 

Grand National Tips Following Latest Declaration Stage

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The Grand National entries were reduced to 92 runners following the latest declaration stage. There were some notable scratchings for the race, none more so than two-time winner Tiger Roll.

After a careful look at the weights for the 4m2½f contest, here are two horses who have an excellent chance of adding their name to the Grand National roll of honour.

Mount Ida (20/1)

Irish chaser Mount Ida is one of a strong number of horses from Gordon Elliott’s yard who is set to travel across to Liverpool for the Grand National this year. She has been in excellent form this season, with victories coming at Clonmel and Fairyhouse.

The eight-year-old is one of the popular tips for Cheltenham for the Liberthine Mares’ Chase on day four. She is the 5/2 joint-favourite for the newest race on the schedule at the Cheltenham Festival.

 

Mares don’t have a record in the Grand National. It has been 71 years since a mare was successful in this race. Mount Ida’s latest success in the Grade Three John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase proves she has a lot of class about her.

Last season’s Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup winner will be taking a big step up in distance at Aintree. However, Elliott has won the race three times, so he knows what type of horse is needed for the contest. He clearly has a lot of confidence in his mare, who can be backed at 20/1 for the marathon affair. 

Fiddlerontheroof (25/1)

 

Colin Tizzard’s Fiddlerontheroof was one of the leading novice chasers of his age group last season. He finished second in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival, while he was third in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at the Grand National Meeting.

The eight-year-old has performed well this season outside of novice company. He made a winning return to action in a Listed contest at Carlisle (2m4f) back in October, scoring by just under two lengths.

The horse showed he has great stamina when he stayed on strongly at Newbury in a Grade Three contest on his second appearance of the campaign. He finished less than a length behind Cloudy Glen in one of the most prestigious prizes of the season in jumps racing.

Tizzard’s runner’s latest appearance came in the Swinley Chase at Ascot. Once again, he was in contention at the business end of the race. The talented chaser came home second behind Fortescue.

With Elegant Escape now out of the Grand National, Fiddlerontheroof is the yard’s leading hope this year. The Tizzard team have come into form at exactly the right time of the season, which could indicate they are set for a strong Cheltenham Festival and Grand National Meeting.

Fiddlerontheroof has been handed a fair allocation of 10st 12lb. He will be receiving weight from many of his main rivals in the race. At 25/1, he represents good value in the betting for this year’s famous steeplechase.

The 2022 Grand National takes place on the 9th April, and once again it will feature in the late afternoon at 17:15.

 

 

 

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Horse Racing Bet Offers: Why You Should Read the Small Print

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Betting on horse racing has always been a popular pastime in the UK, but that popularity has headed to the stratosphere in recent years. Aided by accessible and mobile-friendly online betting platforms, Brits are now betting more than ever on the races.

Unsurprisingly, the bulk of horse race wagering in the UK takes place across a very small number of high-prestige events. The Grand National, Ascot, Cheltenham, and Epsom Derby all take the lion’s share of UK horse racing betting, with hundreds of millions of pounds wagered on each of these events.

To capitalise on the popularity of high-profile racing events, it is now standard practice for bookmakers to offer free bets on these events, in order to encourage punters to create an account and make a deposit. Of course, a free bet is a great way to get the most out of your favourite races, but it is worth reading the small print before you claim. This will help you to get the most value out of your free bets this year. 

Minimum wagers

First off, it is important to note that many free bets for major events consist of “bet and get” promotions, where you must spend some of your own money first before you get a free wager. This might not sound like a free bet, but some of the promotions on offer can be generous. For example, the latest Cheltenham betting offers from the UK’s top bookmakers offer promotions such as “bet £10 get £30”, where you just need to make a single £10 bet to get an additional £30 to wager on Cheltenham. If you know how to shop around, you can rack up plenty of free bets this way. 

Odds requirements

One common stipulation in betting offers is that you must meet minimum odds requirements on a bet before you can use your free cash on that bet. This varies depending on the bookmaker, but it is typical for an offer to state that you must use your free bet on a wager with 1.5 odds or higher, or 1/2 odds or higher. This should not be much of a problem for most of the bets you can make on the likes of the Grand National or Cheltenham, but it is definitely worth keeping in mind if you are trying to claim a free bet to use on a very specific wager. 

 

 

 

UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Preview

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As we enter the beginning of March, the football season within Europe starts to edge closer to its conclusion across a plethora of the countries that form the continent.

Indeed, many of the domestic leagues are starting to take shape in regard to titles, promotions and relegations, whilst cup competitions start to begin to enter the final knockings. This includes the biggest club cup competitions, including the UEFA Europa League.

Widely considered to be Europe’s second competition – at least behind the UEFA Champions League which is regarded to be elite and amongst one of the best in the whole of football – the beginning of March will see the Round of 16 take place after some of the participating teams competed and qualified in the recently introduced playoff knockout round.

Which teams are involved and when will the matches be played

Although you would expect that there are 16 teams to be competing in this stage of the tournament, only 14 will be playing as the match between RB Leipzig and Spartak Moscow has been cancelled. The Germans will be provided with a place in the next stage automatically, though.

Indeed, there are a number of exciting matches scheduled to take place which will have many interested in gambling online as the encounters will likely provide a number of top betting opportunities throughout the two legs to be played.

The matches of this stage are scheduled to be played on the 9 & 10 March in regard to the first legs, whereas the second legs will take place a week later. Let’s take a look at the matches that will be played:

  • FC Porto vs Olympique de Lyonnais (9 Mar & 17 Mar)
  • Real Betis vs Eintracht Frankfurt (9 Mar & 17 Mar)
  • Sevilla vs West Ham United (10 Mar & 17 Mar)
  • RB Leipzig vs Spartak Moscow (Cancelled)
  • FC Barcelona vs Galatasaray (10 Mar & 17 Mar)
  • Rangers vs Crvena zvezda (10 Mar & 17 Mar)
  • Braga vs AS Monaco (10 Mar & 17 Mar)
  • Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen (10 Mar & 17 Mar)

Which fixtures are the most interesting and worth keeping an eye on?

Although it is a bit of a cliche within football, there truly are no bad games in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 and each of them has its own merits as a potential top clash.

There is no denying that many will look at Sevilla’s game with West Ham United as a potential one to watch, with both sides looking to go for glory. The Spaniards might have an advantage as they have been highly successful in this competition in the past, though, whilst they also have the stadium which will host the final.

FC Barcelona will be considered one of the favourites to win, though, which is why many will look at their game against Galatasaray as one to watch, especially as the Turkish side has always proven to be tough opponents in continental football.

Honourable mentions need to go to the games between Porto and Lyon, as well as the matches that will be played between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, as these ties will see four big teams go at it with places just for two of them available. Many of the teams involved will be happy to see any two of the four depart.

 

 

 

When is the 2022 Grand National and Who Will Win?

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Courtesy of Jeff Griffith via unsplash

The Grand National is the biggest horse race in the United Kingdom and one of the most-watched on the entire planet.

In 2022, it will take place on Saturday, 9th April, and will involve as many as 40 runners and riders competing across a gruelling 4-mile jump course in front of a huge cheering crowd. Its popularity has also made it the most bet-on event in the country, attracting many non-horse racing fans who may not wager on anything else for the rest of the year. That’s why, in the run-up to the event, all of the UK’s biggest bookmakers run promotions offering free bets specifically for the Grand National. 

If you’re considering using one (or more) of these offers, then you’re probably also wondering which horses have the best shot at winning the biggest prize in British jump racing. 

Minella Times

Minella Times is an early favourite for the 2022 Grand National thanks to it being the horse that cross the line first last year. The horse helped to make history in April 2021 when his jockey, Rachael Blackmore, became the first female to win the famous National Hunt event. 

Going into last year’s race, Minella Times had strong odds at 11-1 and is being backed by the bookies again with early odds of 16/1. It’s not yet confirmed who will ride him, but rumours are circling that Blackmore could be back in the saddle. If that gets confirmed, expect those odds to shorten sharply. 

Any Second Now

Any Second Now is a nine-year-old horse who managed to finish in third place in last year’s Grand National. By the time this year’s Grand National comes around, it will be almost 10 years old, but that hasn’t stopped the bookies tipping it as an early favourite. 

Tiger Roll

Tiger Roll is another record-breaking horse. From Ireland, the gelding is a hugely-decorated champion with five wins at the Cheltenham Festival and two back-to-back Grand National victories. 

He had been a strong favourite in the 2020 race before it was cancelled and again in 2021, but he was withdrawn due to the weight that had been allocated. 

It’s not yet confirmed whether Tiger Roll will run again in 2022, but if he does, it will likely be for the last time. 

Cloth Cap

Cloth Cap was a strong contender in 2021, up there with Minella Times. He started strong and was looking like the bookies had got it right, but he stopped on the second circuit of the course. If he can get over that problem this year, Cloth Cap could be one of the favourites again in 2022.