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Grand National

Thursday, July 3, 2008

The Grand National horse race is England's premier sporting event. In April of each year forty horses take on the unforgiving Aintree course in the hope of being crowned National champion. A prize fund of $1.5 million is waiting for the winning horses.

It is estimated that nearly a quarter of the Uk's population will bet on the race and all the major bookmakers give odds on the Grand National. The general public love betting on this race as it normally produces winners with very long odds! In 1967 a 100-1 shot won the race and in 2007 you could get odds of 20-1 on the winner Comply Or Die. In recent years the fences have been reduced in height to protect the horses from serious injury, this has taken some of the appeal out of the race but it still remains the World's most difficult steepchase to win.