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The Grand National - final runners

The final 40 runners for Saturday’s John Smith’s Grand National were revealed today. The participation of Opera Mundi remains in some doubt, with his connections saying that he will not run unless the going is soft enough for him. However, the four reserves need withdrawals before 9am tomorrow to have any chance of making the line-up. After that time, the reserves are eliminated. Below are pen pictures of those left in with bookmaker odds in brackets.

Here's hoping for a win bug

It has been a testing few days in the Stephens household. A tummy bug has taken its toll on the whole family and, to compound matters, our wireless internet connection has been misbehaving - meaning I’ve been unable to keep up with betting activity on the exchanges.

The Grand National - a full guide

The end game is near with regards to my trading on the 161st running of the Grand National. Since last posting I’ve topped up my bets on various horses such as Kelami (which I’ve laid back at shorter odds) and Madison Du Berlais (nobody else seems interested in backing him and perhaps somebody knows more than I do about whether he is going to run), plus I’ve distributed bits and bobs of cash on new faces.

Fifteen more to ponder

Still not convinced you have found the National winner? Here are pen pics of 15 more possible challengers, with present Betfair odds and a guess at who may be in the saddle.

Top twelve under microscope

Fifteen days to go and now the hunt for the Grand National intensifies. Below are pen pictures of the top dozen horses in Betfair’s betting, with their prices and possible jockeys in brackets. I’ll endeavour to analyse more possible contenders next week.

Madison catches eye at 160

With only another ten defectors at the latest forfeit stage, the prospect of fancied horses failing to make the cut for the Grand National has increased.

Denman is the missing link

Now that the Cheltenham Festival is over, jump enthusiasts will turn their glare to Aintree and the John Smith’s Grand National.

Cloudy Lane - will he stay trip?

The dust is beginning to settle on the weekend action and Cloudy Lane is 6-1 with most bookmakers to win the Grand National after his fluent success at Doncaster. Provided that he does not suffer a mishap between now and the big race, he seems certain to start favourite.

And then there were 125

A total of 125 horses are left in the National after there were 25 defectors at the first forfeit stage.

Has Joe lost his edge?

If the bookmakers are to be believed, there is a 33 per cent chance that the Grand National winner will be in action tomorrow.

Comply Or Die hits target

My wife and I helped celebrate a friend’s birthday by visiting a casino on Saturday with the words of a wise old sage who had visited us that morning still ringing in our ears: quit when you are ahead.

Kelami worth a wager at 150

The brief will-he or won’t-he saga regarding Character Building is over. He won’t. The trainer of my number one hope for National glory has revealed that the grey has pulled a muscle or two and that he will not be back in action until next season.

Expect Berry and Bannow to ease

There could well be plenty of movement in the Grand National market on Saturday with a string of Aintree hopefuls in action all over the country.

Bait is there to be bitten

First, the bad news. Character Building’s price has tumbled on Betfair and I haven’t managed to get a penny on. The good news, from a purely selfish point of view, is that it seems his trainer seems to be leaning towards waiting another year before running him at Aintree.

National formula starts here

Derren Brown may have fallen short on his promise of devising a winning system on the horses but, with hard work and a little bit of good fortune, I’m hoping to make money on this year’s Grand National - regardless of which horse triumphs.