Grand National 2015 betting guide: Who to look out for based on colour, name and trends

For the not-so-eagle eyed punter, we have a guide that will help you pick a winner in ahead of the Grand National

A view of the Grand National (GETTY IMAGES)

Ever since the aptly-named 'Lottery' won the first Grand National in 1839, punters have placed their money in hope rather than the expectation that their horse will win this most unpredictable of races.

Seasoned gamblers may study the form, but thousands who fancy a quick flutter feel just as likely to back a winner by choosing their favourite name, coat or silks colour.

We looked at the last 20 winners of the National and uncovered some trends which may help you make your call come Saturday afternoon.

Name

What’s in a name? Well, maybe a couple of quid if you’re lucky. A third of winners’ names over the last 20 years have been 11 letters long, while just over half (52.4%) of are made up of two words. 1998 winner Earth Summit fitted the bill on both counts.

This year’s best 11 letter name: Godsmejudge (22/1)

Age

Maybe it isn’t just a number. A third of the winners in the years we looked at were 10 years old, five were eleven year olds (23.8%) and six were 9 year olds (28.6%). The 8 year-old Bindaree is the youngest recent winner, while only three horses over twelve have ever won the race, the last of which did so in 1923.

This year’s best 10 year-old: Alvarado (20/1)

Coat

Unsurprisingly, seeing as they usually make up the majority of the field, bay horses have won 80.9% of the time in the last 20 years. The last grey to win the National was Neptune Collonges, who was victorious in 2012. Before that, you had to go back to 1961 to find another grey winner in Nicolaus Silver.

This year’s best bay: Shutthefrontdoor (15/2)

Silks Colours

Green is the colour. 57.1% have had it as either a base or secondary colour on their jockey's silks as they beat their rivals to the finish line. Yellow complements the colour of envy very nicely and it features on a third of our winners.

This year’s all-green: Dolatulo (66/1)

Silks Patterns

The numbers also suggest that, when it comes to the jockey’s dress sense, it’s best to play it safe. A plain torso has ridden to victory six times since 1994 and plain sleeves were seen on 12 of our winners, meaning that 85.7% of them crossed the line while keeping things sartorially simple.

If you’re a stickler for a pretty pattern though, stars have featured on five winners (23.8%), four have had vertical stripes (19%) and three have had a chequered design (14.3%).

This year’s best all-plain silks: Court by Surprise (50/1)

Source:

https://www.myvouchercodes.co.uk