Two to watch as Ladbrokes go 25/1 the field for Grand National
Published:Ladbrokes are now the top industry price on 15 of the leading contenders in the Grand National betting, after deciding to go 25/1 the field upon the declaration of the weights for the Aintree contest.
For those wanting to bet on Tidal Bay, 25/1 is an especially big price, although the fact he has been allocated the top weight and is a 13-year-old are big negatives to overcome.
A horse of this age has not won the Aintree marathon since 1923, but he has had his handicap mark compressed by 7lb from 168 to 161, which certainly gives him each-way claims.
The top nine horses in the Grand National listings have had their weights compressed to some level, with former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run another to potentially benefit from this treatment.
And he is one of two horses that stand out as being fine ante-post Grand National selections at this stage.
Long Run’s handicap mark has dropped 19lb since finishing third in the 2012 Gold Cup and should he bounce back from a below-par season, could rout the field off 11st 9lb.
Long Run is another of those priced at 25/1 in the Grand National odds.
The second horse to monitor is Teaforthree, who gets in off 5lb less than when finishing third behind Auroras Encore last year.
Amberleigh House was the last horse, in 2004, to win the Grand National after being placed the previous year.
Trainer Rebecca Curtis has described the allocation of 10st 12lb as a “lovely weight” and stated that two more runs are expected before Aintree, with an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival on the agenda.
Teaforthree’s front-running nature is an advantage in the Grand National given the trouble in running that can be experienced by those held up, and it would be a big surprise if he was not shorter than 25/1 by race day.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
