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A racegoer was hospitalised and hundreds more were treated at Royal Ascot's medical centre as a heatwave brought sizzling conditions to this year's meeting.

News coverage was of how "lengthy queues" formed at the water dispensers as spectators in top hats and tails "sweltered", said The Telegraph, marking a change from last year's gathering, when police made 36 arrests for assault, drink driving and possession of class A drugs.

'Defecating on doorsteps'

Ascot is a "picture-postcard" British town, Josh Saunders said in The Sun in 2023, but residents have found themselves "bracing themselves for bedlam" during Royal Ascot in recent years. Locals told Saunders they faced "pissed-up revellers urinating on their properties, defecating on doorsteps and brazenly snorting cocaine off walls". "Yobs" had brawled in the street and the litter left behind attracted "vermin".

It's not just Royal Ascot that hits the headlines for the wrong reasons. Ladies Day at the Grand National festival is meant to be "one of the most glamorous days" in the racing calendar, wrote John Jones on Wales Online, but it's become "debauched", with fights at the 2024 event. "Shocking" pictures included a "suited man with blood pouring out of his mouth" shaping up to hit another racegoer.

Police warnings that there would be zero tolerance for misbehaviour at this year's Grand National fell on deaf ears as racegoers began "pouring their own pints" after being "left shocked" by the cost of drinks, wrote Zac Campbell on Mail Online. Four pints of Guinness set fans back a "staggering" £31.20, a glass of Prosecco was £12, while a bottle cost £46.

Cheltenham Festival also saw "fights, drinking and harassment" in 2024, said ITV News, but drinking rules were actually "relaxed" at the meeting this year in a bid to address a "sales slump", said Will Humphries in The Times. Where boozers were previously "corralled into bars with TV screens and segregated hospitality areas", this year people were allowed to "take their drinks trackside".

Drinks "on the lawns and within sight of the running rail" was expected to "infuriate" more traditional racegoers, who "simply want to focus on the horses", said Greg Wood in The Guardian. An 80-year-old woman told Humphries that "there was a man so drunk at 10am that he was wobbling around", while a 76-year-old man said it was a "shame" that the racing wasn't enough "for some people" and that drinking "seems to take over" in the "modern world".

'Snob and mob'

The increased drunkenness at racing events has attracted attention beyond Britain: compiling a gallery of racegoing debauchery for the US site Defector, Kathryn Xu noted that "extremely drunk, extremely dressed-up" English people had misbehaved at the 2024 Grand National.

But it's not booze that's ruining racing, wrote Arabella Byrne in The Spectator, it's the middle classes. Ascot "ought to be" a "proper knees-up", except "it's not" because the organisers have engaged in "aggressive commercialisation", transforming the meeting into an "exercise in manicured social segregation led by the Middleton classes".

This is a shame, she added, because "horsey and racing circles" have always been based on a mix that's "one of the great curiosities of English social life: snob and mob". In fact, "true toffs" prefer the experience to be a "bit more bonkers and a lot more louche".

Polo is already known for its "frenetic pace" but in Argentina the sport is about to become "even quicker", said The Times.

Scientists in the polo-obsessed nation have produced the world's first genetically edited horses, modifying DNA from a champion mare using a technique called Crispr to increase "explosive speed" in her offspring, said the paper.

The five foals, born in October and November, have mostly the same genes as award-winning Polo Pureza and should inherit her natural agility, according to the biotech firm behind the project. But by tweaking a specific gene associated with sprinting, they are engineered to one day outrun her.

A multimillion-dollar gamble

This "futuristic experiment" dates back to 2006, a decade on from the birth of Dolly the sheep (the world's first cloned mammal), said The Washington Post.

When world-renowned polo player Adolfo Cambiaso's "beloved stallion" Aiken Cura "limped off the field, and it became clear that the horse was in his final days", he "decided to take a gamble" and asked a vet to save some of the horse's skin cells. Cambiaso then had a Texas-based laboratory clone Aiken Cura, and later repeated the process with his champion mare, Dolfina Cuartetera.

But what began as "an effort to immortalise those champions" has grown into a "massive, multimillion-dollar industry". (Argentina's President Javier Milei himself owns four clones of his deceased dog.)

In 2016, one Argentinian player rode six horses cloned from the same mare. The South American nation has "fundamentally transformed" the sport of polo, but the long-term possibilities – and risks – are "yet to be fully understood".

'What nature does, but faster'

In 2013, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports lifted a ban on cloned horses competing internationally, after a review found they were unlikely to have an advantage over naturally bred horses. However, gene editing is banned. Likewise, the British Horseracing Authority has banned any "gene therapy or cellular manipulation" that could give an animal an advantage, said The Times.

But Kheiron, the biotech firm responsible for the five genetically edited foals in Argentina, argues that the new horses' genes could have theoretically occurred naturally, through selective breeding or genetic mutations. That's what distinguishes Crispr from genetic modification, which introduces DNA from one species into another. This means the horses "comply with current Argentine regulations", said Reuters, because they do not count as "genetic doping or genetically modified organisms".

"There are certain muscle fibres that give it more explosiveness, a faster contraction, and the animal can have this greater explosive speed," said Gabriel Vichera, co-founder and scientific director of Kheiron.

"We are not inventing anything artificial, but rather we are taking that natural sequence and introducing it into another natural horse, which is what nature does, but we do it faster and more targeted."

Following a bumper year for sport that saw the Paris Olympics, Euros and Copa America, and T20 cricket World Cup, 2025 may appear somewhat anticlimactic.

But there are still a host of showcase events from rugby and football to cycling and racing, to appeal to every sports fan. Here are some of the most popular taking place in the UK and around the world in 2025.

Darts: 2024-2025 PDC World Darts Championship final

The sporting year starts with a bang as the PDC World Darts Championship final takes place on 3 January at Alexandra Palace in London. Teenage sensation Luke Littler, who made his breakthrough at the event in January, is odds-on favourite to go one better this time and clinch the title at Ally Pally.

3 January, Alexandra Palace, London

Rugby union: Six Nations

England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales go for glory in the Six Nations Championship. Ireland will be looking to retain their crown, with England aiming to do the same in the Women's Six Nations, having won the Grand Slam in 2024.

Men's, 31 January to 15 March; women's, 22 March to 26 April

NFL: Super Bowl LIX

The NFL's showpiece event, the Super Bowl, takes place for the 59th time in 2025. Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the halftime show, which often draws more viewers than the game itself.

9 February, Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Horse racing: Cheltenham Festival

Four days of National Hunt jump racing will attract thousands of fans to Cheltenham Racecourse. There will be 14 Grade One races, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Queen Mother Champion Chase.

11 to 14 March, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Horse racing: Grand National Festival

A few weeks after Cheltenham, the world of horse racing will then focus on Aintree for the three-day Grand National Festival. The 2025 National, often described as the greatest Jump race in the world, will start at 4pm on Saturday 5 April.

3 to 5 April, Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool

Snooker: World Championship

Snooker's biggest event, the World Snooker Championship, will be held at the legendary Crucible Theatre in Sheffield for the 49th consecutive time.

19 April to 5 May, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

London Marathon

The London Marathon returns for its traditional April slot on the sporting calendar. Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee has said he will take part. It will be his first professional marathon in his hometown, fresh from winning gold in Paris.

27 April, London

Men's football: Uefa Champions League final

FC Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena hosts European club football's biggest match. It marks the culmination of an expanded and reformatted Champions League, with Real Madrid hoping to continue their extraordinary success in the tournament by clinging on to an unprecedented 16th title.

31 May, Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany

Tennis: The Championships, Wimbledon

Wimbledon, one of the UK's summer marquee events, will see the world's top tennis players head to SW19 for the grass court grand slam event. At the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in 2024, Barbora Krejčíková won the women's singles title and Carlos Alcaraz won the men's.

30 June to 13 July, All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, London

Formula 1: British Grand Prix

The British Grand Prix takes place in July at the spiritual home of motor racing, Silverstone Circuit, in Northamptonshire.

3 to 6 July, Silverstone, Northamptonshire

Cycling: Tour de France

The 112th edition of the Men's Tour de France starts in Lille on 5 July, with the final stage ending on the Champs-Élysées in Paris just under three weeks later.

Men's, 5 to 27 July; women's, 26 July to 3 August, France

Rugby: Women’s World Cup

This autumn will see the Women's Rugby World Cup come to England. Games will be spread across the country, from Brighton and Bristol to London and Manchester.

22 August to 27 September, various locations, England

Men's football: African Cup of Nations  

The 35th edition of Africa's biennial football tournament will be hosted by Morocco for only the second time, and the first since 1988.

21 December to 18 January 2026, various locations, Morocco

As Sierra Leone, Forever Young and Mystik Dan thundered towards a three-horse photo finish at the 2024 Kentucky Derby last month, no one could say for sure which horse would win. But it was almost certain that none of the horses would cross the finish line in under two minutes. 

In the end, Mystik Dan won America's most famous horse race by just a nose in a time of two minutes 3.34 seconds. It wasn't quite quick enough to break the record set by the legendary Secretariat, who, in 1973, won the race in one minute 59.4 seconds. Only one other horse has ever crossed the Kentucky Derby finish line in under two minutes: Monarchos won the 2001 race in one minute 59.97 seconds. 

As Royal Ascot gets under way today, pundits and punters are focused on the "star-studded cast" of runners and riders who will be hoping to make racing history over the next five days, said the event's website. But whether they can break and set any new course records could be down to much more than the months of preparation that have preceded the prestigious event.

There has been a decades-long debate about whether racehorses have reached their peak speed, with many believing, at least when it comes to Secretariat's record, that his long-standing winning time is unlikely to ever be broken.

What do scientists think?

The jury is out over whether horses have reached their peak speed. In 2008, a study of thoroughbreds, greyhounds and Olympic athletes, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology concluded that there is a physical limit to how fast any animal can run – including humans – and that thoroughbreds may have reached that limit.

However, the study's author also suggested that faster racehorses could theoretically be possible. Thoroughbreds have been selectively bred since the 1700s, with some 95% of present-day animals able to trace their lineage back to a single stallion, the Darley Arabian. This, in effect, has created an "evolutionary bottleneck", with thoroughbreds far less genetically diverse than other breeds of horses, said Quartz. Thoroughbred horses, therefore, may have reached their genetic potential. 

But selective breeding that introduced "different equine stock could perhaps yield faster horses", said Mark Denny, the paper's author, adding that the results of his study "do not necessarily address the question of the maximum speed" for horses as a species. 

Have horses reached their peak speed?

Several studies have concluded that thoroughbreds may have reached their biological speed limits, but not all scientists agree. A 2015 study from the University of Exeter found that horses had been getting faster – at least when it came to shorter, sprint races.

Researchers thought that previous studies had not accounted for several crucial factors, such as distance, number of runners, age, course and environmental factors. They compiled a massive data set of 616,084 race times run by 70,388 horses between 1850 and 2012 in the UK and found speeds had been improving over time, if unevenly. 

In sprint races, the average speed needed to win has increased by about 0.1% each year since 1997. However, speed increases in mid-distance and long-distance races didn't see the same rise. 

Study co-author Patrick Sharman told the BBC this could be because horses are being bred for speed rather than endurance. "My hunch is that we are seeing a genetic change, with breeders focusing on speed rather than endurance," he said in 2015. "I don't believe that over the longer distances horses have reached their limit."

In a follow-up study published last year in the journal Heredity, Sharman concluded that improving speeds could be attributed to genetics. Although this was probably "less so than breeders might like", said The Economist. 

By linking a large performance database, containing nearly 700,000 race times recorded in Britain between 1995 and 2014, to a family tree of more than 76,000 horses, the study found that speed is "weakly" heritable and that the breed was improving slowly overall.

What about over longer distances?

But questions remain over why there is so little improvement to speeds over longer distances, said Sharman.

"We estimated relatively low heritability for racehorse speed, which goes some way to explaining it, but it would appear there is more to it," he said. "The selection of racehorses for breeding may be less accurate and weaker than generally assumed, particularly over long-distance races, but other factors could be constraining genetic improvement."

In other words, breeders might be "leaving some horsepower in the genetic tank", said The Economist. With breeders still relying on their professional judgement "to some degree" while assessing horses, "less intuitive, more objective statistical techniques" may be the key to unlocking further improvements.

Lester Piggott, who has died aged 86, was widely regarded as the “finest jockey ever to ride on British turf”, said The Guardian. During a career that spanned 47 years, he racked up several records that are “unlikely to be surpassed” – including the most race wins by a British jockey (a total of around 4,493, including overseas victories), the most British classics (30), and the most Derby victories (nine). Piggott’s achievements as a Flat racer made him a household name, and wherever he travelled around the world, he was “feted in a manner unique for a jockey”. Yet “Old Stoneface”, as he was known, was also a figure “dogged by controversy” – notorious both for the ruthlessness of his racing style, and for his “legendary” stinginess (money, a fellow jockey observed, was for Piggott the “staff of life”). The former trait earned him several bans from racing, while the latter led to a jail sentence for tax fraud in 1987.

Born in Wantage, Berkshire, in 1935, Piggott had racing in his blood, said The Daily Telegraph. His grandfather, Ernie Piggott, was a champion steeplechaser who won the Grand National three times; his father, Keith, was a successful jockey who became a well-known trainer; and his mother, Iris, hailed from the Rickaby racing dynasty. From childhood Piggott suffered slight deafness and a speech impediment, which made him appear “aloof with other children”, and later contributed to his taciturn public persona. But his affinity with horses was always manifest: he sat on his first racehorse at the age of seven, and won his first adult race at Haydock in 1948, aged just 12. “He is quite a good rider, but will never be as good as his father,” his mother told reporters after that victory.

Soon, though, the “teenage sensation” was proving her wrong, said Marcus Townsend in the Daily Mail. He made his first Derby appearance in 1951, aged 15; his “first win in the premier Classic” at Epsom came in 1954, on 33-1 outsider Never Say Die – a victory Piggott celebrated by mowing his parents’ lawn later that evening. Just a fortnight later, however, during a race at Royal Ascot, the young jockey made what was judged an “overly aggressive move”, cutting into the line of another horse: he was suspended for the rest of the season. The authorities also banned him from working with his father, who was thought to be encouraging his ruthless approach.

Not long after, Piggott became stable jockey for the “hugely respected royal trainer Noel Murless”, and they enjoyed a fruitful partnership over the next 12 years. His contract with Murless made him the best-paid athlete in Britain, but this was “not enough” for Piggott, who grew increasingly resentful that, as a stable jockey, he was limited in which horses he could ride. So in 1967, he “broke with convention and turned freelance” – enabling him effectively to pick his mounts. Many thought it a foolish move, but it led to some of his greatest victories, including winning the Triple Crown in 1970, on Nijinsky (a feat never since repeated).

Piggott’s relative tallness for a jockey (he was 5ft 7½in) forced “The Long Fellow”, as he was also known, to obsessively watch his weight, said The Times. It was said he subsisted on nothing but cigars, champagne and lettuce: the resulting gaunt look earned him his own puppet on Spitting Image. He announced his retirement in 1985 to move into training, but two years later made headlines again when he was sentenced to three years in prison for concealing £3.25m in income – a fraud perpetrated by using false names to stash money in a variety of overseas bank accounts. He served a year before being released and later had to pay back £4.4m in arrears, but according to friends what “hurt him the most” was the withdrawal of his OBE.

Piggott’s racing career wasn’t quite over: in 1990, aged 55, he “made a sensational return to the saddle”, and won several more races – including a final classic at the 1992 2,000 Guineas. Appearing “more relaxed” than in his youth – he would now even smile occasionally – Piggott “at last gained the public affection many felt should have been his all along”. He retired for a second time in 1995, after which he largely kept out of the public eye – and spent the last years of his life in Switzerland.

“No sign-off will ever be as complete,” said Brough Scott in The Sunday Times, as that just achieved by the winner of this Grand National. This was Sam Waley-Cohen’s very last horse race. The only amateur in a 40-strong field, the 39-year-old jockey is to retire from the sport to concentrate on his chain of upmarket dental practices. And the horse he was riding, Noble Yeats, was a 50-1 shot owned by his father, Robert. So for Waley-Cohen to describe his first – and presumably last – ever victory in jump racing’s biggest event as “a fairy tale, a fantasy” was no exaggeration. His success has single-handedly revived the all-but extinct spirit of sporting amateurism. This was a truly gruelling race with “more than its usual share of carnage” – by the end, 25 of the runners had pulled up or fallen, with two suffering fatal injuries – but Waley-Cohen on Noble Yeats battled through to the finish, beating “hardened professional” Mark Walsh on Any Second Now into second place.

By adding the Grand National to previous wins in the Gold Cup and the King George VI Chase, Waley-Cohen can claim to be the most successful amateur jockey of all time, said The Sunday Telegraph’s Marcus Armytage – himself the last amateur to win the Grand National, 32 years ago. But maybe the victory should not have come as such a great surprise – after all, Waley-Cohen did finish second on Oscar Time in 2011. This time round, Noble Yeats produced “a dream ride” for his owner’s son; tucked behind the early leaders Coko Beach and Two For Gold, the seven-year-old novice stayed with the front pack throughout, until, at the second-last fence, the race became a straight shoot-out with the 15-2 favourite Any Second Now. “They jumped the last in unison,” said Armytage, “and were locked together up the long run in”, before the younger of the two horses began to pull away, ultimately winning by two and a quarter lengths.

Outside of racing, Waley-Cohen is known for being the man who helped Prince William and Kate Middleton get back together after a temporary split in 2007, said the Sunday Express. And the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were among the first to tweet congratulations to their friend. There were also tributes to Thomas, Waley-Cohen’s brother, who lost his life to bone cancer at the age of 20. “I do think Thomas is sitting on my back,” said the jockey; he had his brother’s name stitched into his saddle, while his father Robert wore a wristband woven with Thomas’s initials. This story of this incredible family “will surely one day be told on the silver screen”, said Phil Thomas in The Sun. And if it is, it seems Waley-Cohen would very much like to be played by the actor Dominic West.

When the Grand National gets under way at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday all eyes will once again be on Rachael Blackmore and Minella Times. At last year’s National, Blackmore made history on the gelding by becoming the first female jockey to win the world’s most famous, and toughest, jumps race.

The “momentous victory” saw the Irish rider’s profile “soar to a different stratosphere in the aftermath”, said David Jennings in the Racing Post. Blackmore missed the early part of this season after breaking her leg, but at last month’s Cheltenham Festival she scored three wins, including the Gold Cup on the emphatic A Plus Tard. She arrives at Aintree “on the highest of highs”, said Charlie Huggins, also in the Racing Post.

After winning as an 11-1 shot in 2021, the JP McManus-owned Minella Times will have a top weight in this year’s race, “running off a 15lb higher rating than the one he was successful off last year”.

When confirming the “dream team” would be reunited, trainer Henry de Bromhead said: “Rachael will ride Minella Times and he’s back showing me all the right signs at home. He loved it last year, but he’s obviously gone up a good bit in the ratings so it’s not going to be easy for him.”

For the first time since 2019, horse racing fans will be able to attend the fixture, the BBC said. Because of Covid, the National was cancelled in 2020 and last year’s race was held without spectators. “Around 150,000 fans attend the festival over its three days, with 70,000 due to pack the stands” for the race on Saturday.

With the Grand National, “anything can happen”, said Tom Lunn on talkSPORT. “The appeal of ‘any horse can win’ attracts a global audience with many taking part in sweepstakes or having a one-off bet on horses with gigantic odds, appealing names or their favourite jockey or trainer.”

In this guide to the 174th Grand National, we look at the latest betting odds, the key fences, past controversies and how to pick a winner.

1. Grand National start time and UK TV coverage

The three-day Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool takes place from 7-9 April. The highlight of the festival is Saturday’s Grand National steeplechase, which starts at 5.15pm (BST). Live coverage of the festival and the race will be shown on ITV.

2. The confirmed runners and riders

The runners and riders entry list for the 2022 Grand National has been confirmed, with 40 horses named for the big race at Aintree on Saturday.

3. The course and key fences

Held over a distance of 4 miles 514 yards, the Grand National is the longest race of the year and one of the most daunting. A maximum of 40 horses will tackle 30 fences at Aintree.

The Aintree fences are “not quite as perilous as they were once upon a time after a series of alterations”, said The Daily Telegraph. However, they are “still the most notorious obstacles in the business and enough to make the palms of any jockey sweat”.

“Becher’s Brook”, which is lower on the landing side than the take-off side, is named after jockey Captain Martin Becher, who fell there in 1939 and crawled into the brook to escape injury. The tallest fence is “The Chair”, which is now five foot two inches high.

4. History and past controversies

It’s thought the first Grand National took place at Aintree in 1839, when it was won by a horse named Lottery. Since then, the race has become an institution, with incidents such as the false start in 1993 and the bomb scare of 1997 making national headlines.

Part of the fascination of the race is the danger, but there have been serious concerns about the safety of runners and riders in recent years. In 2012, the closest-ever finish to the race was overshadowed by the death of two horses, prompting more efforts to make the course safer. Many still protest against the race and the risks it poses to the competitors. Others argue that making the course less challenging encourages jockeys to take more risks.

5. Top tips: how to pick a Grand National winner

When the Grand National was first run at Aintree in 1839 it was won by a horse called Lottery, which seems fitting for a race that sees 40 horses tackle a four-mile course featuring 30 obstacles.

Despite or perhaps because of the randomness, the National has become a betting institution. Seasoned punters are joined by the once-a-year brigade at their local betting shop. A quarter of UK adults have a flutter on the race so what should the intelligent punter consider when looking to pick a winner?

Age of the horse

History tells us that nine is the peak age for a Grand National winner. Although the race has been won by horses aged from five to 15, a quarter of all winners have been nine years old. Choosing a horse between the ages of eight and 11 therefore makes sense.

“It’s no surprise that horses that aren’t too old or young do better in the race,” said The Daily Telegraph. “Stamina and jumping ability are essential for the Grand National. While younger horses tend to have more speed than stamina, older horses are often past their prime needed to pass the National’s many hurdles.”

Weight of the horse

The Grand National is a handicap steeplechase, with faster horses given extra weight to try and make the race more even. “The simple fact is that very few horses have managed to win carrying big weights,” said the Horse Racing Guide website. History shows that horses carrying more than 11st 6lb rarely prosper.

But it’s not always the main consideration, said Sporting Life. “A concerted effort has been made to improve the quality of the runners contesting the Grand National and that has resulted in the weights being compressed. As a result, lightly weighted horses are no longer the dominant force of old and five winners have carried 11-0 or higher.”

Stamina and experience

This ties in with the question of age and weight, as only the toughest horses will make the grade. “The Grand National is a gruelling race, and we’ve always maintained that only horses experienced at running over three miles or more can be expected to be in with a shout,” said the Horse Racing Guide website. Sporting Life agrees: “Siding with a runner that has proven form over an extreme trip is key.”

Form and odds

These factors should be key, but only one in six Grand Nationals are won by the favourite (although even the favourite usually starts with longer odds than 6-1). The epic nature of the race also tends to make form less important.

Name

Horses beginning with the letter R have the best record in the race, notes the Telegraph, which goes on to point out that the National has been won five times by horses called “Red”. But don’t be lured in by family connections, warns the paper. “Just a quarter of winners have had a human name.”

Trainers called Tom have more wins (11) than any other, with George (8), Fred (7) and James (7) following closely behind, according to research by GrandNational.org.uk. When it comes to ownership, 17 previous winning owners have been called John. That’s just shy of one in ten (9.8%), and includes last year’s winning horse, Minella Times – owned by John P McManus, which could be his golden ticket towards making it back-to-back victories.

Colour

If there’s no stand-out name to help you choose, then the jockey’s silks might help. “Pink seems to be a favourite with the ladies, but if you look at the stats, it’s not necessarily the wisest choice,” said Camilla Swift of The Spectator. “Green, yellow, or a combination of the two are the most successful colours.”

Should you bet on a long-shot?

Outsiders are “rare winners”, said Andrew Cunneen on Paddy Power. “Only nine of the last 30 winners came from outside the top eight in the betting, so if you want a ‘big’ price winner, you may have to lower your expectations.”

Could Deise Aba be the winner in 2022?

Historical research of each of the previous 173 Grand Nationals has revealed that the “typical winner” is a nine-year old horse with a handicap of 10st 7lbs, priced by bookies at 20/1 pre-race. The research by GrandNational.org.uk found that Deise Aba matches this description closest with an age of nine and handicap of 10st 7lbs.

Top trends to look for

According to Betfair’s Nic Doggett there are “certain trends to consider” when picking a National winner. “Finding the winner of the Grand National provides a sense of satisfaction like no other race, and most people can remember the first time – or maybe even the only time – they solved the 40-runner conundrum that is the Aintree extravaganza.”

Punters should look at the following trends:

• Age: look to horses between eight and 10
• Recent runners tend to fare well
• Chasing experience – this is a must
• An Aintree outing is a plus
• Try to find a winner at 3 miles or more
• Big weight is no barrier to success

6. Predictions: who will win the National?

There is “a growing feeling” that Snow Leopardess can “end a 71-year wait for a mare to win the Grand National”, said Marcus Armytage in The Daily Telegraph. If Snow Leopardess does win, “she would not only become the first mare to do so for 71 years, the first grey mare and, incredibly, the first to have already had a foal”, but victory would cap an “extraordinary lifetime with horses” for her owner-breeder Marietta Fox-Pitt.

A “great each-way chance” can come from the “super consistent” Fiddlerontheroof, trained by Colin Tizzard, said Tom Lunn on talkSPORT. “This 8-year-old often places behind top-class horses and not by far either.”

After a lot of “number crunching”, who will win the National, asked Andrew Cunneen on Paddy Power. Based on the stats and trends there are six horses who “shouldn’t be too far away at the end of the 34-furlong showcase event”. The six picks are Snow Leopardess, Escaria Ten, Longhouse Poet, Burrows Saint, Cloth Cap, and Éclair Surf.

7. Betting odds

Prices according to Oddschecker, as of 8 April

• Any Second Now: 10/1
• Delta Work: 10/1
• Snow Leopardess: 10/1
• Minella Times: 11/1
• Eclair Surf: 14/1
• Longhouse Poet: 16/1
• Fiddlerontheroof: 16/1
• Escaria Ten: 16/1
• Enjoy D’allen: 16/1
• Run Wild Fred: 18/1
• Burrows Saint: 25/1
• School Boy Hours: 25/1
• Cloth Cap: 28/1
• Fortescue: 28/1
• Good Boy Bobby: 30/1
• Mount Ida: 40/1
• Two For Gold: 40/1
• Discorama: 40/1
• Mighty Thunder: 40/1
• Death Duty: 40/1
• Commodore: 40/1
• De Rasher Counter: 50/1
• Santini: 50/1
• Kildisart: 50/1
• Dingo Dollar: 50/1
• Noble Yeats: 50/1
• Freewheelin Dylan: 50/1
• Lostintranslation: 60/1
• Blaklion: 66/1
• Anibale Fly: 66/1
• Samcro: 80/1
• Coko Beach: 80/1
• Top Ville Ben: 80/1
• Agusta Gold: 80/1
• Deise Aba: 80/1
• Brahma Bull: 80/1
• Poker Party: 100/1
• Domaine De L’Isle: 100/1
• Class Conte: 125/1
• Romain De Senam: 150/1

It has to be one of the biggest upsets in the 101-year-history of Europe’s most famous horse race, said Greg Wood in The Guardian. At the start of this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, few punters gave Torquator Tasso – named after the 16th century Italian poet – the slightest hope of scooping the £2.5m first prize.

In one of the strongest Arcs for several years, the German-trained colt, ridden by Arc debutant Rene Piechulek, was a 69-1 shot on the French Tote – and 80-1 with British bookmakers. And for the great majority of the race, there was no sign that the bookmakers were due a surprise, said BBC Sport.

With less than a furlong to go, it looked to be a two-way race between “well-fancied rivals Tarnawa and Hurricane Lane”. But then came one of those “what the hell’s that” moments, said Brough Scott in The Times. Appearing unexpectedly on the outside, Torquator Tasso made a spectacular dash to the line. He “drove into the lead just 50 metres out”, and finished three-quarters of a length clear.

The result was met with stunned silence in the grandstand – but perhaps it shouldn’t have been. As Torquator Tasso’s trainer, Marcel Weiss, pointed out, German horses have often done well at the Arc – with Star Appeal having pulled off an even more spectacular victory in 1975, winning at starting odds of 119-1.

Leading racehorse trainer Gordon Elliott has apologised “profoundly” after a picture was posted on social media of him sitting on a dead horse.

The image, taken “some time ago”, shows Elliott sitting on the animal, which had died of an apparent heart attack. He explained that he was distracted by a phone call when waiting for the horse to be removed from the gallops, the Racing Post reports.

Based at Cullentra House Stables in County Meath, Ireland, the 43-year-old is a Grand National, Gold Cup and Royal Ascot-winning trainer. This season he has trained more than 140 winners and is second to Willie Mullins in the Irish trainers’ championship, the BBC says.

“I would like to address the speculation and rumours that have been rife since an old photo of me began circulating on social media,” Elliott said in a statement. “Firstly, I apologise profoundly for any offence that this photo has caused and can categorically state that the welfare of each and every horse under my care is paramount and has been central to the success that we have enjoyed here at Cullentra.

“The photo in question was taken some time ago and occurred after a horse had died of an apparent heart attack on the gallops. I appreciate that an initial viewing of this photo suggests it is a callous and staged photo but nothing could be further from the truth.”

Investigation is launched

After the picture was shared widely on Twitter, an investigation was launched by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), Sky News reports. Elliott said he will be “cooperating fully” with the investigation.

British Horseracing Authority (BHA) called the image “shocking” and said that officials are in contact with its Irish counterparts, the BBC reports. The World Horse Welfare charity said the photo “looks abhorrent”.

“We hope the Irish authorities will quickly confirm how this shocking picture originated,” said the BHA. “Respect for horses is a fundamental value of our sport, contrary to the impression in this picture. The IHRB have assured us that the investigation will be carried out as quickly as possible and that they will keep us informed as more information becomes available.”

Betfair cuts ties

Bookmaker Betfair has also confirmed that its association with Elliott has been terminated.

“While we recognise that Gordon deeply regrets and apologised unreservedly for his poor judgement his actions are completely at odds with the values of the Betfair brand and that of our employees,” a statement said.

“With that in mind, we have decided to discontinue our association with Gordon with immediate effect.”

Down 150,000 fans and three horses, the 146th Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, some four months delayed from its traditional running on the first weekend in May. While there might be fewer mint juleps and sun hats in the stands this year, as well as an eeriness to the first Run of the Roses outside of May since 1945, just be thankful there's going to be an actual horse race at Churchill Downs and not a televized digital simulation of one.

There's never been a better time, then, to embrace totally illogical superstition and bet on a horse based on nothing more convincing than it's name. Let us present — as we have every year — the real odds of the Kentucky Derby, based on horse names alone. (Art Collector, King Guillermo, and the one-eyed colt Finnick the Fierce have all been scratched from both the race and thus this ranking at the time of writing).

Major Fed

Odds based on name alone: 75/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: I can't get past "Major Fed" sounding like an insult you'd use for a snitch: Ugh, don't be a major fed, man. In truth, it's a lot less exciting: The horse is "named for tennis star Roger Federer," writes the Lexington Herald Leader, which reports the origin of every horse's name in the 2020 Kentucky Derby. Still, that's pretty lame, especially when Major Fed's sire has one of the coolest horse names of all time: Ghostzapper.

Necker Island

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: Necker Island is the horse name equivalent of the word "moist," by which I mean it is gross in a way I can't quite place. Maybe it's because this horse is named after Richard Branson's private island in the British Virgin Islands, which is the sort of obnoxious status-obsessed allusion that only an uber-wealthy person could think was a good idea, or maybe it's because it's so close to "necking," which is the second-worst slang term for "kissing" after "snogging." (It's a shame about the name, too, because Necker Island's owner, Greg Harbut, has one of the most interesting stories at the race this year).

South Bend

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: Paging Pete Buttigieg! Although this horse is named after the Indiana town where the popular Democratic presidential candidate was previously mayor, South Bend's prior owner is not in fact a secret fan of Mayor Pete. In truth, South Bend was named by Under Armour owner Kevin Plank because he really likes Notre Dame football. What's truly alarming is that Plank was also the previous owner (and therefore namer) of Necker Island. Would someone please keep this man away from horses, at least until they've been named?

Money Moves

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: There's nothing tackier than naming a very expensive animal in a sport for rich people something that has to do with money (though if you've ever spent any time looking at yacht names in an upscale marina, you also know that this is not a deterrent). But, okay, it's hard to be too down on Money Moves since his name comes from Cardi B lyrics. "After [the owner's] winning bid was acknowledged, they played the Cardi B song 'Bodak Yellow' on the sound system," inspiring the name, reports the Lexington Herald Leader. Anyway, I'm looking forward to rooting for a horse named WAP at the Derby in 2023.

Authentic

Odds based on name alone: 45/1

Actual odds: 8/1

Analysis: Authentic is an immensely forgettable name. It slips instantly from the mind almost as soon as you hear it, like water off a duck's back. When I watch the derby, despite having spent all this time researching his name (which is likely a nod to his dam, Flawless), I'll still be surprised to rediscover that there's a horse named Authentic this year. "Huh. Authentic," I'll think to myself, and then never think about him again.

Winning Impression

Odds based on name alone: 40/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: Seems kind of like tempting fate to stick the word "winning" in the name of your racehorse (not that it's ever stopped anyone). The "Impression" part of the name, though, is actually quite clever: Apparently it's inspired by the horse's sire, Paynter, which led to the painter Monet, which led to his painting, Impression, Sunrise. Still, calling a horse "winning" anything is a little like naming it Zoomzoom Fastanimal: obvious and trying too hard. As a result, I do not in fact get a winning impression from this gelding.

Max Player

Odds based on name alone: 30/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: This is a basketball allusion (what is it with racehorses constantly being named for unrelated sports?), but like Winning Impression, it seems a little too on-the-nose. I guess MVP was already taken?

Enforceable

Odds based on name alone: 30/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: There's something just a little bit odd about this name, which suggests something constraining and binding — wouldn't Unenforceable have been a better name for a horse you presumably want to break away?

Honor A.P.

Odds based on name alone: 30/1

Actual odds: 5/1

Analysis: This academic overachiever has a name intended to trace his pedigree: It refers to his sire Honor Code, and his grand-sire, A.P. Indy. But stuck together as they are, the name sounds more like a highlight from an aspiring Ivy Leaguers' resume. It's also a bit of a shame that Honor A.P. didn't get a nod to his dam, Hollywood Story, in his name instead: "Precode Hollywood" would have been a great name for a racehorse.

Attachment Rate

Odds based on name alone: 15/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: I'm not quite sure what an attachment rate actually is, to be honest. The likelihood that I actually remember to attach documents before hitting "send" on a professional email? A measure of my attachment issues on any given day? A marketing term having to do with luxury refrigerators? The boring answer is that it's the last one, although the cheeky possibilities are endless.

Mr. Big News

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: I have a soft spot for horses with names that give away their aspirations to be major headlines, Suddenbreakingnews being an old favorite. This is the first time since the 1930s that the Kentucky Derby isn't the first race in the Triple Crown and with the Belmont Stakes already having been won by my top-pick horse, there probably won't be a chance for Mr. Big News to actually make big news. Still, I'm rooting for him to live up to his name, and I can't write off a horse that demands a proper honorific.

Storm the Court

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: This is yet another horse with a name that comes from its parents (My Tejana Storm and Court Vision), but it's serendipitously not a nonsense name like many others end up being. While court storming is admittedly another instance of a unrelated sport making its way into horse racing, there's something rather perfect about the exuberant victory celebration it suggests. Plus "storm" is always a safe bet in horse names, while also recalling greats of the sport like Storm Cat and Thunder Gulch.

Thousand Words

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 15/1

Analysis: Thousand Words is clearly hoping for a photo finish, but he got his name specifically because he's such an attractive horse. "He is gorgeous," Brookdale Farm's Joe Seitz told the Louisville Courier Journal. "He is an absolute movie star." He also comes from one of my favorite nominal lines, with his sire Pioneerof the Nile and Empire Maker before him — a father and grandfather shared by Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah — and a horse named Prettyatthetable on his maternal side.

Ny Traffic

Odds based on name alone: 5/1

Actual odds: 20/1

Analysis: The word "traffic" admittedly might not assure much speed, but if Ny Traffic navigates the track anything like a New York City cabbie — by which I mean, with an apparent death wish and a demonstrated hostility toward the concept of "stoplights" — then this horse could be a real winner.

Sole Volante

Odds based on name alone: 5/1

Actual odds: 30-1

Analysis: Sole Volante means "flying sun" in Italian — an elegant, classic, swift-sounding racehorse name. But as Thoroughbred Daily News notes, this "brilliant name" is also "quite a convergence of different languages," coming from Sole Volante's sire, Karakontie, whose name means "flying sun" in the Mohawk language. Karakontie's name, meanwhile, comes from his dam, Sun Is Up. Good names run in this family!

Tiz the Law

Odds based on name alone: 3/5

Actual odds: 3/5

Analysis: It is a rare thing indeed for the best horse in the race to also have the best name in the race. But Tiz the Law is a clear winner all around. This is another horse with a very traditional name, one honoring its sire, Constitution, and its dam, Tizfiz. Horse racing being the sport of kings, though, there's something thematically fitting about the resulting ring of Tiz the Law, which sounds almost like a disinterested royal dismissal: 'Tis the law, so off with your head. We're all just quivering subjects in Tiz the Law's kingdom: bow down to the best name of them all.

1. Virtual National raises £2.6m for the NHS

Potters Corner may have taken first place in Saturday’s Virtual Grand National but the real winner was the NHS.

Punters were allowed to bet on the CGI race at Aintree with profits going towards NHS Charities Together. In total £2.6m was raised for the health service’s charity.

Pre-race favourite Tiger Roll (5/1) finished fourth in the big race with Potters Corner (18/1) beating Walk In The Mill (16/1) and Any Second Now (10/1) to the finish line.

Christian Williams, trainer of Potters Corner, told BBC Sport: “There was great excitement in the house. The children were on their toy horses and it was great watching the race and seeing our horse come through to win.”

Red Rum was the winner of the Race of Champions - an event featuring 40 legendary National horses.

2. Dennis launches NHS meal initiative

The Independent reports that ex-McLaren boss Ron Dennis has helped to launch an initiative to provide one million free meals to NHS workers.

The Dennis family is donating £1m through their charity foundation Dreamchasing, alongside £500,000 in match-funding.

Speaking about the SalutetheNHS.org scheme, Dennis said: “We’re all in this together. I am delighted to be leading this initiative to help ensure that vital NHS workers have nutritious meals while they work every hour in this fight.

“It means they have one less thing to worry about. We have called this SalutetheNHS.org because I think we are all in awe of the work they are doing to save lives.”

F1: ‘four teams could disappear’, warns McLaren Racing CEO

3. Leclerc wins F1 Esports Virtual GP

The Grand National was not the only virtual sporting event at the weekend with Formula 1 hosting its virtual race last night.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the chequered flag on his F1 Esports Virtual GP debut while England cricket star Ben Stokes finished last racing for Red Bull.

The next race in the F1 esports series is the Chinese Virtual Grand Prix on Sunday 19 April.

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4. Real set sights on Kane

Spanish newspaper Sport says Real Madrid want to sign a new striker and are “aiming high” for Tottenham’s Harry Kane.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho does not want to sell his star man and even though a deal will be hard to complete, Real president Florentino Perez has his sights set on the 26-year-old England skipper.

Real Madrid ‘aim high’ for Kane and Lingard is set to ‘snub’ Arsenal

5. Southgate pay is cut by 30%

England head coach Gareth Southgate has taken a 30% pay cut as part of the Football Association’s plan to deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

FA employees who earn more than £50,000 a year will take a temporary pay reduction of 7.5% and senior management are taking a 15% cut. Southgate is included in the group of the FA’s highest earners who are reducing their pay by up to 30%.

“We want to take prudent and appropriate steps to help protect and support the FA and our employees during this unpredictable time,” said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham.

6. Williams furlough some staff

Williams Racing F1 team today announced that some staff members have been put on furlough while drivers George Russell and Nicholas Latifi have taken a 20% pay cut.

A statement said: “Due to the ongoing situation involving Covid-19, ROKiT Williams Racing is temporarily furloughing a number of employees as part of a wider range of cost-cutting measures. The furlough period will last until the end of May whilst senior management, and our drivers, have taken a pay cut of 20% effective from 1 April.

“These decisions have not been taken lightly, however our aim is to protect the jobs of our staff at Grove and ensuring they can return to full-time work when the situation allows.”

7. Van Dijk: I want to be an Anfield legend

Virgil van Dijk wants to go down in Liverpool history as a club legend.

When asked how he wanted to be remembered, the Dutch defender said: “As a Liverpool legend. I want to achieve incredible things here. I would like to be one of those players that return to Anfield after retiring. I see club legends at games and I feel part of a really big family.”

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8. Fury: Wilder one of my easiest fights

Tyson Fury says his rematch against Deontay Wilder was one of the “easiest” fights of his career.

In February Fury dominated the American to win the WBC title and the British fighter told talkSPORT: “To be honest I was quite disappointed in the challenge that Wilder brought.

“Like I said, it would be one of my easiest fights, and it was. I believe that was one of my easiest fights apart from the early knockovers that I had. And on this level you don’t usually get that sort of easy victory, with heavyweight champions of the world.”

9. Walker faces £250,000 fine for sex party

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker is facing disciplinary action after breaking lockdown rules by hosting a party involving two sex workers.

Walker has apologised but his club said in a statement: “We are disappointed to hear the allegations, note Kyle’s swift statement and apology, and will be conducting an internal disciplinary procedure in the coming days.”

According to the Daily Mirror Walker could be hit with a £250,000 fine, which would represent about two and a half weeks wages.

10. Back pages: Civil war rages on

One story dominates the back pages and that is the increasingly ugly civil war that is raging within the top flight of English football.

“Revolt” is the single word headline in the Daily Mirror, below headshots of all 20 Premier League captains.

The paper says that the skippers have formed a WhatsApp group to fight what they believe is the “disgusting” proposal for 30% pay cuts that they believe have been designed to ease the burden of wealthy club owners.

Today’s back pages

Liverpool slammed for furlough move as football’s civil war rages on

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Horse racing fans will be glued to their TV sets on Saturday when the “Grand National” is held at Aintree in Liverpool.

Not the real National of course - or the real horses. That’s because the big race at Aintree is one of the many major sporting events to have been cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event that viewers will be tuning in for this weekend is the Virtual Grand National - the computer-generated version of the world’s most famous steeplechase.

In a special show starting at 5pm on Saturday ITV will broadcast the Virtual Grand National and the Race of Champions.

Two-time defending champion Tiger Roll was denied the chance of making it a hat-trick this year, but the thoroughbred will feature in both events.

According to Oddschecker Tiger Roll is the clear favourite to win the Virtual Grand National. However, the bookies believe that Red Rum will get the better of him in the Race of Champions.

Here we look at the history of the virtual race plus the TV details, runners and betting odds.

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What is the virtual National?

The virtual version of the Grand National has been held since 2017. Created by Inspired Entertainment, the race will feature 40 horses and use CGI technology and algorithms to generate a result.

GrandNational.org.uk reports that Inspired uses “past form, the views of a panel of experts, the going and weather conditions to assess the likely outcome, but the computer makes the final decisions”.

Rob McLoughlin, the executive producer of the Virtual Grand National, said: “We use the latest CGI technology and algorithms and we’re ready for Tiger Roll to be a forerunner but now we want to cheer the nation up and we’ll ask the computer if history could have been made.

“It’s very sad not to have the real race but Inspired’s virtual race is fascinating and has proven since 2017 to be incredibly accurate.

“It is brave to preview the most unpredictable race of all, but also great fun. In 2018 it was astonishing to be able to tell the country who would win - and to do it in almost identical circumstances.

“In these difficult times we want the public to simply enjoy the race that sadly never was and think about what might have been.”

What were the past results?

In 2018 the same horse - Tiger Roll - won the virtual and actual National while in 2017 Cause Of Causes won the virtual but finished second in the real race. Last year Rathvinden was the virtual race winner and placed third in the actual race.

Steve Rogers, chief commercial officer for virtual sports at Inspired, said: “In 2017, Cause of Causes won the Virtual Grand National and came a close second in the real race hours later.

“The 2018 result was breathtaking as Tiger Roll won both in almost identical circumstances and the computer chose three of the top-five finishers, including Tiger Roll, in 2019.”

McLoughlin added: “In 2019 Tiger Roll was placed second and the winner Rathvinden came third so the computer has been remarkably accurate.

“I think the use of virtual technology and AI [artificial intelligence] ahead of great sporting events will become the ‘norm’ in the future.”

McCoy: a great initiative

Jump legend AP McCoy, the 2010 Grand National winner on Don’t Push It, says although it’s a shame the main event is off the virtual race is a great initiative, especially with betting profits going to NHS Charities Together.

The William Hill ambassador told The Sun: “I know how much this race means to everyone so it is a great shame this year’s race cannot be run. Believe you me, it meant everything to me to win it.

“It may not be quite the same on Saturday but I think the virtual race is a great initiative and fantastic the money will be going to good causes at a time like this.

“I hope the public will get right behind it and support it. These are tough times and I hope the virtual national will be a bit of fun and the chance to raise money for charity. We will certainly be watching.”

Champions go head-to-head

The Race of Champions CGI event will see 40 legendary horses race over the Aintree jumps. Three-time winner Red Rum and current back-to-back winner Tiger Roll will go head-to-head with 38 other champions.

Aintree legend Richard Pitman said: “It is the dream race, the one everyone will want to see, the legend and the competitor head-to-head and it can only happen as part of this ITV special.

“Both were trained for the flat, both are small and both have found a natural home over the Aintree jumps, so to see them compete with 38 other famous legends over the real course and famous fences will be magnificent.”

Rogers added: “My team have been working round the clock to make this year even more realistic than ever, and we can’t wait to screen the Red Rum versus Tiger Roll match. It’s terrific TV.”

Can Tiger Roll beat Red Rum?

Oddschecker reports that the bookies make Red Rum the “odds-on favourite” to beat Tiger Roll in the Race of Champions. Red Rum is priced at 1/2 while Tiger Roll is priced at 3/2.

Ed Jeanes says: “It will be interesting to see how the computer sees these two greats faring, when they battle it out on Saturday. The legendary three-time winner, Red Rum, arguably the most famous horse of all time is back to take his crown from the current champion.

“Tiger Roll, the current back-to-back winner was denied a shot at the hat-trick this year, but can he get the better of Red Rum this weekend?

“The bookmakers think it will be a tough ask, clearly believing Red Rum’s incredible record in the race will favour him when they lock horns.”

What TV channel are the races on?

In a special programme starting at 5pm, ITV 1 will broadcast the Virtual Grand National and the Race of Champions. The Virtual Grand National will start at 5.15pm - the time slot usually allocated for the real main event at Aintree.

NHS the big winner from bets

Punters will be able to place online bets on the Virtual Grand National and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has confirmed that all profits will be donated to NHS Charities Together, the umbrella organisation which represents more than 140 NHS charities.

The initiative has the backing of BGC members including bet365, William Hill, Flutter Entertainment, Sky Bet, GVC, BetFred, Betway, BetVictor, JenningsBet and Inspired Entertainment.

Stakes will be limited to £10 per horse per customer for the event or £10 each way per horse. In addition, the Tote will be providing a pool on the race and donating profits to charity.

In his prediction David Brayshaw of GrandNational.org.uk said: “One can be pretty sure that the result will be pretty accurate so, this year, I’m taking Burrows Saint to beat Tiger Roll with Kimberlite Candy and Beware The Bear third and fourth.”

Virtual Grand National: runners and odds

Oddschecker reports that the 40 horses for Saturday’s Virtual Grand National have been confirmed. Tiger Roll is the clear favourite at 5/1, ahead of Any Second Now (10/1) and Burrows Saint (12/1).

Betting odds

Prices according to Oddschecker

• Tiger Roll: 5/1
• Any Second Now: 10/1
• Burrows Saint: 12/1
• Definitly Red: 14/1
• Walk In The Mill: 16/1
• Kimberlite Candy: 16/1
• Magic Of Light: 18/1
• Potters Corner: 18/1
• Elegant Escape: 20/1
• Anibale Fly: 20/1
• Bristol De Mai: 20/1
• Ok Corral: 25/1
• Alpha Des Obeaux: 25/1
• Ballyoptic: 25/1
• Talkischeap: 25/1
• Pleasant Company: 28/1
• Yala Enki: 28/1
• Vintage Clouds: 33/1
• Acapella Bourgeois: 33/1
• Sub Lieutenant: 33/1
• Beware The Bear: 33/1
• The Storyteller: 40/1
• Jury Duty: 40/1
• Total Recall: 40/1
• Top Ville Ben: 45/1
• Lake View Lad: 50/1
• Death Duty: 50/1
• Dounikos: 50/1
• Jett: 50/1
• Kildisart: 50/1
• Peregrine Run: 66/1
• Crievehill: 66/1
• Valtor: 66/1
• Ramses De Teillee: 66/1
• Saint Xavier: 66/1
• Aso: 66/1
• Shattered Love: 66/1
• Tout Est Permis: 80/1
• Warriors Tale: 80/1
• Double Shuffle: 100/1

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The Cheltenham Festival, the biggest week in the horse racing calendar, gets underway today.

With 28 races across four days, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, there is plenty of action ahead.

There had been doubts over whether the meet, which attracts 250,000 spectators, would go ahead because of the coronavirus outbreak, but organisers opted to continue.

It is the third year in a row the festival has overcome obstacles to go ahead. Last year equine flu put the event at risk and in 2018 snow threatened the festival.

The big race of the day is the Champion Hurdle, but there will also be plenty of interest in the curtain raiser – the Supreme Novices Hurdle.

But the most shocking news on day one concerned star horse Altior, who was due to race in Wednesday’s Queen Mother Champions Chase but has pulled out after suffering problems with a dormant bone splint on Sunday.

The two-time champion was aiming to become the first horse since Badsworth Boy in 1985 to win three Champion Chase titles.

"We were genuinely optimistic that he'd be sound this morning,” said trainer Nicky Henderson. “That is not the case.

“It's brutal - it's not an issue that has ever bothered him before, he’s never taken a lame step in his life. The timing is just ridiculous.”

Altior was possibly the biggest name on the race cards this week and his withdrawal is “a bitter blow for Nicky Henderson, and means one of the week’s most anticipated battles, with the two-time Champion Chase winner taking on Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi, will no longer take place”, says The Guardian.

Tuesday Tip:

3.30 Champion Hurdle: Epatante

“The biggest field since Punjabi won in 2009 has few credible contenders,” says tipster Marlborough of the Daily Telegraph. “Nicky Henderson has four chances of a record eighth success and the pick is Epatante. I feel certain we have yet to witness the best of her and an authoritative, comfortable, Christmas Hurdle victory already gives her the best form credentials.”

The Queen and her extended family were out in force in Berkshire yesterday to take part in the celebrations at Royal Ascot.

The Duchess of Cambridge missed the annual race meeting last year after giving birth to son Prince Louis in April, but made a dazzling return on Tuesday, wearing a “light blue Elie Saab dress detailed with lace and a pussy bow”, CNN reports.

Drizzly weather failed to dampen the Royals’ enthusiasm, as Kate and Prince William “happily greeted other family members before heading up the Royal Box”, says People magazine. “And when the rain came down again, William was armed with a black umbrella that he held over himself and his wife.”

Thousands of racegoers also braved the bad weather to greet a procession of royal carriages along the famous Berkshire course.

And there was much amusement over an incident during a conversation between the Queen and Mike Tindall, husband of the monarch’s granddaughter Zara Tindall. The former England rugby star bowed to the Queen and removed his top hat, only to reveal a tiny replica top hat hidden inside.

On the racing front, Charlie Appleby-trained horse Blue Point won the King’s Stand Stakes for a second successive year, finishing ahead of 2-1 favourite Battaash, the BBC reports. Blue Point, priced at 5-2, was ridden by James Doyle and becomes only the 12th horse to win the race twice.

“He is one of the old warriors in the yard and it has been a great effort from everyone at home,” said Appleby.

Everyone has a different superstition for betting on racehorses, be it the color of the horse's coat, the pattern of the jockey silks, or a lucky post position. If you ask me, though, it's all in the name — some are simply luckier than others. A "Whirlaway" is just going to beat a "Staretor" every time.

Following that logic (or lack thereof), and as we have every year, The Week offers you our own Kentucky Derby odds, determined exclusively by the quality of each horse's name.

Tax

Odds based on name alone: 75/1

Actual odds: 20/1

Analysis: Yeah, that's it. Just ... Tax. Many racehorse names are nods to the Thoroughbreds' parents, and Tax is no different; his dam was named "Toll." Still, this is a strange name for a horse in a sport known for attracting the uber-wealthy, a perhaps unintentional reminder of the racehorse tax break or the fact that some of the owners pay less than their fair share by using tax havens. Or maybe it is intended to caution an overly-optimistic bettor that you still have to deduct tax from your winnings. While the word itself is sonically catchy — "tax" has a bit of an onomatopoeic skip to it, like hooves clicking along concrete — the name itself is a head-scratcher for a racehorse.

Improbable

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 5/1

Analysis: Racehorse owners love to give their colts and fillies names that suggest the ability to overcome long odds (see also: Untapped; Sporting Chance) and that's exactly the case with Improbable, despite 6/1 odds not really making him a true underdog. Improbable is also intended as a clever homage to the horse's dam, Rare Event, Louisville's Courier-Journal reports. Still, I don't love these dewy-eyed one-word names that seem to be gunning for an eponymous movie to be made about the horses later.

Game Winner

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 4/1

Analysis: If "Improbable" is tip-toeing around the point, Game Winner just comes out and says it — and as goofy as that might be, I kind of can't help but respect the awkward clunkiness of this name. The only thing that would make Game Winner's name more ridiculous would be if this horse was just flat-out called Derby Winner (alas, that name was already taken). In an interview with the Courier-Journal, owner Gary West confessed that "there's no particular story behind the horse's name," which yeah, no kidding.

Win Win Win

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 14/1

Analysis: The origins of Win Win Win's name are actually pretty neat: His sire is named Hat Trick. Get it? Unfortunately, the sitting president has made this name cringeworthy, and I personally can't help but hear "Win Win Win" in his voice. While this name would be higher ranked if it was an isolated nod to that timeless, under-the-breath gambler prayer for victory, Win Win Win instead feels unintentionally political, even if his owners aren't likely to have concerns about getting "sick and tired of winning."

Long Range Toddy

Odds based on name alone: 45/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: Willis Horton Racing typically names its horses after family members, the Kentucky Derby's Tales from the Crib blog writes, and "Long Range Toddy" honors Horton's daughter-in-law's nephew (Horton confirmed "I'm about to run out of names"). The marksman connotation, as well as the reference to distance, both work well for a Derby runner, alluding to the speed and precision of a bullet and Churchill Down's long 10 furlongs. Still, giving people names to horses is never any fun; this is the time to go crazy with the likes of "Suddenbreakingnews" and "Palace Malice" and "Too Sleepy To Zip." Apologies to gun-crazy Toddy, but this just isn't up to snuff.

Country House

Odds based on name alone: 40/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: There is nothing speedy about the name "Country House." First of all, the word "country" brings to mind a slower pace of life, a leisurely way of doing business, an escape from the responsibilities of the city. Houses, meanwhile, are neither sleek nor aerodynamic. You might as well name a horse Retirement Community or Off Picking Daisies or Bag of Anvils. It's just not a racehorse name! Nevertheless, I'll leave it open to the possibility that it is immensely ironic and not put it at the bottom of the list.

Tacitus

Odds based on name alone: 35/1

Actual odds: 8/1

Analysis: Hey, who'd have thought that reading an article about racehorse names could teach you something about ancient Rome? The erudite name of this horse comes from the historian Tacitus, who's famous for recording the reigns of emperors Tiberius, Claudius, and the tyrannical Nero. Still, there's not a lot of pizzazz to being named after a long-dead answer to an AP History pop quiz. That's a shame, because Tacitus comes from a long line of horses with great names, including Storm Cat, Gone West, Seattle Slew, Nijinsky II, and Secretariat himself. I suppose "Incitatus" was taken.

Plus Que Parfait

Odds based on name alone: 35/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: This name, which refers to the pluperfect tense in French, gives me traumatic flashbacks to conjugation tables in high school. The pluperfect tense is used to denote something that happened at a specific prior point in the past; in English, it is formed with had, as in "Plus Que Parfait had won the Kentucky Derby." Translated more literally, though, the name doubly means "more than perfect," which has the same problem as the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, which is that "perfect" is an absolute and it is impossible for something (say, a union) to be more perfect. As a professional writer of words, the fact that there is a Derby horse whose name is a literal grammar joke tickles me. As a survivor of level six Spanish class, it makes me shudder.

Master Fencer

Odds based on name alone: 30/1

Actual odds: 60/1

Analysis: Master Fencer is the first Japanese-bred horse to race in the Kentucky Derby, and its name does something to correct the legacy of his dam's extremely terrible one: Sexy Zamurai (and no, that's not a typo). Master Fencer was named via a game played by the employees of his training facility, the Courier-Journal reports, although America's Best Racing writes that owner Katsumi Yoshizawa is such a fan of American horses that he typically puts the name "American" in their names. Still, a name like Master Fencer suggests this colt has a bit of fight in him, which boosts him a bit in the rankings. En garde!

Maximum Security

Odds based on name alone: 30/1

Actual odds: 6/1

Analysis: Maximum Security's owner claims that there is no reason behind his name, which makes it all the stranger — why just happen to pick a name that makes everyone think of a penal state? Still, racehorse owners love a good macho-sounding name and Maximum Security gets the job done. It does double-duty, too, suggesting that the horse is unpassable and gives utmost dependability to those putting money on his name. It's a bit ridiculous, but there are certainly worse names out there.

Vekoma

Odds based on name alone: 30/1

Actual odds: 20/1

Analysis: The roller coaster subreddit is very excited about this horse, which is named after a Dutch amusement ride designer. While I'm normally staunchly against brand names for horses, "Vekoma" is blessedly no Audible. His name even makes a bit of sense as a homage to his dam, named Candy Ride. I love the sound of this word, too, which has a bit of a zoom to it. A name that evokes a roller coaster is great for a racehorse, too. Points for the association, although naming your horse after a brand still remains a dumb thing to do.

Haikal

Odds based on name alone: 25/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: This year's "Merriam-Webster defines ..." candidate is Haikal, whose name is a Coptic vocabulary lesson as much as it is a "classical Arabic name" befitting a racehorse belonging to Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai. As Tales from the Crib goes on to explain, Haikal in Arabic means "boundary," and fits thematically with Sheikh Hamdan's other horses, such as the racehorse Jazil ("tremendous") and Haikal's dam, Sablah ("morning"). While something could very well be lost in translation, I'm not quite sure what a boundary has to do with horses or racing. That being said, I can speak to the sound of the word, which has both strong consonants and a bit of poetry to its swinging A's. If a combination of strength and poetry isn't what is required of a racehorse, then I don't know what is.

By My Standards

Odds based on name alone: 20/1

Actual odds: 20/1

Analysis: I can't help but like this weirdly rude horse name! "By My Standards" seems to have a passive-aggressive sneer practically built into it — by my standards, things would have been done differently, but sure, go ahead, keep on doing it your way. The actual naming process described by the Courier-Journal was more innocuous: "We keep a number of names, and when it's time to name horses we just go down the list ... We listen to music and pick out lyrics to songs, titles of songs, different clichés." Two thoughts: First, owners, put some actual effort into these names! Secondly, despite the incredibly boring and random way this horse was named, it still kind of owns.

Code of Honor

Odds based on name alone: 15/1

Actual odds: 10/1

Analysis: OK, so owner William S. Farish might not exactly be the most original horse namer out there; he also ran a Thoroughbred named Honor Code in 2014, and apparently wanted to recycle the name for his Derby-competing colt. But because there can be no repeat names in the Jockey Club, you get, uh, Code of Honor. While that might not be as catchy as "Honor Code," the name is a bit of a nod to both the horse's sire, Noble Mission, and Farish's previous stint as the ambassador to the U.K. between 2001 and 2004. It's a virtuous name without feeling forced. You know what they say: If a name ain't broke, don't fix it.

War of Will

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 20/1

Analysis: No, you didn't miss something in history class; the War of Will never happened. This name is more of a play on the saying "a battle of wills" — again with the combat names! But while War of Will would be knocked down close to the bottom of this list if that was all it had going for it, this horse actually goes by its initials: WOW. Yes, WOW the Kentucky Derby horse (free idea for a children's book author!). It's so silly that I absolutely adore it.

Bodexpress

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 40/1

Analysis: You know what I was saying about the importance of not giving horses people names? I have my exceptions, and this is one. Bodexpress' name comes from his sire, Bodemeister, who in turn was named after trainer Bob Baffert's son, Bode. That alone isn't particularly interesting, but what is fun is that Bode Baffert was named after Olympic Gold Medalist skier Bode Miller, Zayat Stables reports on its blog. It takes a few eponyms, but Bodexpress is therefore indirectly named after a legendary alpine ski racer, which is quite fitting for a horse. The "express" part of the name, which shares the "E" with Bode, also plays into the speediness of the name and the ski-themed name (detachable chairlifts are frequently called expresses). It should be noted, though, that Bodexpress is the 2019 Derby's first and only also, and was added to the race on Thursday after Omaha Beach (a perfectly average name) was scratched due to a case of entrapped epiglottis.

Gray Magician

Odds based on name alone: 5/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: I really hope this owner is a Lord of the Rings fan, and Gray Magician is a roundabout reference to Gandalf the Gray. More likely, though, this name is a homage to the horse's sire, Graydar. Gray Magician got lucky, nevertheless: Most racehorses end up with names that don't particularly relate to their characteristics and are more for jumping through the hoops required by the Jockey Club for registration, but Gray Magician is an exception with a silvery coat to match (fun fact to impress your friends over mint juleps: It has been 14 years since a gray horse won the Derby, and three colts, including Magician, will have a chance to break that streak this year). Perhaps most important of all, Gray Magician dodged a bullet — he has a half-sibling out there who is unluckily named Baydar.

Cutting Humor

Odds based on name alone: 3/1

Actual odds: 20/1

Analysis: Cutting Humor has a name that is a traditional combination of his dam and sire — that would be First Samurai and Pun, respectively. Everyone, please take a moment to reflect on how great a name "Pun" is. Moving on, "Cutting Humor" is a prefect tribute to his bloodline, while also implying this horse has a caustic wit, which delights me. As it breaks down as a racehorse name specifically, "cutting" gives the name a violent sort of swiftness worthy of a champion athlete, while "humor" reminds everyone to keep a bit of perspective. This is, in the end, all for fun.

Spinoff

Odds based on name alone: 5/2

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: Spinoff is yet another horse with a homage name but no, his sire was not named Frasier or Better Call Saul. Instead, Spinoff is the fortuitously-named colt of Hard Spun (which is itself a very mediocre name). I love this racehorse name because of the word's zippiness, the visual image of something careening off from the whole, and the way the name almost underestimates itself, the way a true spinoff TV show might seem second-place to its source material. Of course, spinoffs are sometimes even better than their sources, and this horse's name gets to the heart of that unbridled potential.

Roadster

Odds based on name alone: 2/1

Actual odds: 9/2

Analysis: I am a sucker for a great one-word horse name, and am absolutely thrilled by "Roadster," which is at once totally goofy and completely a racehorse name (the sire is "Quality Road"). It's a tad hard to take a horse named Roadster seriously, though — it is neither traditional, patriotic, romantic, or anything close to expected. Named after the sporty two-seat car body style, Roadster plays into the long, dueling history between the automobile and (literal) horse power. But don't overthink it: The name implies the speed of a flashy red convertible, but also undercuts its own self-seriousness with the silly -ster prefix. "Horsester" is not yet claimed as a name by the Jockey Club, but should absolutely be one of this colt's eventual progenies. For that reason alone, I think ol' Roadster is going to have a great Saturday in Louisville.

Cheltenham Festival

• When: March 12-15
• TV: Big races on ITV1, all races on Racing TV
• Main races: Tuesday - Champions Hurdle (3.30pm), Wednesday - Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30pm), Thursday - Ryanair Chase (2.50pm), Stayers Hurdle (3.30pm), Friday - Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30pm)

Champion Hurdle tips

The Cheltenham Festival gets underway today with high winds and rain forecast for the biggest week in the racing calendar.

The main race on day one is the Unibet Champion Hurdle at 3.30pm with Buveur D’Air aiming to become the first horse since Istabraq to win it three times.

The race pits Willie Mullins, Nicky Henderson and Gordon Elliott – “the three trainers who have dominated the Cheltenham Festival in recent years” – against each other, says Rob Wright in The Times.

Buveur D’Air, the 11/4 second favourite trained by Henderson, faces stern competition from Apples Jade, Elliott’s 2/1 favourite, and the unbeaten Mullins trained Laurina at 3/1.

Opinion on who will win is split.

Buveur D’Air “may prove good enough in this field”, says Chris Cook of The Guardian.

But Wright of the Times believes Laurina could spring a surprise.

“This represents a rise in class for Laurina, whose form does not yet match that of either Buveur D’Air or Apple’s Jade,” he says. “However, she has won her six starts by an average of over 17 lengths and always looks to have much more to give.

“Mullins would not be throwing Laurina in here if he did not believe that she was up to the task and the mare can provide her jockey Ruby Walsh with a record fifth win in this race.”

Marcus Armytage of the Daily Telegraph also likes the look of Mullins’ mount.

“I am a sucker for the unbeaten because there is an aura about them, but, cast your mind back 12 months, and Laurina’s 18-length victory over the useful Cap Soleil in the Trull House Mares’ Novice Hurdle was the most visually-impressive success of the meeting.

“There are as many people who think Buveur D’Air is underrated as there are those who reckon he is overrated and, perhaps, if he wins, he will be loved, after all. In all probability, Apple’s Jade’s fan club is bigger, but trying to make all in a Champion Hurdle may even be beyond her talent.”

But Michael Cooper of the Evening Standard believes Apples Jade can “confirm herself as one of the great mares of all time” by winning.

“Buveur D’Air is “unlikely to surrender his crown without a fight” but is conceding weight to Apples Jade who “trounced” the opposition in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month.

“Indeed, it may be that another mare, Laurina, an easy winner of a novice contest at the meeting last year, emerges as the main threat,” he says.

The Week tip: Laurina

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has cancelled all race meetings across the United Kingdom today because of an outbreak of equine influenza.

Four meetings - Huntingdon, Doncaster, Ffos Las and Chelmsford - had been planned to take place today but according to BBC Sport the decision to cancel has been made after “three vaccinated horses in an active yard tested positive for the disease”.

The Racing Post reports that trainer Donald McCain has confirmed his Cheshire stable was the source of the outbreak. McCain said in a statement: “We have three confirmed cases and this morning have taken blood and swabs from all the others for testing.”

Horses from the infected yard raced yesterday at Ayr and Ludlow and the BHA says this has “potentially exposed a significant number of horses from yards across the country and in Ireland”.

In a statement the BHA said: “The fact that the cases have been identified in vaccinated horses presents a cause for significant concern over welfare and the potential spread of the disease and the action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease.

“The BHA has worked quickly to identify which yards could have potentially been exposed and identify the further actions required. The BHA is presently communicating with yards potentially exposed to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid possible further spread of the disease.

“The full extent of potential exposure is unknown and we are working quickly to understand as much as we can to assist our decision making.

“The BHA is working closely with the Animal Health Trust. We recommend that any trainer who has concerns about the health status of any of their horses should contact their veterinarian.”

Wolverhampton has called off its meeting on Saturday but no decision has yet been made on Friday and Saturday’s fixtures at Newcastle and Southwell.

Racing will continue in Ireland, says the BBC, but runners from Britain are not permitted until further notice.

What is equine flu?

The BHA website states: “Equine influenza is a highly infectious disease of horses, mules and donkeys occurring globally caused by strains of influenza A virus.

“It is the most potentially damaging of the respiratory viruses that occur in UK equines and disease symptoms in non–immune animals include high fever, coughing and nasal discharge.

“Equine influenza can be highly contagious and – unlike other infectious diseases – can be airborne over reasonable distances as well as be transmitted indirectly, including via people. There are no known consequences for humans associated with exposure to the disease.”

British horse racing has been hit by violence at meets for a second weekend running, with two mass brawls breaking out at Ascot on Saturday.

One of the fights involved up to eight people, and the other up to 20 young men, four of whom were taken to hospital, The Times reports.

Last week up to 50 people were embroiled in a fight at Goodwood, with video footage posted on social media showing one man being kicked in the head.

There is a “clear risk of further such scenes” at this year’s Royal Ascot, which runs from 19 to 23 June. The event has previously been marred by violence on Ladies Day in 2011 and 2017, reports The Guardian.

“Also at last year’s Royal week, an unidentified racegoer threw a plastic pint glass full of beer at the jockey Andrea Atzeni as he rode to the start,” adds the newspaper.

Matthew Lincoln, a syndicate owner of a contender in the Royal Hunt Cup, called on Ascot racecourse and the British Horseracing Authority to ensure the violent scenes will not be repeated. Lincoln said on social media that the prospect of further fights had left him “seriously considering staying away” from the race meeting, on 20 June.

“Racetracks need to invest in more robust security measures, which may even mean paying for a more significant police presence,” Lincoln told The Guardian. “It might sound drastic but how else are we to deter troublemakers?”

Ashley Morton-Hunte, communications manager for Ascot racecourse, said: “Our annual preparation for Royal Ascot includes a scenario session, which will take place this week, as planned. Topical issues are discussed with relevant authorities and preventative measures will be agreed then.”

It’s been a week of shame for the global horse racing industry. A huge brawl marred the opening meeting of the season at Goodwood while in Australia five trainers and three stablehands were found guilty of doping-related offences.

The Times reports that 50 people were involved in a fight at Goodwood that left four men in hospital. Video footage posted on social media showed one man being kicked in the head.

No one has been arrested for the brawl, but the Racing Post says that police are seeking witnesses of the incident at Goodwood and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) will pay “increased attention to crowd control and security in the future licensing of racecourses”.

Goodwood general manager Alex Eade told the Racing Post: “It’s really bad for our sport, it’s particularly bad for Goodwood. No-one is more shocked than me because this sort of thing doesn’t happen at Goodwood.”

According to the Times, measures will now be stepped up to tackle “excessive drinking, drug-taking and other anti-social behaviour” at the UK’s racecourses. The BHA and the Racecourse Association (RCA) will review the incidents at Goodwood and sniffer dogs will be introduced at leading Flat meetings this summer.

It’s not just Goodwood where trouble has flared. There have also been incidents at Royal Ascot, Newmarket, Cheltenham and Aintree in the past 14 months, says the Times.

A BHA spokesman said: “Incidents such as those at the weekend cast the sport in a poor light and cause understandable concern. We will be writing to Goodwood to ask for their assessment of the events that occurred at their fixture on Saturday, and what steps they will take as a result.

“We will also be writing to the RCA for their views on issues regarding racegoer behaviour more generally.”

Australia’s ‘biggest’ racing scandal

Meanwhile the BBC says that the findings of a doping investigation is the “biggest scandal” to ever hit horse racing in Australia.

ABC reports that five trainers and three stablehands have been found guilty by Victoria’s Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board of doping-related offences. The eight faced a total of 271 charges relating to more than 100 races between 2010 and 2017.

The five trainers - Robert Smerdon, Stuart Webb, Tony Vasil, Liam Birchley and Trent Pennuto - and the three stablehands - Daniel Garland, Greg Nelligan and his wife Denise Nelligan - were linked to the now-defunct Aquanita Racing stable, the BBC reports. None of the eight had pleaded guilty.

A statement by Victoria’s Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board said the case was “probably the biggest scandal and the most widespread investigation in the history of Australian racing”.

The statement continued: “There has been dishonest, corrupt or fraudulent, improper or dishonourable actions of the highest order.”

What's in a name? Well, for us casual thrice-a-year fans of horse racing who are only just now starting to pay attention to Saturday's Kentucky Derby, the answer is basically "everything." Rather than slog through the mental calculus involved in determining whether Justify's first-place finish at the Santa Anita Derby is enough to overcome Apollo's Curse, wouldn't you rather just make a snap judgment based on his name?

As we did last year (and the year before that), The Week offers you the Kentucky Derby odds, determined solely based on the quality of each horse's name.

Audible

Odds based on name alone: 75/1

Actual odds: 8/1

Analysis: You might be shocked to learn this horse is not in fact owned by Amazon but instead takes its name from football, when a quarterback changes the play call at the line of scrimmage. That hasn't stopped Amazon from obnoxiously being all over this colt, though. The company has set up a webpage to support Audible, promising users that if he wins, "everyone will get a free download of American Pharoah," and "the Audible.com logo is visible on the horse's training blanket" as part of the sponsorship, the Louisville Courier Journal writes. Let this be a lesson to us all: Nothing bleeds the fun out of sports like a terrible corporate sponsorship!

Combatant

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: Combatant gets a participation trophy for at least trying to be something memorable and intimidating, although the end result is about as generic a name as something like "Gladiator" or "Fighter." Surprisingly, this is the only vaguely war-related name in the bunch (at least if you don't count the Navy-inspired Lone Sailor), while last year's Run of the Roses represented everything from Irish War Cry to Battle of Midway. Combatant doesn't exactly have the same oomph as those names though, and without any sort of modifier to give it flavor, it sits at a dull second-to-last in this year's ranking.

Noble Indy

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: Noble Indy is a classically named racehorse, taking its name from its sire, Take Charge Indy, and its dam, Noble Maz. To be fair, "Noble Indy" is the better combination of the two — "Take Charge Maz" is 100 percent worse. With ancestors like Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Lady Take Charge, Weekend Surprise, Illusive Note, Storm Cat, and Dixieland Band, though, you can't help but wonder if the owners could have taken the liberty of breaking tradition and going back to those roots when naming Noble Indy. Illusive Surprise? Seattle Storm? Dixieland Lady? Surely there was something better.

Vino Rosso

Odds based on name alone: 45/1

Actual odds: 12/1

Analysis: You know what's even classier than red wine? Red wine … in Italian. Vino Rosso is sort of the horse equivalent of suburban dads who call their houses Casa de Smith or Villa Roberts in order to sweeten the fact that no, you live in Hoboken. The co-owners reportedly wanted to give a nod to their shared Italian heritage with "Vino Rosso," and the Kentucky Derby's Tales from the Crib blog adds that they felt it was "an apt description for a mellow colt bred to be better with age and maturity." Why not go all in, though, if we're playing this game? Come si dice mint julep?

Instilled Regard

Odds based on name alone: 40/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: Instilled Regard is "a phrase that represents an attitude toward life," owner Larry Best claims, "of having respect for all the competition and a desire to wish them well." There is a certain straight-laced seriousness to the words "instilled" and "regard," though, that comes off like the coach instructing his little leaguers to shake hands after a game while the kids surreptitiously spit on their hands. This is a horse race, for goodness sake. It's 2018, we have watch-sized computers and missions to Mars and meal replacement superbeverages and people are still wearing funny hats to horse races and naming the animals things like Instilled Regard. Lighten up.

Solomini

Odds based on name alone: 35/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: Justin Zayat, the CEO of Racing and Bloodstock, is a man who respects a good name. "We try to give the horses names that are marketable and fun to say," he told The Washington Post. Most of the time, he knocks it out of the park: There's his 3-year-old, Presidential Oath, Key to the Nile, and of course the endearingly misspelled Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh. Solomini is another horse in his possession, although his name is a bit of a bust, particularly from such a creative stable. Solomini is named for Zayat's nephew, Solomon; "We called him Solomini, like mini Solomon," said Zayat. It just doesn't quite work.

Enticed

Odds based on name alone: 30/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: "Entice" is a fantastic word, but something about its past-tense form here makes this name blunt and final, shutting down the imagination. To be enticed is to have been already tempted, rather than experiencing the ongoing allure, attraction, and potential energy of enticing. Of course, Enticing isn't much of a name for a horse, although it's been used as an adjective for several: Enticing Evening, Enticing Lady, even So Enticing. Perhaps Enticed could have even given his dam, It's Tricky, a nod with his name — It's Enticing would be a great name for a horse.

Free Drop Billy

Odds based on name alone: 25/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: Free Drop Billy is actually an enormous troll, which makes this name kind of fantastic, in a sense. Stable chairman Dennis Albaugh inflicted the thoroughbred with the name after warning his golf partner, Bill Collins, to quit taking "free drops" instead of penalties when he hit his balls into water hazards on the course. "I said, 'You do that again and I'm going to name a horse after you,'" Albaugh recalled. If Free Drop Billy earns immortality by winning the Derby, then one Mr. Collins will be really sorry about those free drops.

My Boy Jack

Odds based on name alone: 20/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: This is one of those horse-named-after-a-friend-of-the-owner stories that isn't really worth getting into: On the surface, though, it's a grand ol' name. My Boy Jack gets the job done. You can always count on My Boy Jack. After work, I crack a cold one open with My Boy Jack. Just by saying his name, you feel a cozy sort of kinship with (My Boy) Jack. He might not be anything flashy, but hey, he's reliable. He's yours. Plus there would be something especially satisfying about pointing out My Boy Jack if he were to win.

Magnum Moon

Odds based on name alone: 20/1

Actual odds: 6/1

Analysis: Magnum Moon is another classic horse name, taking its model from the sire Malibu Moon. There is something rather gummy about the alliteration and stressed syllables of Magnum Moon, though, that seems to be a little mucky for a racehorse. This name sits in the middle of the pack because it's catchy enough to potentially be in the money, although something about it just gets tangled up in the mouth. Malibu Moon's other colt also has a lunar name that worked out much better than Magnum's seems destined to; Orb won the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

Hofburg

Odds based on name alone: 15/1

Actual odds: 20/1

Analysis: Hofburg is the horse in the race that reminds you that fabulously wealthy owners are naming these animals. There isn't much more to Hofburg than that he is named after the imperial palace of Vienna. Why Hofburg specifically, though? Because "he is all class and beauty," Leif Aaron of Juddmonte Farms' Kentucky division told the Louisville Courier Journal. Unfortunately, this name misses the obvious pun (Hoofburg, come on!) and class and beauty can't win you the Garland of Roses.

Good Magic

Odds based on name alone: 15/1

Actual odds: 12/1

Analysis: Presumably this horse's name is a play on the opposite of dark magic, although the result makes it sound like the highest compliment someone could come up with is that it's, you know, pretty okay. A horse with "Magic" in its name is a promising thing, though, despite it not being named something like Flawless Magic, Stellar Magic, or hey, even Could Be Magic. Really, anything would be an improvement — even Mediocre Magic at least has a better ring.

Mendelssohn

Odds based on name alone: 12/1

Actual odds: 5/1

Analysis: This horse loses a few spots for not going all in on the name and being called Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (alas,you get just 18 characters). Still, you don't need "Ludwig" thrown in there to make Mendelssohn a mouthful. Let's face it: Being named after a 19th century German composer is maaaaaybe not the sexiest horse name imaginable.

Bravazo

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: In Peruvian Spanish, bravazo means "awesome," a nod to this horse's sire, Awesome Again. When shouted at the racetrack, though, Bravazo sounds much like bravo, which is exactly the type of thing you hope to be yelling if you've placed a bet on this colt. Bravazo is additionally a name that is surprisingly smooth despite the heaviness of the consonants, with an open O at the end that can gallop off into the bedlam. A sturdy, safe choice.

Flameaway

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: This is not the only fire-related name in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, but it is the inferior one. Flameaway sounds more like the name of an off-brand fire extinguisher than it does the title of a respectable racehorse. It is the unfortunate Frankenstein's monster of dam Flame of Tara and one of the owner's favorite horses, Triple Crown-winner Whirlaway. At least the image it conjures is a little faster than its synonym, Flame Retardant.

Bolt d'Oro

Odds based on name alone: 5/1

Actual odds: 8/1

Analysis: Bolt d'Oro was almost named "Alvin," but thankfully his owner — Alvin "Mick" Ruis — had already used that name on a different horse and forgotten, Sports Illustrated reports. Because racehorse names have to follow very specific rules, Ruis was left searching for another name and landed on The Notorious One, "but that was trademarked by Conor McGregor," said Aidan Green, the wife of Bolt d'Oro's trainer, Ike Green. Bolt d'Oro, then, borrows the first half of his name from the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, with the latter half a tip-of-the-hat to the sire, Medaglia d'Oro. The resulting name is several steps up from Alvin, but a considerable disappointment when you consider he was almost named The Notorious One.

Justify

Odds based on name alone: 5/1

Actual odds: 3/1

Analysis: If Justify is to win the Kentucky Derby, he will have to overcome Apollo's Curse, although bookies obviously believe that won't be a problem. For our purposes — which involve completely disregarding any real world facts or supernatural destinies — Justify would finish just out of the money thanks to his name, which is a little more Microsoft Word than it is chivalrous and knightly. WinStar Farm president Elliott Walden told the Louisville Courier Journal: "We think [the name's] important. We look at it like, 'If this horse wins the Kentucky Derby, would this be a cool name? I don't want 'Jim Bob's Corvette.'" First of all, Jim Bob's Corvette is a great name for a horse. Secondly, can we pause to appreciate the name of Justify's damsire, Ghostzapper?

Firenze Fire

Odds based on name alone: 3/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: It is the perennial tension in naming a racehorse: Do you go for class, or for intimidation? While the correct answer is to always go the third route — for the joke — Firenze Fire is the happy medium between the first two options. The name takes the sophistication of Florence, Italy, and blends it with the elemental destruction of fire, which devours everything in its path. The name might also be interpreted as a nod to the bonfire of the vanities in Florence in 1497, when the supporters of Girolamo Savonarola incinerated objects that might tempt sin. In fact the real story is a lot more prosaic: "At the time we named the horse, Tom Hanks was premiering the movie Inferno, which was filmed in Florence," owner Ron Lombardi told the Louisville Courier Journal.

Lone Sailor

Odds based on name alone: 5/2

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: Lone Sailor is the kind of name that makes you picture a horse set apart from the rest — a whole stretch ahead, or behind, the pack. You'd be right to wager on the former, though: Lone Sailor's name is a tip of the hat to his recently departed owner, Tom Benson, the former owner of the New Orleans Saints. Benson served on the USS South Dakota in World War II, and Fox 8 reports he was the "lone sailor" on deck to raise his hand when a captain asked the enlisted crew, "Can anyone here type?" What is being asked of Lone Sailor — winning the Kentucky Derby — is of course a harder skill to come by than a typist on a naval vessel. Still, he has been gifted a name that sets him well apart.

Promises Fulfilled

Odds based on name alone: 2/1

Actual odds: 30/1

Analysis: Horse owners are not the most imaginative lot, often naming their thoroughbreds after family members or friends (remember the disaster that was Brody's Cause?). Promises Fulfilled's origin is, well, rather cheesy: "I was thinking about family," owner Bob Baron told the Times Union, never an auspicious start. "Geez, it was our wedding anniversary. I thought, 'We have lived up to the promises we made to each other all these years." Thus: Promises Fulfilled. Despite his best efforts, though, Baron had ended up with a terrifically named horse: Promises Fulfilled is a timeless name with a whiff of destiny, and an unintentional echo of Robert Frost: I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. Promises Fulfilled is not just a threat like Combatant or a glorious blaze like Flameaway or Bolt d'Oro: It is a conclusion, the hoof across the finish line, the happily ever after that you saw coming from one and a quarter miles away.

For the first time in 30 years there will be three female jockeys riding in the Grand National - and UK bookmakers are bracing themselves for an “avalanche of support” for the women riders in Saturday’s big race.

One of the favourites to win at Aintree is Katie Walsh, who will ride Baie Des Iles. She will be joined at the start line by Bryony Frost on Milansbar and Rachael Blackmore on Alpha Des Obeaux.

The Daily Mail reports that the odds on Walsh’s mount Baie Des Iles were cut yesterday by Coral, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power. On Monday the grey mare was a 50-1 shot, the Mail says, but is now priced at 16-1 according to Oddschecker.

Ladbrokes’ Nicola McGeady told the Mail: “We are expecting a lot of bets on the girl jockeys, especially with female empowerment being so much in the news this year. The three female jockeys will be a focus of media coverage and Baie Des Iles is not just being backed because Katie is riding. A lot of good judges are tipping her up and saying she ticks a lot of boxes.”

Ladbrokes is also offering odds of 10-1 for a female jockey to win the £1m race while Oddschecker prices place Frost’s Milansbar at 33-1 and Blackmore’s Alpha Des Obeaux at 40-1.

Coral’s Dave Stevens said: “We have seen twice before significant support for a runner ridden by Katie Walsh. She is an old hand in the Grand National. This is her sixth ride and she has the best finish for a female jockey. There is every chance Baie Des Iles could halve in price yet.

“I am sure Bryony Frost will get plenty of attention too. She has had such a great season. This is not just women betting on women. There is plenty of support from both sexes. But amongst once-a-year punters Katie will be one of the most popular riders.”

National course may be wettest since 2001

The Guardian reports that the going at Aintree’s Grand National course was “heavy in places” last night.

A total of 8mm of rain fell at the track in 24 hours meaning conditions for the race could be the worst since 2001 when Red Marauder claimed the victory. That year only four of the 40 starting horses finished the race.

Aintree’s clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch told the Guardian: “We were due a couple of millimetres on Monday night and a couple more early morning. But unfortunately we got a lot more than that. Hopefully it will dry a bit before Thursday and it looks like we’ve had most of the rain.

“But having said that, temperatures haven’t really got up much. It feels more like autumn than spring, it’s significantly colder than yesterday and, if it had just gone up a couple of degrees with a bit of sunshine, that would have helped. But that’s Mother Nature for you.”

2019 Randox Health Grand National

• When: Saturday 6 April
• Where: Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool
• Race start time: 5.15pm (UK time)
• Distance: steeplechase over 4 miles 514 yards
• Number of fences: 30
• Number of horses: 40 maximum (plus four in reserve)
• TV channel: live on ITV
• Official website and tickets: thejockeyclub.co.uk

And they’re off… the 40-horse entry list for the 2019 Grand National has been confirmed ahead of Saturday’s big race at Aintree.

Competing for a share of the £1m prize pot and a place in racing history, the field for the 172nd Grand National is led by 2018 winner Tiger Roll and also includes 2017 winner One for Arthur.

Starting at 5.15pm on Saturday and raced over a course featuring 30 daunting fences, the National “seeps into the consciousness of Britain and Ireland like no other horse race”, says The Daily Telegraph.

Here we look at the 2019 race guide, the runners and riders, betting odds, the key fences, past controversies and how to pick a winner.

2019 Grand National final field

The Jockey Club has confirmed the 40 horses that will compete in the 2019 Grand National. Last year’s winner Tiger Roll leads the field which also includes previous winner One for Arthur and last year’s runner-up Pleasant Company. Joe Farrell takes the 40th spot.

The London Evening Standard reports that Anibale Fly will carry the top weight and will join Rathvinden and Vintage Clouds as the big challengers to Tiger Roll.

Mall Dini out, Just A Par in

Despite being named in the original 40-horse field 20/1 shot Mall Dini was later ruled out of the National because of a leg injury. First reserve Just A Par takes the place of Mall Dini.

Owner Philip Reynolds told the Racing Post: “Sadly Mall Dini will not be able to run. Just before the start of the Red Rum Chase we heard that he has got a leg injury. I’ve been waiting for a National runner all my life and I’ve lost him on the eve of the Grand National. I’m really upset, it’s not been a great year.”

Horse, weight, trainer/jockey

• 1 Anibale Fly, 11-10, Tony Martin/Barry Geraghty
• 2 Valtor, 11-06, Nicky Henderson/Daryl Jacob
• 3 Tiger Roll, 11-05, Gordon Elliott/Davy Russell
• 4 Outlander, 11-04, Richard Spencer/James Bowen
• 5 Don Poli, 11-03, Phil Kirby/Patrick Mullins
• 6 Go Conquer, 11-03, Nigel Twiston-Davies/Sam Twiston-Davies
• 7 Mala Beach, 11-02, Gordon Elliott/Jamie Codd
• 8 Minella Rocco, 11-01, Jonjo O’Neill/Richie McLernon
• 9 Lake View Lad, 11-01, Nick Alexander/Henry Brooke
• 10 Pleasant Company, 11-01, Willie Mullins/Paul Townend
• 11 Ballyoptic, 11-01, Nigel Twiston-Davies/Tom Bellamy
• 12 Dounikos, 11-00, Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy
• 13 Rathvinden, 11-00, Willie Mullins/Ruby Walsh
• 14 One for Arthur, 11-00, Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox
• 15 Rock the Kasbah, 10-13, Philip Hobbs/Richard Johnson
• 16 Warriors Tale, 10-13, Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden
• 17 Regal Encore, 10-12, Anthony Honeyball/Mark Walsh
• 18 Magic of Light, 10-11, Jessica Harrington/Paddy Kennedy
• 19 A Toi Phil, 10-11, Gordon Elliott/Denis O’Regan
• 20 Jury Duty, 10-11, Gordon Elliott/Robbie Power
• 21 Noble Endeavor, 10-10, Gordon Elliott/Mark Enright
• 22 Monbeg Notorious, 10-10, Gordon Elliott/Sean Bowen
• 23 Ramses De Teillee, 10-09, David Pipe/David Noonan
• 24 Tea for Two, 10-09, Jane Williams/Lizzie Kelly
• 26 Step Back, 10-07, Mark Bradstock/Nico de Boinville
• 27 Ultragold, 10-07, Colin Tizzard/Tom O’Brien
• 28 Blow by Blow, 10-06, Gordon Elliott/Andrew Ring
• 29 Up for Review, 10-06, Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins
• 30 Singlefarmpayment, 10-06, Tom George/Paddy Brennan
• 31 Vieux Lion Rouge, 10-06, David Pipe/Tom Scudamore
• 32 Valseur Lido, 10-06, Henry de Bromhead/Rachael Blackmore
• 33 Vintage Clouds, 10-04, Sue Smith/Danny Cook
• 34 General Principle,10-04, Gordon Elliott/J J Slevin
• 35 Livelovelaugh, 10-04, Willie Mullins/David Mullins
• 36 Walk in the Mill, 10-04, Robert Walford/James Best
• 37 Folsom Blue, 10-04, Gordon Elliott/Luke Dempsey
• 38 Captain Redbeard, 10-03, Stuart Coltherd/Sam Coltherd
• 39 Bless the Wings, 10-03, Gordon Elliott/Robert Dunne
• 40 Joe Farrell, 10-02, Rebecca Curtis/Adam Wedge
• 25 Just A Par, 10-02, James Moffatt/Aidan Coleman (first reserve taking place of Mall Dini)

Betting odds

Last year’s winning horse Tiger Roll is the hot pre-race favourite to triumph in the Grade 3 handicap chase at Aintree.

Owned by Gigginstown House Stud and trained by Gordon Elliott, Tiger Roll will again be ridden by jockey Davy Russell and the pair will be looking to match a feat set by a racing icon.

GrandNational.fans reports: “No horse has won back-to-back Nationals since the mighty Red Rum in 1974. However, after a stunning display at the Cheltenham Festival, Tiger Roll could do the almost impossible in 2019 and win it again.”

Grand National betting odds

Prices according to Oddschecker (as of 5 April 2019).

• Tiger Roll: 9/2 fav
• Rathvinden: 10/1
• Anibale Fly: 14/1
• Vintage Clouds: 14/1
• Lake View Lad: 16/1
• Jury Duty: 18/1
• Joe Farrell: 20/1
• Pleasant Company: 20/1
• Rock The Kasbah: 20/1
• Step Back: 25/1
• Ramses De Teillee: 25/1
• Walk In The Mill: 28/1
• One For Arthur: 28/1
• Dounikos: 33/1
• General Principle: 40/1
• Ballyoptic: 40/1
• Minella Rocco: 40/1
• Up For Review: 40/1
• For a full list of latest prices see Oddschecker

Tips and outside bets from the racing pundits

Andy Holding, Oddschecker: Vintage Clouds

“Tiger Roll is hard to knock, but his current price offers very little in the way of value, so the best policy might be to look elsewhere. Vintage Clouds has been placed in two regional Nationals and at the last two Cheltenham Festivals and that experience points towards him being a major factor. Rathvinden has been kept especially fresh for a tilt at this prize and he has stamina and class in equal measures, while Walk in the Mills looks underestimated in the market considering he’s one of the few in the field with experiences of the fences.”

Golfer Lee Westwood, speaking to The Sun: One For Arthur

“I know One For Arthur has had his problems since he won the National in 2017, but he clearly loves the Aintree fences and I can’t get away from how impressive he was a couple of years ago. He had run well over the National course before that, and I’m not put off by the fact he hasn’t finished in either of his two runs this season. If he is anywhere near his best he will be hard to beat.”

Simon Duke, Chronicle: Anibale Fly

“Finishing fourth in the race last year, the JP McManus-owned gelding is only let down by the fact that he is already 12/1 second favourite in the market and is not 25/1+. The nine-year-old has all the ingredients to win the 2019 Aintree showpiece.”

Tony Kelshaw, Bwin Sports: Vintage Clouds

“Sue Smith’s nine-year-old carries the famous yellow, green and white colours of owner Trevor Hemmings, who has won this race with Hedgehunter, Ballabriggs and Many Clouds. Appears to handle any going conditions, was a good third in last year’s Scottish Grand National and is a past scorer over regulation fences at this course, so ticks plenty of boxes if handling these unique obstacles.”

Chris Wright, Liverpool Echo: General Principle

“Won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse 12 months ago and looks to have the right attributes to try and bid for a Grand National double. A good third to stable-mate and fellow National hopeful Dounikos in the Grand National Trial at Punchestown but pulled up at the Cheltenham Festival last time. Has potential to run very well.”

The Daily Telegraph: Vieux Lion Rouge

“The David Pipe 10-year-old is something of an Aintree specialist, running over the Grand National obstacles six times and making it round on every occasion. However, has struggled to stay the trip in previous National attempts so might need the ground to hold up. Tom Scudamore likely to ride, and the pair finished second in the Beecher Chase at Aintree in December.”

2019 Grand National guide

Where and when is the 2019 Grand National?

It’s at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool on Saturday 6 April. The race starts at 5.15pm.

Which TV channel can I watch it on?

ITV will be showing live coverage of the race and festival.

Who won in 2018?

Last year’s winner was Gordon Elliott’s Tiger Roll, ridden by Davy Russell and priced at 10/1. Tiger Roll is the hot favourite to win the 2019 race.

Why is the Grand National so popular?

It’s the longest race of the year and one of the most daunting. Forty horses will tackle 30 jumps over four miles (two and a half furlongs).

When was the first Grand National?

It’s thought the first Grand National took place at Aintree in 1839, when it was won by a horse named Lottery. Since then, the race has become an institution, with incidents such as the false start in 1993 and the bomb scare of 1997 making national headlines.

The key fences

Becher’s Brook, which is lower on the landing side than the take-off side, is named after jockey Captain Martin Becher, who fell there in 1939 and crawled into the brook to escape injury. The tallest fence is The Chair, which is more than five feet high.

Past controversy at the National

Part of the fascination of the race is the danger, but there have been serious concerns about the safety of runners and riders in recent years. In 2012, the closest-ever finish to the race was overshadowed by the death of two horses, prompting more efforts to make the course safer. Many still protest against the race and the risks it poses to the competitors. Others argue that making the course less challenging encourages jockeys to take more risks.

How many people will bet in the UK?

According to The Daily Telegraph it is estimated that a quarter of the UK adult population will place a bet on the day of the race.

How to pick the Grand National winner

When the Grand National was first run at Aintree in 1839 it was won by a horse called Lottery, which seems fitting for a race that sees 40 horses tackle a four-mile course featuring 30 obstacles.

Despite or perhaps because of the randomness, the National has become a betting institution. Seasoned punters are joined by the once-a-year brigade at their local betting shop.

A quarter of UK adults have a flutter on the race so what should the intelligent punter consider when looking to pick a winner?

Age of the horse

History tells us that nine is the peak age for a Grand National winner. Although the race has been won by horses aged from five to 15, a quarter of all winners have been nine years old. Choosing a horse between the ages of eight and 11 therefore makes sense.

“It’s no surprise that horses that aren’t too old or young do better in the race,” says the Daily Telegraph. “Stamina and jumping ability are essential for the Grand National. While younger horses tend to have more speed than stamina, older horses are often past their prime needed to pass the National’s many hurdles.”

Weight of the horse

The Grand National is a handicap steeplechase, with faster horses given extra weight to try and make the race more even.

“The simple fact is that very few horses have managed to win carrying big weights,” says the Grand National Guide website. History shows that horses carrying more than 11st 6lb rarely prosper.

But it’s not always the killer consideration, says Sporting Life: “A concerted effort has been made to improve the quality of the runners contesting the Grand National and that has resulted in the weights being compressed. As a result, lightly weighted horses are no longer the dominant force of old and five winners have carried 11-0 or higher.”

Stamina and experience

This ties in with the question of age and weight, as only the toughest horses will make the grade. “The Grand National is a gruelling race, and we’ve always maintained that only horses experienced at running over three miles or more can be expected to be in with a shout,” says Grand National Guide. Sporting Life agrees. “Siding with a runner that has proven form over an extreme trip is key,” it says.

Form and odds

These factors should be key, but only one in six Grand Nationals are won by the favourite (although even the favourite usually starts with longer odds than 6-1). The epic nature of the race also tends to make form less important.

Name

Horses beginning with the letter R have the best record in the race, notes the Telegraph, which goes on to point out that the National has been won five times by horses called ‘Red’. But don’t be lured in by family connections, warns the paper. “Just a quarter of winners have had a human name.”

Colour

If there’s no stand-out name to help you choose, then the jockey’s silks might help. “Pink seems to be a favourite with the ladies, but if you look at the stats, it’s not necessarily the wisest choice,” advises Camilla Swift of The Spectator. “Green, yellow, or a combination of the two are the most successful colours.”

Betfair’s top tips

According to Betfair’s Nic Doggett there are “certain trends to consider” when picking a National winner.

Doggett writes: “Finding the winner of the Grand National provides a sense of satisfaction like no other race, and most people can remember the first time - or maybe even the only time - they solved the 40-runner conundrum that is the Aintree extravaganza.”

Punters should look at the following trends:

• Age: look to horses between eight and 10
• Recent runners tend to fare well
• Chasing experience - this is a must
• An Aintree outing is a plus
• Try to find a winner at 3 miles or more
• Big weight is no barrier to success

(Harrison Hill)Harrison Hill, a photojournalism student at Western Kentucky University, began capturing Clawson's rise in 2016. Hill grew up in Kentucky — the heart of horse country — but still didn't know much about the racing industry, so he wanted to document a jockey's journey. He was looking for someone young, someone he could relate to, and Clawson was just launching her career.In June 2016, Clawson's third start as a jockey turned into her first win — and at Churchill Downs, no less. She racked up another three victories in one night. And she just kept winning.

(Harrison Hill)Indiana-raised Clawson got her start in Kentucky, but her quick success meant she wasn't easy to follow. Hill eventually spent weekends driving eight hours to Arkansas, sleeping in his car so he could follow Clawson and her training across the country.No matter where she went, though, Clawson was usually alone in the women's locker room. Male jockeys outnumber female jockeys 7 to 1 in the U.S., a 2017 study from the American Sociological Association shows. Look at top races and that imbalance rises to 50 to 1."It's a male-dominated sport, and we [women] have to be tough to deal with those guys," Clawson told Hill. "To me, it doesn't bother me being the only girl in the jocks' room, but also I would like to be at a track with a bunch of girls."

(Harrison Hill)

(Harrison Hill)As Clawson faced off with top jockeys, such as three-time Kentucky Derby-winner Calvin Borel, she always knew she had something to prove. Luckily, some big-name women riders like Chantal Sutherland and Rosie Napravnik helped break down that wall for her."They all established themselves by skill alone, as dominant riders that could compete at the top levels," Clawson told 5 Minutes to Post. "It puts to rest the conversation about female jockeys being inferior."

(Harrison Hill)

(Harrison Hill)But this dangerous sport led to constant injuries: a bruised lung, a cracked rib, and a broken neck that left a permanent plate in her vertebrae. Clawson knew her racing career wouldn't last forever.Nonetheless, there was no fear when Clawson mounted up to train or race."It was difficult for me to find those moments of her really being drained, because although it was a tiring process, she loved it so much," Hill said. "She said she wouldn't trade it for anything."

(Harrison Hill)

(Harrison Hill)But the danger eventually did outweigh the thrill for Clawson. After a fall and a concussion, Clawson raced one more time before retiring at the end of 2017. "My personality did not exactly line up with the jockey lifestyle," she told Daily Racing Form. But she did add: "I was able to fulfill my dream."Indeed, in her brief time in the spotlight, Clawson really "made her mark on racing." She'll stay on the track as an exercise rider, with a whirlwind career behind her to remember.

(Harrison Hill)

(Harrison Hill)

(Harrison Hill)

(Harrison Hill)*For more of Harrison Hill's work, visit his website.*

Former Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Michael Owen today made his debut as a jockey at Ascot.

Owen, who had “never even sat on a horse before agreeing to take part”, according to the Daily Express, took part in the seven-furlong Prince’s Countryside Fund race this afternoon, finishing second aboard Calder Prince.

Owen took part in order to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, Alder Hey Children's Hospital and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, and had spoken before the race about his nerves.

“As the race gets closer I'm getting both nervous and excited about it,” Owen had told Racing UK earlier in the week. “It's been a massive learning curve for me and having thought initially that this would be quite easy, I've come to the realisation that that couldn't be any further from the truth.”

His trainer, Tom Dascombe, said he had “come a long way in a short space of time, having gone from never having ridden a horse to riding at one of the best venues in the world”.

Owen reportedly needed to lose nearly two stone in order to fall under the maximum weight.

Twitter users reacted with confusion and amusement to the announcement and today’s race:

Some complained that his technique was poor:

But others were more complimentary:

Rookie trainer Joseph O’Brien got the better of his record-breaking dad Aidan as Rekindling led home an Irish clean sweep at the Emirates Melbourne Cup.

The 24-year-old saw 14-1 shot Rekindling overtake O’Brien senior’s horse Johannes Vermeer just before the line in Australia’s most prestigious race – and the world’s richest.

A sensational day for the Irish was completed with the Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite finishing third at Flemington in front of a crowd of 90,000.

Joseph O’Brien only switched from being a jockey to a trainer last year but at his first attempt achieved something that has long eluded his illustrious father, reports The Daily Telegraph.

“Aidan O’Brien has had a phenomenal season in which he broke the world record of 25 Group or Grade One wins held by the American Bobby Frankel. It looked briefly as if he would be adding yet another major event to his glittering CV as Ben Melham went for home on Johannes Vermeer but Rekindling ran him down for a winning margin of just under half a length.”

Rekindling’s victory also gave owner Lloyd Williams a sixth success in ‘the race that stops a nation’ and with it a prize of $3.6million.

Williams, who is also co-owner of Johannes Vermeer, heaped praised on Joseph O’Brien saying: "I'm proud of this young man. He's an absolute star. I have been telling anyone who will listen to me that Joseph will be the leading trainer in the world in years to come, his father needs to watch out. You have just seen the start of an amazing career kick off right here in Melbourne. He's an absolutely extraordinary young man and this is an amazing achievement."

Jockey Corey Brown timed his ride on Rekindling in the two-mile classic to perfection to repeat his success of 2009, when he triumphed on Shocking.

He told The Guardian: “I just can’t believe it. I always thought I would catch him [Johannes Vermeer] with lighter weight. It wasn’t easy, it’s all worth it when you do things like this. I was a fraction slow away. But I didn’t want to get him revved up.”

Aidan O’Brien was on holiday in Barbados, rather than in Melbourne to witness his son’s incredible achievement but was quick to congratulate him over the phone after the race.

Joseph O’Brien said: "I can't quite believe it yet. Corey gave him an unbelievable ride and I'm just so delighted for everyone - all the lads at home and the lads that have been down here have done an unbelievable job.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet to be honest. I spoke to my dad and he's delighted.”

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has banned jockey Graham Gibbons for a combined two and a half years after he tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine and then swapped urine samples.

After the 7 December meeting at Kempton, Gibbons stepped down from racing after he was alleged to have swapped urine samples with fellow jockey Callum Shepherd, who faced no charge.

The BHA has confirmed that Gibbons was charged with a breach of rule (D)65 “by virtue of the fact that a urine sample taken from him on December 7, 2016 at Kempton racecourse tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine and, pursuant to rule (D)58 and schedule (D)3 Part 1, a banned substance”.

Gibbons was also charged with breaking rule (A)30.1 by “acting in a manner prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and/or good reputation of horseracing in Great Britain by his actions on December 7, 2016 when he attempted to present another jockey’s urine as his own when required to submit a sample for testing purposes”.

He received a two-year suspension for swapping urine samples and six months for the positive test. The ban will run until 8 June 2019.

The BHA tweeted: “Graham Gibbons, found in breach of Rule (D)65, received 6 months suspension from 9 Dec 2016 to 8 June 2017 inclusive. Gibbons also found in breach of Rule (A)30 and receives a two year suspension from 9 June 2017 until 8 June 2019 inclusive.

“The Disciplinary Panel's reasons for their decision will follow in due course.”

Punters at one British racecourse were left bemused on Thursday afternoon after a bizarre mix-up in which a 50-1 outsider apparently romped to a shock victory.

Racegoers cheered as two-year-old Mandarin Princess, trained by Charlie McBride, somehow won the 1.40 race at Great Yarmouth after beating Fyre Cay. But a subsequent scan revealed that the horse was not Mandarin Princess at all, but her stablemate, three-year-old Millie's Kiss, who had been due to run in the 3.15pm race.

Stewards have referred the matter to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), and The Times says that racing's governing body has launched an enquiry into how the wrong horse won a race at odds of 50-1.

The paper says that the BHA has let the result stand for betting purposes but "some bookmakers have said they will pay out on the horses finishing first and second".

Describing the incident as "unprecedented" in the 18 years since the microchipping identification system was introduced, the BHA issued a statement in which they said: "The scan identified the horse to be Millie's Kiss, the trainer's other runner in race four. They (the stewards) interviewed the trainer, the stable groom, the veterinary officer and the equine welfare integrity officer responsible for the sampling unit. Having heard their evidence they referred the matter to the head office of the British Horseracing Authority and ordered Millie's Kiss to be withdrawn from race four."

Explaining how the confusion may have occurred when the horses were brought into the stables at the course, stipendiary steward Tony McGlone said: "These two horses, trained by Charlie McBride, were given a box each. Mr McBride went over to the weighing room to collect the saddle and was slightly delayed collecting it. He rushed over. The stable girl had taken the horse out of the stables and put it in the saddling boxes. Mr McBride put the saddle on, the horse ran, it won. We then sent the horse for routine testing as normal and the veterinary officer scanned the horse and found it to be the incorrect horse."

The jockey who rode the horse he thought was Mandarin Princess, John Egan, spoke of his surprise at the discovery, saying: "At the end of the day, we're all human. Mistakes happen. I feel most sorry for Charlie."

The Times reported that McBride was unavailable for comment but the BHA statement made it clear where the fault lay.

"The responsibility lies with the trainer to present and run the correct horse in the race," said the statement. "Having said that, and while we have not seen an incident of this nature in recent times, we will of course determine what steps need to be put in place to prevent it from happening again. We sympathise with the betting operators and betting public who have potentially been affected by this incident."

According to BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght, says the BHA want to make sure there was no sinister intent, but he says it "looks more like a cock-up than anything else".

Both horses are bay coloured fillies, which may have added to the confusion, but nonetheless Lysaght said that McBride can expect to receive a "substantial fine" for the error whatever the outcome of their enquiry.

Thursday was Ladies Day at Royal Ascot, but on an afternoon of elegance and glamour, it was a topless man having a fight who grabbed the limelight.

In fact, events once the racing had finished almost overshadowed the drama of Big Orange beating favourite Order of St George by a nose in the biggest race of the week, the Gold Cup.

The London Evening Standard calls it "shocking video footage" of a "drunken brawl" emerged.

The clip, which quickly went viral, begins with a scuffle near a flattened fence, before a bare-chested man rampages through the crowd swinging his fists and challenging another man to "finish it off".

Later, two women are seen attacking each other and at least one racegoer is knocked to the floor - with others rush to protect their drinks.

"For centuries it's been regarded as the highlight of the summer calendar for the well-off and well-connected," sniffs the Daily Mail. "But the atmosphere turned sour at Ascot yesterday as shocking brawls and catfights broke out, with the usually glamorous Ladies Day descending into chaos."

A spokesman for the racecourse, which has been forced to impose a dress code on racegoers in recent years, said: “It is disappointing when an anti-social small minority behave inappropriately.

“In a crowd of 70,000, sadly such incidences are hard to entirely eradicate, but our staff and the police act on information as soon as they can.”

Ascot is not alone in its struggle. Other big racing events have attracted the wrong kind of headlines in recent years. Both the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival have generated negative coverage thanks to the behaviour of some punters, with the spread of social media blamed for highlighting episodes of drunkenness.

Aidan O'Brien bounced back from his opening day disappointment on Wednesday as Highland Reel roared to victory in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot - and the Irish trainer is well placed to register another big win on Ladies Day today.

Victory took Highland Reel's career winnings to almost £6m, but the horse everyone will be talking about this afternoon will be Order of St George, who is to win the Gold Cup, the biggest race of the royal meeting, for the second year running.

Despite the two-and-a-half-mile race being far less than the Prince of Wales's Stakes, it is Britain's most prestigious long-distance flat race.

"No race quite encapsulates the Royal meeting as much as the Gold Cup," says Marcus Armytage of the Daily Telegraph.

It's fortunes have ebbed and flowed, "but on the back of Yeats' record four successes between 2006 and 2009, nothing has contributed to its current popularity quite like Estimate's victory for the Queen in 2013 when, as the filly crossed the line, the sport's most famous patron and racecourse owner briefly let her guard down in a spontaneous eruption of joy".

Order of St George looked "invincible" last year and so it proved. Most tipsters agree he is once again the horse to beat today.

"Now that Highland Reel has calmed any nerves about Aidan O’Brien’s recent form, Order Of St George will be a warm order to repeat his Gold Cup success of last year," says Chris Cook of The Guardian.

He will be "tough to beat", agrees Rob Wright of The Times, while Newsboy of the Daily Mirror says: "The vibes from Ballydoyle are that Order Of St George is peaking at the right time, and he's hard to oppose in his quest to give O'Brien a record eight Gold Cup success."

However, his form over the past year suggests "there is a bit of the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde about him", says Armytage of the Telegraph.

He picks Big Orange as a strong contender, as well as fourth favourite Sheikhzayedroad as one to watch.

Cook at the Guardian also likes the numbers on Sheikhzayedroad, who has got the better of last year's winner before and is "available at double-figure odds to beat the favourite again".

Newsboy also recommends the David Simcock-trained gelding as an each-way bet.

Godolphin on top at Royal Ascot, but who to back on day two?

21 June

Royal Ascot's opening day was a triumphant one for Sheikh Mohammed, whose Godolphin stables "sandbagged" Aidan O'Brien's runners, says The Guardian.

Godolphin clinched both grade one races, with Ribchester winning the Queen Anne Stakes and then Barney Roy beating the red-hot favourite Churchill in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

For a few hours at least, the Sheikh was able to forget "the troubles of the world", says Mark Souster of The Times.

"The stand-off with Qatar in the Middle East may be uppermost in his mind together with the issues surrounding his global Godolphin racing operation, but victory… provided occasion for quiet celebration."

The two stables go head to head again on Wednesday, after the Queen hotfoots it from Westminster for the second day of the festival.

There is a single grade one race on Wednesday - the Prince of Wales's Stakes - but once again it is an O'Brien-trained horse, Highland Reel, leading the betting, with Godolphin's Jack Hobbs installed as second favourite.

Highland Reel should "kill off " any "chatter" about the Irish stable, says Chris Cook of the Guardian. "He looked as good as ever in landing the Coronation Cup a fortnight ago, taking his prize money haul past £5.5m. Godolphin’s Jack Hobbs is not as likely to relish this dry surface."

However, there are other options for the feature race. Marlborough of the Daily Telegraph backs Ulysses, the third favourite and one of two runners trained by Sir Michael Stoute.

He also gets the backing of Betfair, which says he has looked "far more the finished article" in recent outings.

Rob Wright of the Times, however, is won over by the royal connections and fancies Queen’s Trust.

"A strongly run race over a mile and a quarter on fast ground are her optimum conditions and she looks to have been underestimated by the bookmakers on the back of one below-par run. She is well worth backing at the 12-1 generally on offer," he says.

The Epsom Derby, which takes place on Saturday, is the richest horse race in Britain and the most prestigious of the five so-called Classics.

It was first run in 1780 when the prize money was just over £1,000. Now, almost 250 years later, the purse is £1.5m.

So who's in the frame to win the race this year?

Few experts look beyond the top three in the betting: Cliffs of Moher, Cracksman and Eminent. But it's the latter, slightly longer priced at 7-1, which offers the best value.

"All three have plenty to recommend them," says Betfair, although the bookmaker adds that Cliffs of Moher and Cracksman "both have to improve to win". Eminent, meanwhile, "should be the same price" as his rivals.

Eminent also has a pretty good pedigree. Sporting Life's Catching Pigeons column believes he "can give the mighty Frankel his first win as a sire" on Saturday.

However, be warned: Cracksman is also a son of Frankel.

As for outsiders, Salouen at 66-1 could be an attractive option. He has "a much better chance of hitting the jackpot for Sylvester Kirk and Fran Berry in the premier Classic than his odds suggest," says Andy Stephens of Racing UK.

"His form ties in with many of the principals, he's got plenty of experience (which could count for more than untapped potential this year) and he will love the drying ground. Most significant of all, perhaps, is that everything about him suggests he will relish stepping up to 1m4f for the first time."

Oli Bell of Sporting Life agrees. "This is a horse who is rated in and around the best in the race. He's twice proven himself in Group 1 company and he's a horse who on pedigree will definitely enjoy the trip. And yet, despite all that, he's still a massive price in what is a very open renewal of the Derby," he argues.

If picking a winner is an inexact science, then identifying a no-hoper is rather easier. And 1,000-1 shot Diore Lia is just that says Marcus Armytage of the Daily Telegraph.

Her chances are similar to those of an ordinary mortal in the Olympic 100m final.

"It is in our British nature to want an underdog to do well and, as Foinavon's 50th anniversary in April and Leicester last year proved, the rags-to-riches outsider remains sport's greatest story," he says.

If you believe in miracles there's another horse to consider.

"If you must throw away a fiver each-way on the Derby, waste it instead on John Gosden's Pealer at 200-1.

"It has no earthly chance on form and, if I tipped it on the racing page, the men in white coats would take me away. But, in my eyes, he could have beaten Cracksman in an Epsom gallop last week. Stranger things have happened but, I am afraid, Diore Lia is not about to be one of them."

Epsom rebrands free-to-watch area Poundland Hill for Derby

11 May

Horse racing may be known as the sport of kings, but Epsom appears to have embraced a different social strata, teaming up with discount retailer Poundland for this year's Derby.

Under the deal, between main sponsors Investec and Steinhoff International, which owns the budget brand, the famous free-to-enter field at the centre of the racecourse will be renamed Poundland Hill for the race next month.

"The large area of land, which is located at the centre of the famous Epsom Downs racecourse, is free to enter for pedestrians with a small fee for coaches or buses carrying racegoers," says the Daily Telegraph.

However, "the decision to rebrand the iconic mound has attracted some ridicule on social media".

Poundland trading director Barry Williams brushed off the criticism. He said: "All of Britain loves the Derby and, as the people's store, we’re looking forward to helping make the people's hill at Epsom one of the best ways for the family to experience the Derby."

Not everyone was convinced and the move has angered some.

"At first, just laughter at what reads like an April Fool's Day joke; laughter that anyone could be so crass as to name a free-viewing area at the Flat's greatest race after a high-street firm synonymous with bargain-basement deals. But that laughter turns quickly to incredulity," says the Racing Post.

"For most of us, a summer's day at the races with friends and family is about dressing up, letting the hair down and leaving behind the cares and strains of day-to-day life, not having them rubbed in your face by the condescending branding of oblivious corporate suits.

"Anyone on Poundland Hill next month will not just be reminded of the fact that they have taken the budget option to Derby day, they will know that it was those in top hats and tails sipping champagne in plush boxes across the racecourse who thought this was an appropriate rebranding exercise."

Gambling is largely about luck, and betting on horses is no different. Sure, you could put your money on Kentucky Derby favorite Classic Empire on Saturday. But what fun is that? The "most exciting two minutes in sports" aren't called that for nothing. Dedicated race-goers might spend hours laboriously researching the ponies. But everyone else knows the most fun way to bet on horse races is by picking the ones with the best names. And as we did last year, we're here to help. Here are The Week's Kentucky Derby odds, determined solely based on the quality of each horse's name.

J Boys Echo

Odds based on name alone: 100/1

Actual odds: 33/1

Analysis: J Boys Echo's lineage should not have left him with such a disappointing name. With parents Letgomyecho (an incredible name you should really take a second to appreciate) and Mineshaft (also excellent), J Boys Echo breaks from his legacy to sound more like a boy band you loved in high school than a winning racehorse. It should be known by now, though, that J Boys Echo's owners are not very good at naming horses; the Albaugh family is also responsible for Brody's Cause, one of last year's more disastrous names. Dennis Albaugh's son-in-law, Jason Loutsch, wanted to riff of his own nickname by calling the colt "J Boy," but the name was already taken. The Jockey Club, which requires that every horse have a unique name, also wouldn't let the variation "Jayboy" fly. So with the addition of 'Echo' from his mom, J Boys Echo became the Frankenstein's monster of this year's racehorse names.

Tapwrit

Odds based on name alone: 75/1

Actual odds: 28/1

Analysis: Tapwrit is a really, really expensive horse — as a yearling, he sold for $1.2 million. His name, though, is less than golden. Tapwrit is named after his dad, Tapit (whose own name is a disturbing portmanteau of parents Pulpit and Tap Your Heel) and his mom, Appealing Zophie, because "in court cases, a successful appeal is known as a writ," Thoroughbred Racing writes. Thus, the exceedingly unfortunate Tapwrit.

Irap

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 25/1

Analysis: "Irap" sounds more like someone tripping over their own tongue than an intentional syllabic combination someone would want to make with their mouth. Actually, it's not really a name at all but an acronym for a treatment used to address joint disease in horses called "Interluekin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein therapy." America's Best Racing reports that a driver transporting Irap to owner Paul Reddam's farm saw "IRAP" printed on the horse's papers and used the word to identify the colt. Reddam found it funny and said: "Why don't we just name him Irap?" One reason: It's not a good name.

Girvin

Odds based on name alone: 50/1

Actual odds: 16/1

Analysis: Because of the requirement of one-of-a-kind names for racehorses, "place names are pretty easy to use" The Hutchinson News writes. Or, as McCraken's owner Janis Whitham points out: "You have to name them something." "Girvin" is the hometown of the colt's owner, Brad Grady, and as a result it is now the name of a horse competing in the sport of kings. Unfortunately, a name like Girvin doesn't seem destined for any throne.

Royal Mo

Odds based on name alone: 45/1

Actual odds: 33/1

Analysis: Royal Mo is the offspring of Uncle Mo and Royal Irish Lass, so his name isn't exactly a work of creative genius. While "Royal" is a promising start, almost anything else could have followed and been better than the sluggish-sounding "Mo." No surprise then that he has turned out to be "a very big, laidback horse," according to farm manager Chris Alexander. "He'd just stand around, go to sleep."

Lookin At Lee

Odds based on name alone: 40/1

Actual odds: 28/1

Analysis: Descending from a line with fantastic names like Demons Begone, Sweet Briar Too, and Danzig, you would have thought Lookin At Lee would have fared better in the name's department. Alas, the name is modeled after Lookin's father, Lookin At Lucky. It is unclear who the Lee is that we are supposed to be looking at.

Always Dreaming

Odds based on name alone: 35/1

Actual odds: 4/1

Analysis: Always Dreaming comes from a bloodline cursed by bad names. (Don't believe me? He has a half-sister named "Hot Dixie Chick.") You have to wonder about naming a horse "Always Dreaming," though — it's kind of like naming it "Always A Bridesmaid" in the sense that it eternally dooms the colt to never actually reach that dream.

Thunder Snow

Odds based on name alone: 30/1

Actual odds: 16/1

Analysis: Thunder Snow sounds like the name of a My Little Pony character or maybe a hero in a bad fantasy novel. Mixing two cool nouns doth not a good name make, racehorse owners! When written as one word, "thundersnow" is a rare meteorological event that occurs when a thunderstorm sprinkles snow rather than rain. You can't fault the owners here for trying, though, as weather names are never a bad bet — Typhoon II won the Derby in 1897, Thunder Gulch in 1995, and Sunny's Halo in 1983 — but "Thunder Snow" simply isn't trying hard enough. Where are the racehorses named Cumulonimbus Snow or Albedo? Start there.

Untrapped

Odds based on name alone: 25/1

Actual odds: 50/1

Analysis: Because of those pesky Jockey Club rules preventing any two horses from having the same name, we get some odd spellings (remember Destin from last year?). Untrapped, in that sense, sounds like the plan B for someone who wanted to call their horse Unbridled. The Kentucky Derby's Tales from the Crib writes that the name is a "clever" play on the colt's parents' names, Exit Three and Trappe Shot. If you "exit" a "trap," then apparently you are "untrapped?" Someone is trying too hard to make this work.

Gormley

Odds based on name alone: 25/1

Actual odds: 16/1

Analysis: A&M records co-founder Jerry Moss fell in love with the work of the British sculptor Sir Antony Gormley during his trips to Europe, but despite being able to fork over thousands for a thoroughbred, Moss was never successful in getting his hands on a Gormley piece. The next best thing? Getting a Gormley in the form of a racehorse. "I had to name about four or five yearlings at that time and I sort of slipped in this name," Moss said. Cool story — but the name itself is less romantic.

Gunnevera

Odds based on name alone: 20/1

Actual odds: 12/1

Analysis: Named after a small town in Spain, Gunnevera is trained by Venezuelan legend Antonio Sano, who was kidnapped twice by the nation's "horse racing mafia." In the first kidnapping, Sano was kept for four hours before the ransom was paid, but when he was later dragged into an SUV on the morning of July 24, 2008, the ensuing ordeal would last 36 days and he nearly died. At home, his family scrambled to come up with the money to pay off the mafia and his 3-year-old daughter was so frightened that she stopped talking entirely. After being freed, Sano realized he could not stay in the country any longer. "In Venezuela, my barn was 165 horses," Sano said. "When I arrive in United States and start training, no horses — zero." While an English-speaker hears Gunnevera's name and thinks of gunning out of the gate, Sano sees a champion in the colt. "My horse is an extraordinary horse, the most intelligent I have trained in my entire life," Sano said. "He has a lot of heart."

State of Honor

Odds based on name alone: 15/1

Actual odds: 40/1

Analysis: Like many racehorses, State of Honor gets his name from his pedigree, sired by To Honor and Serve (a good name itself) with State Cup as the dam. The result is a perfectly suitable name, but also an entirely forgettable one. State of what?

Sonneteer

Odds based on name alone: 15/1

Actual odds: 40/1

Analysis: The beautifully named Sonneteer instantly brings to mind the elegance of the preindustrial English countryside, or perhaps Shakespearian lines composed by moonlight to the thoughtful strums of a lute. (That happens to be the literal name of Sonneteer's sire: "Midnight Lute"). However, there is something a little too refined and classical about a horse named Sonneteer competing in an aggressive, mad dash like the Derby. He will surely be blitzed by the likes of Irish War Cry or McCraken.

Hence

Odds based on name alone: 10/1

Actual odds: 22/1

Analysis: Hence is a name loaded with the anticipation of what comes next, a tightly coiled spring waiting to be released. Hence ... what? "Hence rioting is not revolutionary but reactionary"? "Hence the incomparably indivisible union that exists between human beings"? "Hence the apparent enormities of the present"? "Fairies, skip hence"? Unfortunately, reality is a little more prosaic. “Hence was always a good-looking horse," said farm manager Eddie Kane. "Hence he should be fast." Oh.

McCraken

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 7/1

Analysis: McCraken's owner, Whitham Thoroughbreds, has several horses named after towns in Kansas, including Fort Larned and McPherson. McCraken is no different, although you'd be excused for believing so — his name drops the third 'c' from the spelling of his namesake: McCracken, Kansas. While a Fort Larned or McPherson might not rank so highly due to their relatively dull Midwestern rings, McCraken is a horse that, upon shooting of the gate, makes you want to shout: "RELEASE THE MCCRAKEN!" With a name like that, how could he not run fast?

Classic Empire

Odds based on name alone: 8/1

Actual odds: 4/1

Analysis: Classic Empire is a winner's name for a winner's horse: This impressive colt is an agreed-upon favorite, despite nursing several recent injuries, and he shares a bloodline with another brilliantly named champion: American Pharoah. Both horses have the same sire, Pioneer of the Nile, although the ancient Egyptian reference is translated to the less specific but similarly powerful "Empire" in the younger colt's name. Additionally, Classic Empire's dam is Sambuca Classica, who hails from the same so-called "Storm Cat" line as the 2015 Triple Crown winner. "[Classic Empire] reminds me of American Pharoah," admitted assistant trainer Norman Casse said. "Nothing rattles him." You heard the man; get the crown ready.

Irish War Cry

Odds based on name alone: 7/1

Actual odds: 13/2

Analysis: War-related names typically serve racehorses well (more on that later). As a result, Irish War Cry is a bundle of promise: "War Cry" brings to mind a spontaneous, terrifying outburst and while "Irish" is a nod to the colt's maternal line, it also evokes the fighting Irish. This is a horse that won't yield to anyone. That being said, it might take the luck of the Irish to beat the curse of Irish War Cry's post position; no horse has ever won the Kentucky Derby from the No. 17 post, which is where Irish War Cry will run. "Someone's going to win from the 17 hole one day," trainer Graham Motion said optimistically. And it's true: If it would be any horse, it'd be a horse named Irish War Cry.

Fast and Accurate

Odds based on name alone: 5/1

Actual odds: 66/1

Analysis: Fast and Accurate is a colt who you hope will live up to his name. Points for the promise, but you always want to be wary of a name that is tempting fate — or trying to entice wagers.

Practical Joke

Odds based on name alone: 5/1

Actual odds: 16/1

Analysis: This bay colt was always destined to be the butt of the joke, having been sired by Into Mischief with Halo Humor for a dam. But with a great name like Practical Joke, nobody will be laughing when he places in the Derby. Although the name makes you think he's a trickster, trainer Chad Brown says Practical is "a big, strong, quiet gentleman of a horse who takes everything in. He's very intelligent, nothing rattles this horse." Practical Joke is all about making you look foolish for your assumptions.

Patch

Odds based on name alone: 5/1

Actual odds: 40/1

Analysis: Patch literally does not have one of his eyes, making him among the more aptly named thoroughbreds in the Run for the Roses — although he was actually already named Patch before he lost the peeper due to a mysterious inflammation last year. If Patch had both eyes, his name would have actually been pretty boring; it apparently is a play on his sire, Union Rags. But however anachronistic it might be, Patch earns a swashbuckling second-place finish in this year's name race due to the adorable, if initially unintentional, pirate imagery. Making Patch's run all the more intriguing, by the luck of the draw he is posted on the outside rim of the race, so all the other horses will be running on his side with the missing eye, out of sight. "I guess he'll get to see the crowd, anyway," said his trainer.

Battle of Midway

Odds based on name alone: 3/1

Actual odds: 28/1

Analysis: Battle of Midway was named by "ardent supporter of our veterans" Rick Porter, who had success with a 2013 Kentucky Derby contender named Normandy Invasion. Many militarily named horses have had luck in the Derby before, including winners War Emblem in 2002 and War Admiral in 1937 (who also took the Triple Crown). As a name, Battle of Midway rolls off the tongue and assures decisive victory, but even more than that, it echoes what makes the Kentucky Derby great: the glory, the history, the American tradition. This is what it's all about. He's a lock to win.

One For Arthur became only the second Scottish winner of the Grand National on Saturday when he beat Cause Of Causes and Saint Are in the biggest race of the year at a sun-drenched Aintree.

But the good weather was blamed for disappointing television viewing figures. Only 8.2 million people watched the race, which was broadcast on ITV for the first time. Last year, however, ten million tuned in to watch it on Channel 4 and ITV had been hoping to improve on those figures.

"The Grand National is racing's biggest annual draw – one of the biggest, in fact, in any sport – and John Baker, Aintree's managing director, said last year a peak audience of 12 million 'would be at the lower end of expectations' for 2017," reports The Guardian.

"As a result the bare figures for ITV's coverage appear deeply disappointing. However, the headline number should also be seen in the context of a huge drop in the total television audience on Saturday afternoon, when the warm temperatures and cloudless skies at Aintree reflected the weather nationwide."

So while fewer people were watching TV at 5.15pm on Saturday most of those that were, were watching the race.

"ITV's audience for Saturday's Grand National fell short of some expectations, but its 62 per cent peak share of the total TV viewers equalled the modern record for a commercial station," says the Racing Post. The last time ITV had such a large share of the audience was during Euro 2016 when England were beaten by Iceland.

The figures represent "a disappointing footnote to the weekend", says the Guardian, which notes that there were plenty of positives to take from the race.

"The National itself had a popular, well-backed winner and there were no injuries to any of the 40 runners and riders in the big race for the fifth year in a row."

Bookies in Scotland were not celebrating after the race, however, as they prepared to pay out on One for Arthur, a 14-1 shot.

William Hill said it did not expect to make a profit on the race and Paul Petrie of McBookie.com told the BBC: "It was a bad day for Scottish bookmakers but a great day for punters and more importantly for Scottish racing."

When the Grand National was first run at Aintree in 1839 it was won by a horse called Lottery, which seems fitting for a race that sees 40 horses tackle a four-mile course featuring 30 obstacles.

But despite, or perhaps because of, the randomness the National has become a betting institution with seasoned punters joined by the once-a-year brigade at their local betting shop.

A quarter of UK adults have a flutter on the race and the bookies expect more than £100m to be placed in bets this year. So what should the intelligent punter consider when looking to pick a winner?

Age

History tells us that nine is the peak age for a Grand National winner. Although the race has been won by horses aged from five to 15, a quarter of all winners have been nine years old.

Choosing a horse between the ages of right and 11 makes sense. The last winner aged seven on under was in 1940 and Amberleigh House in 2004 was the last 12-year-old to triumph.

"It's no surprise that horses that aren't too old or young do better in the race," says the Daily Telegraph. "Stamina and jumping ability are essential for the Grand National. While younger horses tend to have more speed than stamina, older horses are often past their prime needed to pass the National's many hurdles."

Weight

The Grand National is a handicap steelechase, with faster horses given extra weight to try and make the race more even.

"The simple fact is that very few horses have managed to win carrying big weights," says the Grand National Guide website, and history shows that horses carrying more than 11st 6lb rarely prosper.

But it is not always the killer consideration, says Sporting Life. "A concerted effort has been made to improve the quality of the runners contesting the Grand National and that has resulted in the weights being compressed. As a result, lightly weighted horses are no longer the dominant force of old and five winners have carried 11-0 or higher," it says.

Stamina and experience

This ties in with the question of age and weight, as only the toughest horses will make the grade.

"The Grand National is a gruelling race, and we've always maintained that only horses experienced at running over three miles or more can be expected to be in with a shout," says Grand National Guide, and Sporting Life agrees. "Siding with a runner that has proven form over an extreme trip is key," it says.

There are three considerations to bear in mind in this category, according to The Independent. A warm-up run is crucial - "just the one horse has defied an absence greater than 50 days since 1981 to win" - experience of long distances is key - "Every one of the last 45 winners had previously been victorious over at least three miles" - and knowledge of the course helps - "seven of the past ten winners have jumped fences between ten and 14 times on the track".

Form and odds

These factors should be key, but only one in six Grand Nationals are won by the favourite (although even the favourite usually starts with longer odds than 6-1). The epic nature of the race also tends to make form less important, although eight of the past ten winners finished in the first six on their preceding start, notes Sporting Life.

It's worth bearing in mind that local knowledge is not as crucial as it once was. "Modifications have been made to the famous Grand National fences in recent years and this may well have lessened the 'Aintree effect'," says Sporting Life

Name

Horses beginning with the letter R have the best record in the race, notes the Telegraph, which goes on to point out that the National has been won five times by horses called 'Red'.

But don't be lured in by family connections, warns the paper. "Just a quarter of winners have had a human name."

Colour

If there is no stand-out name to help you choose, then the jockey's silks might help. "Pink seems to be a favourite with the ladies, but if you look at the stats, it’s not necessarily the wisest choice," advises Camilla Swift of The Spectator. "Green, yellow, or a combination of the two are the most successful colours,"

The colour of the horse can also be a big deciding factor. "The more casual punters out there are naturally drawn to the attractive greys in the field as they are normally outnumbered by a big majority," notes website Aintree Grand National. "But it has to be said that they do have a terrible record in the race. Only three greys have ever won the National."

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Grand National 2017: What makes the race so popular?

6 April

Runners for this year's Grand National have been confirmed, as three days of racing get underway at Aintree.

The 40-strong field for Saturday's race, the biggest horse race of the year, features last year's runner-up The Last Samurai, although Vieux Lion Rouge and Definitely Red are the bookmakers' favourites, at around 10-1, this time.

More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the three-day festival at the Liverpool racecourse.

But what makes the Grand National so popular?

The challenge:

With 30 jumps and at four miles long - two and a half furlongs – the National is the longest race of the year and one of the most daunting.

The history:

It is thought the first Grand National was run at Aintree in 1839, when it was won by a horse named Lottery. "In those days the field had to jump a stone wall (now the water jump), cross a stretch of ploughed land and finish over two hurdles," says the BBC.

Since then, the race has become an institution, with incidents such as the false start in 1993 and the bomb scare of 1997 making national headlines.

The fences:

"The Aintree fences are not quite as perilous as they were once upon a time after a series of alterations. However, they are still the most notorious obstacles in the business and enough to make the palms of any jockey sweat," says the Daily Telegraph.

Becher's Brook, which is lower on the landing side than the take-off side, is named after jockey Captain Martin Becher, who fell there in 1939 and crawled into the brook to escape injury. The tallest of the fences is The Chair, which is more than five feet high.

The heroes:

Over the course of almost 200 years, the Grand National has made heroes of many horses. Most famous is Red Rum, who won the race three times and was twice second in five attempts in the 1970s. This year marks the 40th anniversary of his third and final victory.

Another famous winner was 100-1 shot Foinavon, who had a jump named after him in honour of his triumph in 1967, when every other horse was involved in a series of pile-ups. Although 17 horses eventually gave chase, none could catch the rank outsider.

The unluckiest horse in the history of the race may be Devon Loch, who was heading for victory in 1959 but collapsed on to his stomach 50yds from the line. The horse recovered but was passed by ESB and finished second. Esha Ness could also lay claim to that title after "winning" the race in 1993, although a false start meant the result was declared void.

The controversy:

Part of the fascination of the race is the danger, but there have been serious concerns about the safety of runners and riders in recent years.

In 2012, the closest ever finish to the race was overshadowed by the death of two horses, prompting more efforts to make the course safer.

However, many still protest against the race and the risks it poses to the competitors. Others argue that making the course less challenging encourages jockeys to take more risks.

The gambling:

The fact that the first race was won by a horse called Lottery explains why it is so popular. "This is the one betting race a year for many people, bookies are trumpeting a possible £100m in bets," says the Telegraph.

Alex Donohue from Ladbrokes says: "The Grand National is so special because for a few minutes on one day of the year, every year, the most experienced students of the turf and equine experts stand side by side with the pin-stickers of the nation, all uniformly gripped by the thrill of having money riding on the greatest race on earth thanks to months of form study, a catchy name, or a randomly-drawn office sweepstake ticket."

When is it on?

This year's Grand National start at 5.15pm and is being shown on ITV for the first time.

Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins dominated day three of the Cheltenham Festival, with an unprecedented four winners for the jockey-and-trainer combination.

But despite their success, it was another bemusing day for punters, with only two favourites coming home and a 40-1 outsider triumphing in the final face of the day.

So what does it mean for the Gold Cup, the biggest race of the meet? The bookies have three horses vying for to be favourite, with several others attracting interest after three days of surprise results.

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The tipsters' choice: Native River - 5-1

Of the three horses leading the betting - Cue Card, Djakadam and Native River - it is the final member of the group that offers the best value, at 5-1 at the time of writing, and has the highest-profile backers.

Colin Tizzard's mount has the backing of Newsboy in the Daily Mirror, Templegate in The Sun and Marlborough of the Daily Telegraph, who says: "It looks perfectly set for a new staying chasing star to appear on the scene and Native River fits that bill."

He has been "superb" this season, says Templegate. "Wins in the Hennessy Gold Cup, Welsh National and Denman Chase prove he has the jumping, stamina and class to win this prize."

The romantic choice: Cue Card - 5-1

If Native River is the hard-headed choice, then Cue Card, also trained by Tizzard, must be the one for the romantics. That may be harsh on Djakadam, who has finished twice in the past two renewals and has claims on both head and heart, but the 11-year-old, who cost less than £50,000 in 2009, would be a hugely popular winner.

"Cue Card has it all: the raw ability, the stage presence and a boy-next-door backstory in a sport normally dominated by the super-rich," says Greg Wood of The Guardian. "If he comes home in front in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday afternoon, he will be the most popular winner of the race for many years."

The bay gelding first raced at Cheltenham when Gordon Brown was the prime minister, adds the journalist, and he "feels like an old friend after all these years".

"On form, Cue Card remains the classiest in a field missing Thistlecrack," says Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph.

With a lot of big names missing, it looks like an "ordinary renewal", says Simon Holt of Sporting Life. "Perhaps Cue Card can give many members of the crowd the result they are praying for but, in selecting the old boy, I have to admit that the heart might be ruling the head."

The outsider: More of That - 14-1

Several big names are circulating outside the big three, including Minella Rocco, who beat Native River last year, and Sizing John. But the Jonjo O'Neill-trained More of That could be the pick of the bunch.

O'Neill "has become extremely adept at getting his horses to peak for this meeting, particularly in the staying races over fences", says Rob Wright in The Times. "More Of That undoubtedly has the ability to win here and, if his problems really are behind him, he looks sure to go well under conditions that suit him. He rates good value at the 14-1 offered by Coral and Ladbrokes."

Oli Bell of ITV Racing is also a fan, he tells the Mirror, and as More Of That is "rumoured to be in great form", he likes the odds.

In addition, the nine-year-old has local backing from the Gloucestershire Live website, which says More of That "appears cherry ripe for this assignment".

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Cheltenham Festival 2017: Bob Champion's tips for day three

16 March

Racegoers witnessed an upset of seismic proportions on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, with odds-on favourite Douvan limping home seventh in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The race was won by 11-1 shot Special Tiara, but it will be remembered more for the struggles of its expected winner, who was later found to be lame.

It "has to rate as among the biggest shocks in Cheltenham Festival history", says BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght.

Not only was Douvan unbeaten in 13 starts, continues the pundit, he had "been winning with an authoritative flamboyance that meant that practically everyone thought his opponents had the proverbial Everest to climb to beat him".

The result was bad enough for the bookies, but pity the punter who staked £500,000 on the horse to win at odds of 1-5, with potential winnings of £100,000.

After the shocks of days one and two, who should the intelligent punter get behind on the penultimate day of the festival? The Week has enlisted the help of former Grand National winner and trainer Bob Champion, now president of the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, to help unearth the best bets.

Politologue - JLT Novices Chase, 1.30pm

Yorkhill is the clear favourite for this one but so far this week, only two favourites have come home, so perhaps looking elsewhere makes sense and Champion likes the look of Politologue.

Paddy Power, writing in The Independent, also fancies the grey, who is a 13-2 shot. "Trainer Paul Nicholls has been short on Grade 1 winners at Cheltenham in recent memory, but this strapping gelding can turn the tide – and a few pennies into a few pounds," he says.

Newsboy of the Daily Mirror agrees, describing Politologue as "a most likeable young chaser".

Tobefair - Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle, 2.10pm

The second race of the day looks a lot like a lucky dip, with 24 runners and little going by the book so far this week. Impulsive Star has a lot of support, but Champion's tip, Tobefair, is also mentioned in despatches.

"Tobefair never knows when he is beaten and has officially improved a phenomenal 62lb after seven consecutive victories," says the Daily Telegraph. "It is hard to be adamant there is not more to come."

Templegate of The Sun says: "He's got plenty of form on decent ground and must surely run well."

At 11-1, an each-way bet may make sense.

Empire of Dirt - Ryanair Chase, 2.50pm

It would be fitting if Empire of Dirt won this, given that his owner is Michael O'Leary, chief executive of sponsor Ryanair. That connection also explains why the horse is running this race rather than the Gold Cup on Friday, apparently against the wishes of trainer Gordon Elliott.

However, the decision could pay off on a drying course. "Empire of Dirt can topple favourite - and six-time Grade 1 winner - Un De Sceaux, for whom rain would have been a help," says Newsboy of the Mirror.

The ten-year-old is also Champion's pick for this race.

Unowhatimeanharry - Stayers Hurdle, 3.30pm

After the shock of seeing Douvan fail, many might be wary of backing the short-priced favourite in the big race of the day, but it's hard to see past Unowhatimeanharry at odds of 7-4.

"A perfect record of eight wins from eight starts since has seen him develop into the clear best staying hurdler in Britain," says Templegate of the Sun. "He's short in the betting but clearly deserves to be. It will take something special to beat him."

Starchitect - Brown Advisory Plate, 4.10pm

Another race that has lucky dip written all over it; however, Champion likes the look of 15-2 second-favourite Starchitect, who could prosper as the going improves.

With 24 runners, it's hard to pick a winner, but "Starchitect could prove the answer", agrees Johnny Ward in the Irish Independent. "Though essentially Flat-bred, jumping is no issue to him and he will relish the drying ground. He has lots of ability and is theoretically well-in on his hurdles rating."

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Cheltenham Festival 2017: Bob Champion's tips for Ladies Day

15 March

After a series of surprises on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, with two long-priced winners and only one favourite - the nailed-on Altior - triumphing, the bookies will probably be hoping for fewer upsets on Ladies Day.

The Week has canvassed the opinion of former Grand National winner Bob Champion, now president of the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, as well as the tipsters for today's recommendations:

WENDESDAY:

Neon Wolf - Neptune Novices Hurdle, 1.30pm

Day one began with victory for a 25-1 shot, but Champion expects the 2-1 favourite to triumph on the first race of day two.

Templegate of The Sun agrees: "He's looked all class in winning a bumper and two hurdles races. Punters couldn't see him beaten at Haydock last time and they were right. He landed a huge gamble in great style."

The only concern is the ground. Trainer Harry Fry "has been at pains to stress he won't risk Neon Wolf on fast ground, but there should be enough moisture in today's surface to show him in his best light", says Newsboy of the Daily Mirror.

Whisper - RSA Novices Chase, 2.10pm

Trainer Nicky Henderson had a wonderful opening day with two winners and Champion has him as the one to watch this week. He has three horses in the second race of the day and 7-1 shot Whisper is attracting interest, not least from our tipster.

The nine-year-old went off the boil after a series of wins in 2014 and 2015, says Newsboy of the Mirror, but the fire is back in his belly. "Whisper marked his seasonal reappearance with a win over two miles and five here in December, following up over the same course and distance on New Year's Day. That Cheltenham know-how will hold Whisper in good stead," he says.

Tombstone - Coral Cup, 2.50pm (nap)

Another favourite, Tombstone, has a lot of support in the third race of the day, not least because with three winners, trainer Gordon Elliott did even better than Henderson on the opening day.

"[Tombstone] has always looked destined to win a big pot and this could be his opportunity, particularly if he can reproduce his last-time-out form from Gowran where he beat the highly-rated Jezki," says The Scout at the Daily Express.

Douvan - Betway Champion Chase, 3.30pm

After Altior on day one comes another certainty in Douvan, who is 3-10 on to triumph in the big race of the day. With such a runaway favourite, a lot of punters will be looking at the each-way or without-Douvan markets.

"If you're looking to have a couple of shillings each way, then try God's Own (12-1) from Tom George's Yard, because any mistakes that Douvan makes, he will be all over him," says BBC Radio Gloucestershire racing pundit Colin "The Tipster" Onens.

Champion prefers the charms of Sir Valentino, available at a very tempting 34-1.

Divin Bere - Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle, 4.50pm

Champion's choice in the penultimate race of the day, the 5-1 favourite, is another Henderson runner.

Chris Cook of The Guardian says: "He showed battling qualities on his British debut in January to give weight and a beating to a more experienced rival who has since won a Grade Two, with the rest 26 lengths behind. On that showing, his rating could be very lenient and there should be plenty more to come."

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Cheltenham Festival 2017: Top tips for day one

14 March

"The greatest show on turf" begins today when the Cheltenham Festival kicks off its four days of classic action.

Despite fears that some big-name absences, such as the likes of Thistlecrack and Don Poli, would take the sheen off this year's event, excitement is rising ahead of the off and with 28 races to enjoy in the Cotswolds, racing fans are looking forwards rather than backwards.

So who should punter's back on the first day of action? Here are the top tips.

TUESDAY

Ballyandy - Supreme Novices Hurdle, 1.30pm

The festival begins with the traditional curtain-raiser setting the tone for the rest of the meet. Jockey Barry Geraghty, writing for At The Races, predicts "a better race" than people are expecting.

Rather to Geraghty's surprise, the inexperienced Melon is 3-1 favourite, but although he has a lot of support, so does 7-2 shot Ballyandy. "He ran a stormer to take the Betfair Hurdle last time out and has been saved for this race since," says Bill Esdaile of City AM. "Not only has his hurdling improved with every run, but he will be suited by the likely furious pace of the Supreme as well as that famous Cheltenham hill."

Altior - Arkle Trophy, 2.10pm

The banker of the week is Altior in the second race of the day - when bookies offer odds on the margin of victory rather than the win itself, you know there is little chance of an upset.

Brain Power - Champion Hurdle, 3.30pm

Yanworth is the clear favourite in the headline race on day one, but there is also a lot going for Brain Power, at rather more attractive odds of 7-1.

Nicky Henderson's six-year-old "has the potential to step up to championship class and seize the crown", says Newsboy of the Daily Mirror.

Greg Wood of The Observer has also picked Brain Power as one to support this week. "His two impressive wins this season came in strongly contested handicaps before Christmas; he travelled exceptionally well in both and seems to have overcome the jumping problems that bedevilled his novice season," he says.

In the later races, Limini is clear favourite in the 4.10 Mares Hurdle, while Edwulf is the pick of the bunch at 11-2 in the 4.50 National Hunt Chase.

Cheltenham Festival: Who to back and how to get tickets

8 March

The most eagerly anticipated meeting of the jump season gets underway next week, with more than 250,000 racegoers set to enjoy four days of action from Tuesday to Friday at the Cheltenham Festival.

There are 28 races over the four days of the festival. Friday's Gold Cup is the jewel in the crown.

Tickets are still on sale for Champions Day on Tuesday, Ladies Day on Wednesday and St Patrick's Thursday. Some hospitality packages are still available for Cheltenham Gold Cup Day from the Cheltenham Festival website. Prices range from £40 to £750 for restaurant packages.

"Over 50,000 visitors come to each day of the festival (65,000 on the day of the actual Gold Cup) and over £1m is bet on every race," says the website. There are also other attractions including trade stands, live music and paddock interviews.

Each day's headline race takes place at 3.20pm. On Tuesday it's the Champion Hurdle, while Wednesday's Queen Mother Champion Chase attracts the fastest two-mile chasers. The World Hurdle headlines Thursday's action before the festival wraps up with Cheltenham Gold Cup Day.

The build-up to this year's event has not been without incident. Last month Thistlecrack, perhaps the biggest name in British racing and clear favourite, was withdrawn from the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a tendon injury.

"The build-up to this festival has been exceptionally trying for trainers and gamblers alike," says The Guardian. "A riveting race could be made out of those horses who have now been ruled out of the Gold Cup, while the star names missing from other Cheltenham races include Annie Power, Faugheen, Sprinter Sacre, Getabird and Min."

The big-name absentees have created an intriguing betting market. Yarnworth leads the ante-post betting for the Champion Hurdle, Douvan is the clear favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, although Altior and Un De Sceaux offer value.

Unowhatimeanharry is widely tipped to win the Stayers Hurdle on Thursday and the odds reflect that. Without the big names in attendance there is little to choose between favourites Cue Card, Native River and Djakadam for the Gold Cup.

Meanwhile the Daily Mail believes Mark Walsh could beat his namesake Ruby Walsh to the top jockey award despite never having won at Cheltenham.

Punters have been warned not to drink to excess at this year's event. "New purchasing rules at the horseracing event, which is attended by more than 260,000 people, include limiting rounds to four drinks at a time, while free water bottles will also be handed out," says the London Evening Standard.

Last year racegoers polished off 265,000 pints of Guinness, 120,000 bottles of wine and 20,000 bottles of champagne, says the paper. "Rowdy scenes" prompted the Jockey Club to take action.

Next month's Cheltenham Festival has lost one of its star attractions after the Gold Cup favourite Thistlecrack was ruled out for the rest of the season with a tendon injury.

In his absence Native River, the Hennessy Gold Cup and Welsh Grand National winner and Thistlecrack's stable-mate at trainer Colin Tizzard's yard, has been installed as the new favourite for the race on 17 March.

"The charismatic novice chaser, whom the British racing public had taken to their hearts long before he became the first novice to win the King George in December, notched up a sequence of nine wins until he was narrowly beaten by the ill-fated Many Clouds [who collapsed and died after the race] last month," says Marcus Armytage of the Daily Telegraph.

"The average length of time off to effect a full recovery from a tendon defect is a year," he adds. "Defending his King George in December might be a best case-case scenario, but being back for next year's Gold Cup is more realistic."

Thistlecrack was a "dominant force" in 2016 says Racing UK and his "scintillating" victory over Cue Card on Boxing Day made him a star, although for many it was his crushing victory in the Ryanair World Hurdle at Cheltenham last year that announced his arrival.

"The news comes as another huge blow to National Hunt racing's showpiece meeting in three weeks, with Thistlecrack joining the likes of last season's champions Don Cossack, Annie Power and Vautour all out. Previous champions such as Faugheen and Coneygree are also on the sidelines," says the website.

It means that none of the winners from the main races in 2016 will be at Cheltenham this year, notes Cornelius Lysaght of the BBC, and ten-year-old Thistlecrack will be particularly missed. "We had come to hang our coat on him in terms of generating interest", he says.

One of the first major races of the National Hunt season takes place at Newbury on Saturday, with the 60th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup.

Twenty runners have been confirmed for this year's renewal, with last year's winner Smad Place among them.

With prize-money of £200,000, the Newbury set piece is one of the biggest events in the jumps calendar.

First run in 1957 at Cheltenham, the Hennessy Gold Cup has been held at Newbury since 1960. It has often served as a precursor to the Cheltenham Gold Cup and eight horses have done the double. The most recent was Bobs Worth who won the Hennessy in 2012 and triumphed at Cheltenham the following spring.

This year Native River (6-1) heads the betting ahead of the big day.

"Colin Tizzard has carried all before him this season and has two strong chances with Native River, a Grade One winner as a novice, and Theatre Guide, second and third in the race in the past," says Sky Sports, which adds that Smad Place looked impressive last year but "will find life tougher with 11lb more on his back".

Casting his eye over the early betting Matt Brocklebank of Sporting Life says: "It is far from beyond the realms of possibility then that last year's fifth Saphir Du Rheu [9-1] can step up and take top spot and the handicapper has certainly given him a huge shout as he's 10lb lower than last November." He is currently available at 9-1.

The Racing Post also has interest in Saphir. Trainer Paul Nicholls, believes "the time for Saphir Du Rheu to stop being a talking horse and deliver is upon us", says the horse-racing bible.

However, Brocklebank believes the day could belong to trainer Nicky Henderson, who suffered a terrible misfortune earlier this month when chaser Simonsig had a fatal injury shortly after the announcement that Sprinter Sacre was being retired.

The trainer was shaken by those events but has plenty of other aces up his sleeve and "it's Vyta Du Roc [9-1] who looks best equipped to cope with the Hennessy test", says Brocklebank. He adds: "He's fancied to put a smile back on the face of a man who was recently dealt a seismic double-blow that was felt throughout the National Hunt landscape",

Jockey Freddie Tylicki remains in intensive care with spinal injuries after a horrific fall at Kempton on Monday.

Tylicki and newly crowned champion jockey Jim Crowley were seriously hurt when several horses collided on the final bend in the third race of the day.

Racing for the day was abandoned after Tylicki was airlifted to St George's Hospital in London, while Crowley was transported there by road. He was alter discharged.

"The incident happened on the final turn of the 3.20 race when Tylicki’s mount, Nellie Dean, stumbled and fell and almost the entire field then galloped over the stricken rider," says the Daily Mail. "Crowley’s mount Electrify was brought down, as was Skara Mae, ridden by Steve Drowne. Ted Durcan, who injured his ankle, was unseated from Sovrano Dolce."

Both riders were conscious after the fall, adds the paper.

Drowne and Durcan were able to walk to the weighing room for treatment. None of the horses were injured in the pile-up.

Tylicki and Crowley had enjoyed "landmark seasons", says Tom Peacock of the Daily Telegraph. Crowley, 38, has ridden 148 winner this season to claim his maiden title and broke the record for number of winners in a single month after 46 victories in September.

Fellow rider Tylicki, 30, meanwhile, is described as "a chirpy and popular former champion apprentice, [who] has undergone something of a renaissance" this season.

Peacock adds: "This was just a run-of-the-mill meeting on Kempton’s all-weather surface." However, there was "a sombre mood in the weighing room" after the accident, with the decision to call off the later races welcomed by most.

"Serious injuries on the Flat are rarer than over jumps but the extra speed and unexpected nature of falls make them more dangerous," says Rob Wright of The Times. "Yesterday's incident had echoes of the 1994 accident at Lingfield Park when Steve Wood became the most recent Flat rider to lose his life. He, too, had been close to the pace and was hit by more than one horse after he fell."

Cornelius Lysaght of the BBC says such incidents usually occur when horses when horses are tightly bunched and clip heels, "so when the jockeys go down, there are a lot of flaying hooves with which to contend", he adds.

After two days of thrilling racing to open proceedings, Royal Ascot prepares for the weekend with Ladies Day - and the Gold Cup - on Thursday and three more Group One races on Friday and Saturday.

Thursday:It's Ladies Day at Royal Ascot, but all the attention on the track will be on the Ascot Gold Cup, the oldest race of the meeting, dating back to 1807, and also the only Group One race of the day.

The hands-down favourite is Order of St George, but not everyone is convinced, despite his odds-on price.

"He is class but is a short price for a horse which has to go three-quarters of a mile further than he has ever been before," says Marcus Armytage of the Daily Telegraph – which means it is worth looking elsewhere in the field of 18.

"If it is a character you are after then Pallasator, who often loses the plot on the way to the start, is your man," adds Armytage. "But Mizzou was only beaten three-and-a-half lengths in this last year, likes Ascot and can win."

Alex Hammond of Sky Sports gives the nod to Mizzou, while it is Pallasator who gets Telegraph tipster Marlborough's backing.

Sporting Life also says he could "spring a huge surprise" in the race.

"Pallasator has won over two-and-a-quarter miles and has shown an aptitude for soft conditions having won on heavy at Haydock, where the ground is certainly searching when wet," says Anita Chambers.

However, the website's other tipsters are split between second favourite Max Dynamite and Flying Officer. So each way is the order of the day.

Friday:The sprinters take centre stage in the Commonwealth Stakes, the first Group One of the day. Quiet Reflection is top choice and will "appreciate any rain", says Armytage of the Telegraph. He is also well fancied by other tipsters.

Nevertheless, Paul Kealy in the London Evening Standard cannot get over the "massive" odds on Mark Johnston's Buratino, still available at 16-1.

The horse is "clearly very well suited to Ascot", after winning the Coventry Stakes last year, argues Kealy, adding: "Few stallions have produced more Ascot straight-course winners than his sire Exceed and Excel."

Next up at 4.20pm is the Coronation Stakes and for once, the experts are agreed that Nemoralia, available at 5-1 is the horse to back. She "will take the world of beating", says Kealy, and the Telegraph and Sky Sports both concur.

However, her trainer, Jeremy Noseda, sounded a note of caution earlier in the week, which could be good news if you prefer the safer option of favourite Jet Setting.

Saturday:Magical Memory is the pick of the bunch in Saturday's feature race, the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, but last year's winner Undrafted is also back to defend the title.

Royal Ascot: Who to put your money on in the first two days

14 June

Royal Ascot, the richest meeting in British horse racing, gets underway today, with 30 races across four days and a total prize pot of £6.58m.

Around 280,000 racegoers, including the Queen, are expected to attend over the five days of action and most will hope to line their pockets by picking a winner.

The first day features three top-level Group One races and Marcus Armytage of the Daily Telegraph describes the line-up as the "best day's racing of the year", although the soft ground has led to some withdrawals.

But who should the intelligent punter think about backing on the first two days of the festival?

Tuesday: The biggest race of the day is the St James's Palace Stakes at 4.20pm over one mile.

It is, says Armytage, "in effect, three Guineas for the price of one" as the winners of the English, Irish and French 2,000 Guineas go head-to-head.

"Preference has to be for Awtaad, who again showed his relish for soft going when putting Galileo Gold, the English 2,000 Guineas winner, in his place in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh," says Andy Stephens in the London Evening Standard.

Awtaad may be short odds at 7-4, marginally second favourite behind French Guineas winner The Gurkha, but "it's hard to think bookmakers are much out of line with their prices," says Graham Cunningham of Sporting Life. "And any further rain can only boost his chances further".

The opening race of the meet, the Queen Anne Stakes, is also intriguing. US horse Tepin, the early favourite, has drifted in the betting and "climbs into the ring with some serious questions to answer", says Cunningham.

Tepin has never raced a straight mile and will not be able to use the race day medication Lasix, which is common in the US but banned in Europe. Now will she wear a breathing strip.

However, the tipsters are split on who else to back, with joint favourites Belardo and Ervedya both expected to do well.Andy Stephens of the Standard suggests an each-way flutter on outsider Lighting Spear, at 33-1.

The other Group One race of the day is the King's Stand Stakes at 3.40pm, with second favourite Profitable being widely tipped.

"Profitable beat [favourite] Mecca's Angel when the pair met in the Temple Stakes at Haydock last month, yet can be backed at more than double his odds," says NewsBoy of the Daily Mirror.

He also gets the backing of Matt Chapman at Paddy Power. "There's no doubt the ground is right for Mecca's Angel, but Profitable is the improver in this field and is another who won't mind some give in the surface."

Wednesday: The Prince of Wales stakes at 4.20 "is shaping up to be one of the races of the week", says Alex Hammond of Sky Sports.

"[It] features the British debut of new Japanese superstar A Shin Hikari, whose ten-length win from an excellent field in the Prix d'Ispahan last month had to be seen to be believed, even if the margin was in reality more like seven lengths," says Paul Kealy in the Standard.

The odds may not be very good, but he is "one of the true heavyweight attractions of the week", says Graham Cunningham of Sporting Life.

A field of 30 will contest the Royal Hunt Cup, which makes picking a winner quite a challenge. The Irish Post backs Balmoral Castle, available at 25-1. "Provided that he gets a fair draw, he should be more than capable of making his presence felt," it says.

For a more considered option try the 3.40pm Duke of Cambridge Stakes. Favourite Usherette has her fans, but there is also backing for Devonshire at 10-1, who will "relish" the wet weather according to Cambridge News, which says she can "find the necessary improvement to triumph".

Two of horse racing's five Classics take place at Epsom this week, with the Oaks today and the biggest and most prestigious race of the flat season – the Epsom Derby – due to take place tomorrow.

As the punters flock to the grand old course in Surrey, who are the top tips for the 2016 Oaks and Derby?

The Derby – 4.30pm Saturday

This year picking a winner from the 16 strong field in Britain's richest race is almost impossible – indeed some experts think it is too much of a lottery to be worthwhile.

"This is about as lacklustre a renewal of the Derby as you will find and I'm betting long enough to know not to force things simply because there is a big race coming up," sniffs Tony Keenan of Betfair.

Things are "so open that bookmakers are hoping to have made a profit before the race even begins by betting on who will start favourite", reports the Evening Standard.

So what's the problem? The trials have proved little and the field contains no Group One winners. But a lack of hard evidence will not put off all the punters. Alex Hammond of Sky Sports insists that just because it is open "doesn't mean it's a weak race".

If you want to bet on a trainer rather than a horse, back Aidan O'Brien, who has five mounts in the field, and whose colt, US Army Ranger, is vying for favouritism with Wings of Desire. However, US Army Ranger has divided opinion among the experts. Alex Hammond of Sky Sports says "he doesn't really excite me and I won't be backing him". Instead her pick of the Aidan O'Brien entrants is Port Douglas, who is available at much better odds of 16-1.

He may not be a star but there's no denying his heart. "Consistent and tough; stamina unlikely to be an issue and looks sure to run well; seems to act on any ground," concludes the Daily Telegraph.

Port Douglas might not win outright but could be worth an each way suggests The Guardian. "Will keep going better than many but likely to find at least one too good," it says.

Another supporter is Bill Esdaile of City AM, who is "convinced he will run well".

A less lucrative but possibly safer option is Ulysses, at around 8-1. Trainer Michael Stoute's colt "does not have the profile" of his previous winners, including Shergar, "but there is no horse in the field better bred for the job because his sire, Galileo, and dam, Light Shift, were winners of the Derby and Oaks respectively", says Andy Stephens in the Evening Standard.

"You cannot put a saddle on a pedigree but Ulysses has clearly inherited some of the class of his parents because he turned a mile-and-a-quarter maiden into a procession at Newbury last month."

However, he is very green. "A big field won't help a horse with his profile and he would probably have preferred a drier week," warns the Guardian.

In such an open field it may pay to look beyond the other favourites, Wings of Desire and Cloth of Stars (although the latter appears to have some heavyweight supporters). Mike Cattermole of Sporting life backs Moonlight Magic, who he says is "set to run a big one"

The Telegraph is also enthusiastic. He is "tenacious" and "could easily make frame", says the paper.

The Oaks - 4.30pm Friday:

The biggest race on the first day of the festival is the Oaks, held over the same 1m 4f course as the Derby but open only to three-year-old fillies.

The obvious favourite for the race is Aidan O'Brien's 1000 Guineas winner Minding at a somewhat prohibitive 6-5. "There's no doubt she is the form horse in the race and on all known evidence she should take all the beating," says Alex Hammond of Sky Sports.

However, the doubters will point out that her success in the 1,000 Guineas was over one mile on hard ground and that she was beaten in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on soft ground at the Curragh a fortnight ago. Her trainer, Aidan O'Brien, later revealed that she had cut herself in the stalls and "burst a sinus" prior to the race.

The episode raises concerns about her strength on soft ground as well as her health. "The question now is whether Minding can recover quickly enough to line up in the Oaks," says The Guardian. "In which context this defeat after a protracted duel on soft ground is very far from being the ideal preparation."

Her recovery will be key agrees Simon Holt on Sporting Life, who says Minding "looks head and shoulders above her rivals... and should be very hard to beat if fully recovered from her recent surprise defeat".

Could the distance make a difference? Trainer Hugo Palmer, writing on Betfair, says: "If Minding is as brilliant over 1m 4f as she is over 1m, then we are all in serious trouble. However, I feel that there is every chance that she won't stay... She won her maiden in June over 6f on fast ground and looks more about speed to me."

Palmer will be hoping that is the case as his horse, Architecture, is an outside bet for glory, but a more worthwhile consideration could be Harlequeen at 14-1, who is worth a "fun each way flutter on given the rain that has fallen", says Hammond of Sky Sports. "She should stay 12 furlongs and will handle the ground".

Harlequeen won on soft ground at Goodwood last year and caught the eye at York earlier in the season. Tony Calvin at Betfair says: "Epsom may not be ideal for her, as she is still clearly an inexperienced, buzzy sort... but the promise of her York run was there for all to see and I am surprised that she is such a big price."

Midway between the favourite and the outsider is another Aidan O'Brien mount, Somehow, described by the Cambridge News as a "tentative choice to cause a minor upset". Her preparation for the race has been good but she has "gone under the radar, with stable companion Minding justifiably taking top billing".

The 15-2 chance has also caught the eye of David Metcalf of Coral, who was impressed by her performance winning the Cheshire Oaks over 1m 4f at Chester. She is not the finished article but obviously has a "huge engine", he says. "She has the potential to be anything and is clearly on an upward curve."

The biggest race of the year takes place at Aintree on Saturday with 40 horses and jockeys aiming to secure a place in history by winning the Grand National.

More than a quarter of British adults are expected to place a bet on the race, which begins at 5.15pm. But who should they be backing?

This year's favourite is Definitly Red [sic], and would become the fourth horse called Red to win the race if it triumphs on Saturday.

However, picking a winner is a complicated business, and as Marlborough of the Daily Telegraph notes, favouritism is not always a good guide. "The past five winners have started at 33-1, 25-1, 25-1, 66-1 and 33-1 - so the moral is, if you fancy a horse do not worry about the price," says the tipster.

Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets with The Week and Betfair's new customer offer

So who are the horses to watch this year? Here are the The Week's top picks of the experts' picks:

Vincente: 25-1

The eight year-old, carrying 10st 10lb, won the Scottish Grand National last year and ticks most boxes. Even better than that are the long odds he has been given.

"If we forgive Vicente his form this season, and there is every reason to believe we can as he likes decent ground and there has been very little of that about during a wet winter, then last year's Scottish Grand National winner is definitlely overpriced at 25-1," says Marlborough of the Telegraph.

Also in his favour are the fact that he is "lightly raced, open to improvement and trained by top National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls", says the Grand National website.

But if he won the story would not be about the horse, the trainer or even the jockey, Brian Hughes, but the owner, says Sky Sports. "Eighty-one-year-old former Pontins owner Trevor Hemmings is hoping for a record-breaking fourth National winner. He bought Vicente after his 2015 hero Many Clouds died after a race at Cheltenham in January. The fairytale could happen."

The Young Master: 20-1

Frank Keogh of the BBC reckons "The Young Master can prove the master here", and he's not the only one.

"The Young Master has the not inconsiderable advantage of amateur Sam Waley-Cohen in the plate, has been trained very much with this race in mind and warmed up nicely at Cheltenham. He has the combination of class and weight to win," says Marcus Armytage of the Telegraph.

The "classy" eight-year-old is also tipped as one to watch by Sky Sports.

Blaklion: 14-1

Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Blaklion looks a popular pick and is Lydia Hislop's top selection for Sporting Life. "Back to his best when a promising second to Vieux Lion Rouge in Haydock’s Grand National Trial," she says. "Arrives here fresh. Strong chance of providing his yard with a timely boost to an attritional season."

Bill Esdaile of City AM also fancies his chances. "He seems to be at his best in the spring and I love the fact that his connections opted to bypass Cheltenham and come here fresh," he says. "I love the fact that he has bundles of stamina and, as his name suggests, has the heart of a lion. That toughness will stand him in good stead and, granted the usual luck required, he should go close."

Grand National icon Bob Champion, who beat cancer to win the race in 1981, also likes Blaklion's chances. "His trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies knows what’s needed to win a Grand National and he will be ridden by Noel Fehily who is a fantastic horseman," he tells the Telegraph.

Vieux Lion Rouge: 11-1

Yet another eight-year-old carrying less than 11st, Vieux Lion Rouge "looks tailor-made for the race", says Frank Keogh of the BBC. Who notes that his name translates as Old Red Lion, and that he "could be the toast of hostelries up and down the land".

The bookies seem to agree, which means that David Pipe's entry is vying with Definitly Red for favouritism.

He may also have got one over on the handicappers, says Chris Cook of The Guardian. "Highly rated since his career began five years ago and 11 wins from 21 starts is an impressive record," he says. "Better than ever this season, finishing powerfully to win the Becher Chase here in December and Haydock’s trial for this race in February... [which] came after the weights were set for this, so he looks leniently weighted."

Shantou Flyer: 66-1

If you are looking for an outsider then why not back Shantou Flyer to become the first seven-year-old to win the race since 1940. He is "starting to realise his early promise after joining Rebecca Curtis’s yard earlier this season," says Lydia Hislop of Sporting Life, and he looks like a "thorough stayer". And 66-1 is a "massive price given his known ability and hinted potential".

He has "gone in under the radar" agrees Sky Sports. He was "a faller in last year's four-miler at Cheltenham when still going well, though he does have stamina to prove".

He has a "big engine", agrees Chris Cook of the Guardian, and "has significant scope to be better than he has so far shown if relishing this marathon distance as his running style suggests he may".

Going aginst him are his age, weight and the fact that no horse trained in Wales has won the national for over a century.

Grand National 2016 odds: Five tips for this year's race

8 April 2016

It's the biggest race of the year and the Grand National promises to be another punter's paradise.

The bookies' favourite is Many Clouds, who was unfancied last year but is being heavily fancied to become the first horse to win back-to-back Nationals since Red Rum in the 1970s.

His jockey, Leighton Aspell, is looking to go one better after winning on Pineau De Re in 2014 and piloting Many Clouds to glory last year.

Understandably, they have dominated the build-up to this year's race, which starts at 5.15pm on Saturday at Aintree. But who should the intelligent punter get behind ahead of this year's race? Here are the The Week's top five picks from the experts' picks:

The favourite:

The Last Samuri 10-1

Probably the most attractive of the leading contenders - if you can look beyond the romance of a win for Many Clouds - and he has the backing of several tipsters.

"He's a young improving horse," says Chris Cook of The Guardian. "We haven't seen the best of him yet."

The race is a "big step up", but Cook believes he will "cope".

The Last Samuri will also benefit from the handicap, says the Grand National Guide website. "This horse must have a great chance as his weight for this race was published before he pulverised a good field at Doncaster. Likely to improve even further over this demanding distance."

Trainer Kim Bailey is looking for a second national winner after Mr Frisk in 1990 and The Last Samuri has every chance. The eight-year-old is rated four out of five by Newsboy in the Daily Mirror and eight out of ten by Sporting Life, which dubs him a "big player".

The nearly man:

The Druids Nephew 16-1

Last year, the Neil Mulholland-trained The Druids Nephew was leading the National and looking good when he fell five from home. He could make amends tomorrow.

"He has been trained for this race alone," says Marcus Armytage of the Daily Telegraph, who picks him for his shortlist of four.

"A few horses - like 2005 winner Hedgehunter - have returned to land the National the following year after a mishap," says Chris Wright of the Liverpool Echo. "At eight last year, he was probably just a little young to go all the way... [He] looks to hold a decent chance of at the very least completing this time. And with a bit of luck may do even better."

The Druids Nephew also has the backing of Sky Sports tipster Alex Hammond. "[He] ran really well behind The Last Samuri at Doncaster in the Grimthorpe last time out. It was a satisfying prep and I think he can reverse those placings," she tells Metro.

The Aintree specialist:

Saint Are 16-1

Second last year to Many Clouds, Saint Are is tipped by Chris Wright of the Guardian to "go well again" this time out.

Trained by Tom George, the ten-year-old will be carrying slightly less weight this time out, notes Sporting Life. "Looked as good as ever in a veterans' handicap chase at Doncaster last month and has to make any shortlist," says the website.

He also has a liking for the course and has a good record at Liverpool. Marcus Armytage of the Telegraph picks him as one to watch, noting: "He loves Aintree's spring meeting, where he's won twice before."

The comeback kid:

Morning Assembly 25-1

There is a lot of support for this Pat Fahy-trained nine-year-old, who was out of action from May 2014 until January this year. That absence has put him under the radar, which may explain his odds.

Daily Mirror tipster Newsboy makes him the one to watch, with a five-star rating. "Went well before mistake three out back at Cheltenham last month, but kept on up the hill and likely stayer has a good chance of glory," he says.

Morning Assembly was regarded as "one of the best staying novice chasers of his generation" before missing last season, says Sporting Life. He "looks the most unexposed horse in the field and can give his supporters a good run for his money".

He is "a classic old-fashioned steeplechaser, who jumps and gallops," Sporting Life's racing editor Will Hayler tells Metro. "There is plenty of hope to be taken from the formbook that this gruelling test of stamina won’t pose a problem."

The outsider:

Rule the World 50-1

The Grand National wouldn't be the Grand National without a punt on an outsider and Rule the World looks the best placed of those at long odds. He has finished second in the Irish Grand National and has a "shrewd" coach in Mouse Morris. "Despite his 50-1 price tag he is no forlorn hope," says Rob Wright of The Times.

Drier ground will suit him, says Grand National Guide, which notes Rule the World is "much more effective on a sounder surface".

He has never won over fences, but has seven second-place finishes. "On the nose backers will probably avoid this runner but each way punters could lap up his big odds," says website Grand National 2016.

Grand National 2016: Many Clouds favourite for Aintree glory

07 April

The line-up for this year's Grand National has been confirmed, with last year's winner, Many Clouds, installed as the favourite.

Victory would see Many Clouds become the first horse since the legendary Red Rum to win two Nationals in succession.

Other leading contenders include The Last Samuri and two-time King George VI Chase winner, Silviniaco Conti.

The 2014 winner, Pineau De Re, is among those to have missed out on a place in this year's race. With a maximum of 40 riders, the 13-year-old needed a number of late withdrawals on Thursday to get a run, but there were no drop-outs. Bishops Road, who won the Grand National trial at Haydock in February could only secure a reserve spot after being rated 41st of the entrants.

"The National is a handicap chase, with each runner allotted a different weight to carry by the official handicapper Phil Smith," says the BBC. "Some trainers are faced with the tricky task of trying to ensure their contenders perform well enough to get a rating which guarantees a run, without landing a big weight that hampers their chances."

The Grand National festival got underway on Thursday in windy conditions, notes the Daily Mail, which casts its eye over the outfits worn by racegoers.

"Efforts to smarten up standards at Aintree seem to have produced mixed results," sniffs the paper. "The low-cut dresses, tight fitting skirts, bare legs and platform shoes that have become a Grand National staple in recent years were still out in force as revellers arrived for the first day of racing at the Liverpool course."

There was a huge security operation in force, notes the Daily Mirror. "Racegoers were subjected to body frisks and baggage checks, while cars were also scanned by metal detectors," it reports. "Merseyside police insist the security in place this year is no different to last year, despite the terrorist attacks in Brussels and Paris which have taken place over the last 12 months."

Cheltenham Festival's final day features the biggest race of the meeting - the Gold Cup. But who will win the blue riband event this year?

Willie Mullins will be hoping that 2016 is finally his year. The Irish trainer has a wonderful record at Cheltenham but has never won the main event, finishing runner-up five times. He has three runners this year, including joint favourite Djakadam, who will be ridden by top jockey Ruby Walsh.

But with the glamorous Don Cossack also attracting a lot of support, who should you put your money on? Here are The Week's three tips for the big race:

The romantic choice: Cue Card

If he wins the Gold Cup, ten-year-old will earn his owners a massive £1m bonus for completing the Triple Crown, having already won the Betfair Chase and King George this season.

No ten-year-old has won the Gold Cup since 1998, but Cue Card appears to be a horse reborn after an operation to improve his breathing last year.

"His credentials for this week are unimpeachable," says Chris Cook of The Guardian. "Reasons to oppose him are hard to find."

He also has the backing of Channel 4 tipster Tom Lee. "He's at the peak of his considerable powers and at his very best at Cheltenham in March," he writes on cheltenham-festival.co.uk.

The trier: Don Poli

Not the most glamorous horse, but one that is generating an awful lot of interest among the tipsters as the race draws near.

"Smart Alecs have made comic capital out of the Willie Mullins seven-year-old's grinding style," says Daily Mirror tipster Newsboy. "But actions speak louder than words, and Don Poli's deeds have been to win races at the last two Cheltenham Festivals."

He backs the gelding to triumph - and Andy Stevens of the London Evening Standard agrees.

Don Poli, he says, "does not seem to have any chinks in his armour and can finally provide Mullins with the victory he craves".

He is by no means a flyer, but it is his "bottomless reserves of stamina and that can give him the edge over Cue Card and Don Cossack".

Marcus Armytage in the Daily Telegraph believes Don Poli is the horse best equipped to last the distance. "When others cry 'enough' at the foot of the hill he will find another gear up the rising ground," he says.

The outsider: Smad Place

The grey pace-setter will be easy to spot at the head of the field in the early stages of the race, but whether he is still there in the final furlong is a different matter. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a double-figure bet, this could be the horse to back.

"He's a bold front runner who can be hard to pass if he gets into a good rhythm," says Armytage of the Telegraph.

Smad Place won the Hennessey at Newbury and Gold Cup trial run at Cheltenham in January and that, "with his great attitude to boot, gives connections a glimmer of hope", says Alex Hammond of Sky Sports, although she is another who backs Don Poli to win.

"He may not quite have the class to see it out against the form horses Don Cossack and the £1m bonus-chaser Cue Card, but he will surely get his own way out in front, and he could make them all go," says Tony Calvin of Betfair.

The Week's choice: Don Poli

Five Cheltenham Festival tips from Thistlecrack to Gold Cup shot Don Poli

"The greatest show on turf" gets underway on Tuesday.

This year's Cheltenham Festival promises to be as exciting as ever, with 28 races across the four days of action. The biggest showdown is Friday's Gold Cup, but there are plenty of other major Grade 1 races, including the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and World Hurdle.

Former Olympic track cyclist Victoria Pendleton makes her Cheltenham jockey debut in the Foxhunter Chase on Friday, while Irish trainer Willie Mullins has thrown everything at this year's event with around 60 runners.

"No trainer has ever before assembled such a powerful squad of horses for the Cheltenham Festival", says Cornelius Lysaght of the BBC.

Here are six tips for this year's festival.

TUESDAY:

Altior - Supreme Novices Hurdle, 1.30pm

The first race of the festival features one of the hottest favourites in Min, but his odds are so short he offers little value. Punters have a better bet in Altior.

He is "seriously fast, as he showed when sprinting away from his rivals at Kempton over Christmas, and in any normal year he'd be favourite", says Tom Dutton of the London Evening Standard.

Min is unexposed after just a couple of races in Ireland, says Danny Archer of Cheltenhamfestival.net, and may not be the certainty many take him for. "With course form and proven form against decent opposition, Altior rates as a strong fancy to get the better of Min," he writes.

Annie Power - Champion Hurdle, 3.30pm

A late entry into the field, Annie Power should deliver Mullins at least one winner on opening day.

"The horse was not even being considered for the race until last month, when reigning champion Faugheen was ruled out for the season. However, Annie Power is now the hot favourite," says The Sport Review website.

But her odds may count against her. "She's too short for me but it would be a travesty if a mare as good as her never won a race at the Cheltenham Festival," says Alex Hammond in Sporting Life.

WEDNESDAY:

Un De Sceaux - Queen Mother Champion Chase, 3.30pm

Another Mullins-trained horse is the tip for the main race on Wednesday, which is likely to be dominated by short-priced favourites, says Tom Dutton of the Standard. "If betting at odds-on is your thing, he looks nailed on," he writes, but offers up God's Own as an alternative.

"You will need nerves of steel if you are an Un De Sceaux backer - he is a hot head and Ruby [Walsh, the jockey] will need to keep a lid on him. Despite that, I really fancy him and am struggling to find an alternative," says Alex Hammond in Sporting Life.

THURSDAY:

Thistlecrack - World Hurdle, 3.30pm

A future Gold Cup contender, according to trainer Colin Tizzard, who could be "one of the best bets of the week", says City AM, although that could change if his odds come in too much. "He'd be 1-2 if we were trained by Willie Mullins," says the paper's racing editor, Bill Esdaile.

Esdaile is not alone in backing Thistlecrack. "He looks every inch the top class three mile hurdler and he could well turn out to be one of the bankers of the meeting with one horse having to improve enormously to get near him," says Danny Archer of Cheltenhamfestival.net.

FRIDAY:

Don Poli - Gold Cup, 3.30pm

The big one is tough to call this year, with the tipsters split. Don Cossack, Vautor and Cue Card are all favourites but Don Poli could spring a surprise.

"The more I look at the race, the more I fancy Don Poli. He has all the attributes of a Gold Cup winner... He has the ideal temperament for a Gold Cup too as he isn't highly strung and should take it all in his stride," says Alex Hammond in Sporting Life.

He is "not the most obvious" of the four Mullins trained horses in the race, argues Marcus Armytage of the Daily Telegraph. "He's not the fastest horse of all time but when others cry 'enough' at the foot of the hill he will find another gear up the rising ground."

Jockey Michelle Payne ensured that the Melbourne Cup really was the race that stopped a nation this year as she became the first woman to win the biggest contest of the Australian racing season and did so on 100-1 shot Prince of Penzance.

Not only did Payne see off the challenge of Frankie Dettori on Max Dynamite in a thrilling finish, she then aimed a few choice words at those who objected to the idea of a woman taking part.

"It's such a chauvinistic sport, I know some of the owners wanted to kick me off," said Payne, who was only the fourth woman to take part in the showpiece event, held at Flemington Racecourse.

She offered thanks to Prince of Penzance's trainer Darren Weir and owner John Richards, and added: "I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world."

The win will propel Payne "from 'good jockey' to 'national celebrity' and one of the most famous sportswomen around", says BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght.

Seeing off Dettori in the closing stages only adds to the achievement, which will go down as "a red-letter day for the once oh-so-macho world of Aussie sport".

To make matters worse for Dettori, he was fined A$20,000 (£9,200) and banned for a month for careless riding as he sought to get a decent line on the home straight.

Add to the mix the fact the Pride of Penzance cost a mere A$50,000 (£23,000) and was "trained on the beaches around Warrnambool by Darren Weir, a Victorian bushie from Berriwillock" and you have a plot that it "too far-fetched" event for Hollywood, says Max Presnell in the Sydney Morning Herald.

The story is akin to that of National Velvet, the film in which Elizabeth Taylor rides her pet horse to victory in the Grand National.

"But when Michelle Payne applied the lip gloss after the win and before the press conference even the screen great Taylor couldn't have done it better," writes Presnell.

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(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

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(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

(REUTERS/Neil Hall)

Peter O'Sullevan, the former commentator who became known as 'the voice of racing', has died at the age of 97.

He spent 50 years working for the BBC and his measured commentary became synonymous with racing and the Grand National in particular. He also spent 36 years as the Daily Express racing correspondent and worked for the Press Association.

In 1997 he became the first sports commentator to be knighted. Here are five other things you might not know about the Irish born journalist.

He was a sickly child

Raised by his grandparents in Surrey after his parents separated, O'Sullevan went to Charterhouse school and then to a boarding school in Switzerland. As a child, he suffered from asthma, bronchitis and skin problems and Julian Wilson, writing about O'Sullevan for The Guardian before his death in 2014, says O'Sullevan was so self-conscious of his appearance "that for many months he would venture outdoors only during the hours of darkness".

His health problems meant he was ineligible for military service during the Second World War and instead worked for the rescue services in Chelsea. "At that time I wouldn't have taken odds of 100/1 of me reaching 50," he once said in an interview, reports the BBC.

He had U-Boat binoculars

"One of the last of the BBC pioneer broadcasters, O'Sullevan simply was horse racing to generations just as Bill McClaren was rugby union and Dan Maskell tennis," says the Daily Mail. He was a meticulous commentator who prided himself on his accuracy and "delivered his narration from precarious perches at the top of grandstands... relying on his giant binoculars rescued from a German U-Boat".

He used them for most of his career and "was one of the last commentators to switch from binoculars... to a monitor and used to meticulously prepare the day before by colouring in the silks of each horse and annotate his 'racecard'", says the Daily Telegraph.

He liked a flutter

He got the racing bug as a child and in 1928 had a sixpenny each-way bet on Tipperary Tim in the Grand National, reports the BBC. "His small investment paid off handsomely as the horse, at odds of 100/1, went on to win."

He became a "committed punter", says the Daily Mail, and would often scout horses around Europe. He made enough money from betting to own his own horses, and even commentated on them. But he remained objective, and "even as his 'little star', Attivo, galloped to victory in the 1974 Triumph Hurdle, he maintained his steely professionalism", says the BBC.

He was a campaigner

In the 1980s, as a member of the Jockey Club, he campaigned against excessive use of the whip, and also called for the infamous Becher's Brook fence at Aintree to be made safer. After retiring he set up a trust, which "distributed millions to causes close to his heart, mostly involving the aftercare of racehorses and cruelty to animals", says the Mail.

He was a loner

"While O'Sullevan was much admired by fellow journalists, until recent years he had few close friends," says Julian Wilson's obituary in The Guardian. "As a broadcaster he was considered difficult to work with and rarely, if ever, socialised with colleagues."

However, the great and good of the racing fraternity have lined up to pay tribute to the commentator. Jockeys including AP McCoy and Willie Carson led the tributes, and Claire Balding described him as "the ultimate pro and the definition of a gentleman".

Tributes have been flooding in for Kauto Star, the only horse ever to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup, who has been put down after suffering pelvis and neck injuries in a paddock fall.

The events leading up to the 15-year-old's death are not clear, but it is believed he injured himself while put out to grass last week.

The Racing Post reports that he was put to sleep after he "was hospitalised and given intensive medical treatment... over the weekend to try and save his life after Wednesday's fall".

Owner Clive Smith told the Post: "I am devastated. He had been turned out... and he looks to have jumped something, and stumbled, we're not really sure, but he injured himself - and it became obvious it was serious."

Kauto Star, who won the King George VI Chase at Kempton five times in addition to the two Gold Cup wins, was one of the most popular horses of recent times. Trained by Paul Nicholls he won 23 of his 41 outings before being retiring in 2012.

The Daily Express described him as "one of the greatest racehorses of all time" and jockey Ruby Walsh said he was "simply the best chaser I've ever ridden or am likely to ride".

The Daily Telegraph said he was "the greatest chaser of the 21st century". But the paper also notes that his retirement in 2012 led to an "acrimonious fall-out between the owner and trainer". The horse was taken to Lambourn by owner Smith against the wishes of Nicholls, who wanted him to remain at his stables with head lad, Clifford Baker, who had ridden him daily for most of his career.

Instead, notes The Guardian, "Kauto Star went on to pursue a career in dressage with Laura Collett and last December took part in a demonstration on the opening night of the London International Horse Show at Olympia".

Royal Ascot, which starts on Tuesday, is the biggest meeting of the flat racing season and has been likened to an annual equine Olympics. What lies in store - aside from the fancy hats and the celebrity watching - is five days of top class action consisting of 30 hotly-contested races.

The festival has always been a potential minefield for punters - in the 1920s the best-selling author and heavy gambler Edgar Wallace, subject of my new biography, lost in the region of £20,000 during Royal Ascot week.

But bearing three key factors in mind can help tilt the percentages in favour of the intelligent punter in the battle with the bookies.

Play safe in group races, go longer in handicaps

In the seven Group One races in 2014, the starting price of the winners were 4-5, 5-1, 8-11, 11-2 (twice) 10-11 and 7-2. By contrast, the handicaps included winners at 33-1 and 20-1 (twice). It was similar story in 2013 as well.

Pay close attention to previous Royal Ascot form

Horses that have won or been placed at previous Royal meetings have already shown they can compete at this high level and can act on the track and so it makes sense to side with them. In 2013, ten of the 24 non-two-year-old races were won by horses that had either won, or finished in the first four, in previous years at Royal Ascot.

Back trainers who have a good record

Some trainers do better at the Royal meeting than others and have particularly eye-catching records in certain races. Mark Johnston, for instance, has won Friday's Queen Vase seven times in total, while Aidan O'Brien has now won Thursday's Gold Cup six times. Sir Michael Stoute, who has trained more winners at Royal Ascot than any current trainer, has a superb record in Saturday's Hardwicke Stakes.

Now let's take a look at the big races on a day-by day-basis:

TUESDAY

2.30 pm. The Queen Anne Stakes.

This one mile Group One event is not a good race for outsiders, you have to go back to 1995 to find a winner at odds bigger than 12-1 and market leaders have won three of the past five runnings. Four-year-olds have the definite edge, accounting for 20 of the past 25 winners. Hong Kong-raider Able Friend, a winner of his last six races, and the French-trained Solow, impressive winner of the Dubai Turf in March, are two of the market leaders.

But the percentage call could be an each-way bet on the 2014 2000 Guineas winner Night of Thunder, who already has some good Royal Ascot form in the book: he finished second behind the brilliant Kingman in last year's St James's Palace. The four-year-old's stable has saddled three winners and a close-up second in this in the past six years.

3.40 pm. King's Stand Stakes.

Sole Power, a close-up third in 2012, and winner in 2013 and 2014, will be favoured by the drying ground conditions and with no rain forecast, he once again looks the most reliable option in this Group One five-furlong sprint. Last year's second and third Stepper Point and Hot Streak, could represent some each-way value.

4.20 pm. St James's Palace Stakes.

Favourites or joint-favourites have won 11 of the past 16 runnings of this one-mile Group One for three-year-olds. Guineas form is usually a very good guide, with eight of the past ten winners having won either the English, Irish or French Guineas. Gleneagles, the winner of both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas, and who is trained by Aidan O'Brien, who has won the race six times before, is the red-hot favourite and is very difficult to oppose.

5.00 pm. Ascot Stakes.

Trainers who specialise in the jumps have won this long-distance (2m 4f) handicap 11 times since the turn of the Millennium - including last year's race which was won by 12-1 shot Domination, whose chances we flagged up in last year's guide. This is usually a graveyard for favourites, with only one obliging since 1992. So the percentage call is to look for horses from jumping yards who don't lead the market. Two each-way possibles are the Nicky Henderson trained Broxbourne, the only course winner in the field, and Hardstone, trained by ex-jockey Johnny Murtagh, who had such a great record at Royal Ascot, and whose rider, Fran Berry, has won this race for the last two years.

WEDNESDAY

3.05 pm. Queen Mary Stakes

The key point here is to focus on runners that have won or finished second on their last run. Although the favourite did oblige last year, three times in the last eight years this five-furlong Group Two race has been won by a filly starting at odds of 20-1 or longer, and there have been big-priced horses in the frame too: in 2013 a last-time-out winner came third at odds of 66-1.

4.20 pm. The Prince of Wales's Stakes

Favourites and short-priced horses do well in this 1m 2f Group One race and outsiders less so: since the turn of the Millennium, the highest priced winner has been only 17-2. Previous form in the race is a clear advantage and last year's winner, The Fugue, had finished third in 2013. This year's race looks tricky, but French raiders have quite a good record (three wins in the past eight years) and Ectot, who won six successive races in 2013 and 2014, could be the each-way value.

5.00 pm. Royal Hunt Cup

Five of the past seven winners of this straight mile cavalry charge handicap have been between 16-1 and 33-1 in the betting, but there have been no winners bigger than 33-1 since 1990. So while it makes good sense to look for an outsider, preferably with some course form in the book, it's probably wise not to go for a complete rag. High draws are usually a major advantage: only one horse with a single-figure draw (Belgian Bill in 2013), has won this race at Ascot since 2001.

Last year's winner Field of Dream had the ideal profile for a winner - he had a high draw (33), was priced at 20-1, and he'd been placed (at odds of 66-1) in the race two years earlier. He's back again for more this year, and enters the shortlist along with Chil the Kite, second in the race last year, and Bronze Angel, placed in big handicaps at the meeting twice before, though watch out for the draw as its important.

THURSDAY

4.20 pm. Ascot Gold Cup

Staged over 2m 4f, the Gold Cup is the oldest race at the meeting (it was first run in 1807) and is the only Group One on day three.

This year's renewal looks quite weak: Forgotten Rules, a winner of all four of his races to date is a worthy favourite, but won't want it too fast, so the weather may go against him. The each-way value could be provided by Simenon. Willie Mullins' charge won twice at the meeting in 2012 and has finished second and fourth in this race in the past two years. Aidan O'Brien has won this six times in the past nine years, and even though his representative this time, Kingfisher, doesn't look to have as strong a CV as his other previous winners, he still warrants plenty of respect given his trainer's record.

FRIDAY

3.40 Commonwealth Cup

The six-furlong event for three-year-olds is a brand new Group One for Royal Ascot. Obviously there are no trends to go on, but the one who makes most appeal is the US-raider Hootenanny, who was an impressive winner of the Windsor Stakes 12 months ago.

Last year's Queen Mary one and two Anthem Alexander and Tiggy Wiggy, who returns to sprinting after finishing a highly commendable third in the 1000 Guineas, are two more for the shortlist.

4.20 pm. Coronation Stakes

Favourites or joint favourites generally have a good record in this Group One one-mile race for three-year-old fillies, with eight wins since 2000 and we've only seen one double-figure priced winner this century. Winners of the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket used to have a terrible record in this, with no wins between 1979 and 2003, but that has changed in recent years with four 1000 Guineas winners following up in the past 11 years, including Sky Lantern in 2013. Also, eight of the past 12 winners finished in the first seven in the Guineas, including last year's 11-2 heroine Rizeena. Lucida, currently around 11-4 in the betting, finished second in the Guineas, and her trainer Jim Bolger has won this race twice before.

5.35 pm. Queen's Vase

As we highlighted last year, trainer Mark Johnston is the man to follow in this - he has now recorded seven wins in this Group Three two-mile event since 2001, including last year's winner Hartnell. This year the Yorkshire-based handler has two entered in the race, Vive Ma Fille and Yorkidding. Sir Michael Stoute and Aidan O'Brien also have a good record; indeed, you have to go back to 2004 to find a winner of this race not trained by either Johnston, Stoute or O'Brien.

This is not a race for big-priced winners: favourites have won five of the past seven runnings and not since 2001 have we had a double-figure winner. So the percentage call once again is to back the favourite - and Mark Johnston's runner(s) - each-way.

SATURDAY

3.45 pm. Hardwicke Stakes

Trainer Michael Stoute has won this 1m 4f Group Two race five times in the past nine years, and eight times in all, so he's clearly the man to follow. He's set to run last year's one-two Telescope and Hillstar and the advice again is to back the former to win and the latter, each-way. If Telescope does win again, it'll be the third time that Stoute has trained a horse to win two years in succession.

4.20 pm. Diamond Jubilee Stakes

Interestingly, six of the past nine winners of this Group One six-furlong event have been drawn either 11 or 15, so each-way plays on the horses in those berths are recommended. Six of the past ten winners, including the 2014 winner Slade Power, had run at Royal Ascot before finishing no worse than seventh. Australian raiders have won the race twice in the past ten years, and this year's representatives from Down Under, Brazen Beau and Wandjina merit serious consideration, as does last year's Jersey Stakes winner Mustajeeb.

5.00 pm. Wokingham Handicap

After a period where low draws were the best in this six-furlong event, the high numbers have reasserted in recent runnings, with three of the past five winners drawn 22 or higher.

Freshness is important as nine of the past 13 winners had raced no more than twice that season. Another important factor is that the past 13 winners had all won over six furlongs or further, so avoid horses that have only won over five furlongs and are stepping up in distance.

The Epsom Derby, often called the greatest and most prestigious horse race in the world, will be run at 4.30 pm this Saturday, live on Channel 4. The annual flat race for three-year-olds over one mile and four furlongs was first run in 1780. Today the race is worth a cool £1,325,000.

So, how can we beat the bookies and find the winner among the 12 runners? Six key factors need to be taken into account. They are:

Stamina

Derby winners need to have speed, but they also need plenty of staying power as Epsom is a demanding, undulating track.

Most of the horses won't have run over a mile and a half before so to decide if a horse will stay the trip we need to look at two things: its breeding and how it has finished races over shorter distances.

The stamina index of the horse's sire can provide us with a good indication of whether the horse is likely to stay; only one horse has won the race in the last decade whose sire's stamina index was less than 9.1f (ie 1 mile 1 furlong).

The odds

Outsiders don't win the Derby very often: the last ten winners have all come from the first three in the betting and the biggest price winners this century have both been 7-1. Favourites or joint favourites have won five of the last 11 Derbys. However, when it comes to each-way betting, don't be put off backing an outsider as longer-priced horses do make the frame: in the last ten years we've seen horses finish second at 100-1 and 66-1.

Previous trials

The best Derby trial of them all is the Dante, run over 1m 2f at York in May. Four Dante winners, plus one unlucky runner-up, have gone on to win at Epsom over the past 18 years. Three Derby winners since 1999 had won races at the Chester May meeting, including 2013 winner Ruler of the World, who won the Chester Vase. The Derrinstown Stud Derby trial at Leopardstown in Ireland has also given us three Derby winners since 2000 (and placed horses, too). The Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster is not a Derby 'trial' as such, as it's for two- year-olds and run over one mile the previous autumn, but it has proved quite a good guide: since 2000, four winners have gone on to win the following year's Derby.

Class

It usually pays to stick with horses that have kept the best company: ten of the last 11 Derby winners had already won a group race and the one that didn't - Workforce, in 2010 - was an unlucky loser in the Dante when his bit slipped. No horse that has run in a handicap has won the Derby in the last 30 years.

Draw

Pay attention to where the horses are drawn. Ideally, you don't want to be backing a horse drawn too low or too high. No horse coming out of stall one has finished better than sixth in the last 11 years, and none has won this century. No horse with the highest draw has won since the 1960s. Conversely, horses drawn either four, five or ten have chalked up seven victories in the last 14 years - with "lucky" stall ten providing the winner seven times since 1986, most recently in 2013. In six of the last seven years a horse drawn 10-12 has finished in the frame.

Breeding

Take a look at who the horse's sire is. Seven of the last ten winners were sons of either Montjeu or Galileo, who won the 2001 Derby. Sea the Stars, the 2009 winner, was a half-brother of Galileo.

Epsom Derby 2015 odds: the runners

Now let's take a closer look at the field in race-card order:

1. CARBON DATING

Best odds: 250-1. Draw: 4. Sire's stamina index: 8.4f.

He's yet to win a race and indeed has only beaten one runner in his last three outings. In short, a massive outsider and very hard to fancy despite having a good draw.

2. ELM PARK

Best odds: 7-1. Draw: 3. Sire's stamina index: 9.3f.

He won last year's Racing Post Trophy, which is a positive, but needs to improve on his third place in the Dante behind Golden Horn and Jack Hobbs to reverse the form with those rivals. However, the York race was his first run of the campaign and he should do better here – especially if there are a few downpours at Epsom to improve his chances.

3. EPICURIS

Best odds: 20-1. Draw: 1. Sire's stamina index: 11.3f.

This French raider won all three of his races as a two-year-old and his sire - Rail Link - won an Arc de Triomphe. Not without an each-way chance, but the concern for his backers is that he refused to go into the stalls last time out. In addition, he's got a poor draw to overcome too.

4.GIOVANNI CANALETTO

Best odds: 8-1. Draw: 9. Sire's stamina index: 11.2f.

He needs to improve on what he's achieved so far (he was only second in a Group Three last time), but there are solid grounds for believing he will. His trainer, Aidan O'Brien, has won the race for the last three years (and five times in all). He's also got the perfect pedigree: he's by the successful sire Galileo - who won the race in 2001 - and he's the brother of the 2013 winner, Ruler Of The World.

5. GOLDEN HORN

Best odds: 6-4. Draw: 8. Sire's stamina index: 9.1f.

He's the favourite and you could say the race revolves around whether he stays the trip. It was originally planned to run him in the French Derby (over 1m 2.5f), but his impressive win in the Dante in May inspired a rethink. Now, despite his owners having previously expressed doubts over the horse's stamina, he's lining up for the longer race. His sire, Cape Cross, has produced two Epsom classic winners, including the very impressive 2009 Derby winner, Sea the Stars. His chances of staying will improve if there's no substantial rain at Epsom before the race.

6. HANS HOLBEIN

Best odds: 16-1. Draw: 2 . Sire's stamina index: 11.8f.

Bred for the part. His sire Montjeu has sired four Derby winners and two runners-up, and he also demonstrated that stamina won't be a problem when staying on strongly to land the 1m 4f Chester Vase. Trained by Aidan O' Brien, who has won the last three Derbys, he could well make the frame.

7. JACK HOBBS

Best odds: 9-2. Draw: 10. Sire's stamina index: 10.8f.

He stayed on to take second place in the Dante and on the evidence of that run and his breeding, the step up to a mile and a half should suit. He's well drawn, too, in "lucky" stall ten, but while he could hit his rivals for six - his trainer John Gosden has called him "a mighty improving horse" - he does fall down on two key stats: he's yet to win a group race and no Derby winner for 30 years has previously run in a handicap. His participation could also be in doubt, unless rain arrives in time at Epsom.

8. KILIMANJARO

Best odds 20-1. Draw: 6. Sire's stamina index: 10.5f.

His father is a Derby winner (High Chaparral) and he's trained by Aidan O'Brien, but while he should stay, he'll have to improve quite a bit on his form to date. It's overstating it to say he has a mountain to climb, but he does look the least likely of the Ballydoyle trio.

9. MOHEET

Best odds 50-1. Draw: 5. Sire's stamina index: 10.5f.

Coming in eighth in the 2000 Guineas, he should do better over a longer trip – after all, he's the son of the 2002 Derby winner High Chaparral. But he doesn't look to have the class of a Derby winner judging by his runs to date and his odds seem to be a fair reflection of his chances.

10. ROGUE RUNNER

Best odds: 100-1. Draw: 11. Sire's stamina index: 9.0f

This German raider could only finish fifth in a German Group Three race on his latest start. His sire, King's Best, did produce the 2010 Derby winner Workforce, but he would have to show a big improvement on his form to date if he's to figure in this Derby.

11. STORM THE STARS

Best odds: 20-1. Draw: 7. Sire's stamina index: 10.0f

Second behind Hans Holbein in the Chester Vase, he could be one of the better outsiders as he should stay (his sire is the 2009 Derby winner Sea the Stars). His trainer, William Haggas, has a 50 per cent strike rate in the race, having saddled just two runners.

12. SUCCESS DAYS

Best odds: 16-1. Draw: 12. Sire's stamina index: 8.3f.

This Irish-trained runner won the Derrinstown trial at Leopardstown in May and he's the joint-second highest rated horse in the race. There are concerns, however: the ground at Epsom is likely to be a lot quicker than he's experienced up to now; his sire's stamina index is low; and no horse has won the Derby from the widest draw since 1967.

Record-breaking jump jockey AP McCoy ran his final race on Saturday, bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career spanning three decades during which he rode more than 4,300 winners and was champion jockey 20 times.

Although his career ended with two third-places rather than a fairytale win, he was still the centre of attention at a packed Sandown Park.

"His two third-placed finishes, on Mr Mole and Box Office, were not the stuff of which legends were built, but this was all about saluting a man bowing out after two decades at the top," says the BBC, which notes that McCoy's 1,040 consecutive weeks as top-ranked jockey eclipse the feats of other sporting titans like Roger Federer (302 weeks) and Tiger Woods (545 weeks).

Fellow jockeys had formed a guard of honour as he entered the parade ring to collect the champion jockey's trophy for a 20th and final time. The 18,000 sell-out crowd was just as effusive, bursting into a rendition of 'for he's a jolly good fellow' as McCoy accepted the trophy.

"Never a truer word has been sung," writes Andy Dunn in the Daily Mirror. "McCoy, perhaps unlike no other sportsman, has struck a chord in the consciousness of the common man, woman and child.

"Rarely has someone so extraordinary been so ordinary. No pretensions, no airs, no graces, no showboating, no arrogance, no flashiness, no bravado. Just humble brilliance.

It has been a "long goodbye" for McCoy, says The Times. The jockey, who was named Sports Personality of the Year winner in 2010, after winning the Grand National for the first time, announced his retirement in February. He absence next season will leave a void in the sport, although it does at least mean a different name on the champion jockey trophy for the first time in 21 years.

"Whatever happens in the future... no one will match the achievements of McCoy, who has dominated his sport like no other," says the paper.

What now for McCoy? asks The Guardian. "The 20-times champion jump jockey has never needed prompting to show his support for those of his colleagues suffering from serious injury and it was like him to raise the subject once more as he made his farewells at Sandown on Saturday."

McCoy, who broke 40 bones during his career is vice-president of the Injured Jockeys Fund and is likely to work to raise awareness of the organisation's work. "There is always more that racegoers can do to remember those who were unable to walk away from the sport in one piece," says the paper.

Writing in the Times ahead of his final races, McCoy admitted he had no long-term plans for the future, but said he would visit two badly-injured jockeys, Robbie and JT McNamara, in Ireland next week.

"I've given very little thought to it, other than I will definitely not be coming out of retirement," he said. "I'm going to take some time out and won't be rushing into anything. I’d like to carry on doing something that still involves horses, although I've no aspirations to become a trainer."

Could there be a fairytale ending for the soon-to-be retiring racing legend Tony McCoy in Saturday’s Grand National, due off at 4.15pm and televised live on Channel 4?

If ‘AP’ does win on the favourite Shutthefrontdoor he’s likely to hang up his riding boots there and then. But there are plenty of potential party-poopers in the 40-strong field.

To separate the realistic contenders from the also-rans in the 4 miles 3.5 furlongs Aintree marathon, it’s important to bear in mind these key factors before placing your bets.

Stamina. Form in one of the various ‘Nationals’ or in long-distance staying chases is a big plus. Last year’s winner Pineau De Re had won an Ulster National and in 2013 the first three home had finished in the first three in Irish, Scottish or Welsh Nationals. Twelve of the last 18 winners had been at least placed in a National, or the 4m1f Eider Chase at Newcastle.

Age. The best ages for a Grand National winner are nine, ten and 11 - an age range which covers 17 of the last 19 winners. Interestingly, the last three winners have all been 11. Eight-year-olds like Shutthefrontdoor do win, but infrequently: there’s been just two since 1983.

Experience. The last 23 winners had all run at least eight times over fences. It stands to reason that in a hurly-burly race like the National, you need an experienced, battle-hardened campaigner. It’s also an advantage to have had at least one run since the New Year: the last 50 winners all fulfilled that criterion.

Weight. The compression of the handicap means that we can no longer rule out horses carrying 11st or more. But although a horse carrying 11st 6lb won in 2012, the last two Grand Nationals have been dominated by horses carrying less that 11st, showing that despite the modification of the fences, weight remains an important factor.

The spring factor. It’s worth looking at horses that produce their best form in the spring - especially if they’ve performed well at the Aintree Festival meeting in the past. The 2013 66-1 winner Aurora’s Encore had three previous April wins to his name (including one at Aintree five years earlier), the same number as the 2012 33-1 winner Neptune Collonges. Interestingly five of the last six winners, including last year’s winner Pineau De Re, had won at least one race in the month of April.

Now let’s take a closer look at the 39 runners in race card order…

KEY:

**** Likely winner

*** Each-way possibility

** Outside chance

* No hoper

1. LORD WINDERMERE ** Age 9; weight 11st 10lb; best odds: 40-1.

He clearly has the class having won the 2014 Gold Cup – though he never got involved in this year’s Cheltenham classic. Also, no horse carrying 11st 9lb or above has won the National since Red Rum in 1974, while his come-from-behind style is not ideally suited to this race.

2. MANY CLOUDS ** Age 8; weight 11st 9lb; best odds: 33-1.

Has had a great season, winning the Hennessy in November and a Grade Two chase at Cheltenham in January, before finishing a creditable sixth in the Gold Cup. But as with Lord Windermnere (above), weight is an issue.

3. UNIONISTE ** Age 7; weight 11st 6lb; best odds: 33-1.

Dual Aintree winner who finished third behind the subsequent Gold Cup winner Coneygree at Newbury in February. But while a good run can’t be ruled out, he does have his fair share of weight and no seven-year-old has won this since 1940.

4. ROCKY CREEK**** Age 9; weight 11st 3lb; best odds: 10-1.

Fifth last year when ridden quite aggressively, he has had a wind operation since then and is 2lb lower in the weights. Given a more restrained ride, there’s a good chance he can improve on his 2014 placing and he rates a solid contender.

5. FIRST LIEUTENANT*** Age 10; weight 11st 3lb; best odds: 25-1.

A classy performer when racing at his best. He’s never fallen, and has run well at the Grand National meeting for the past two years; each-way possibilities.

6. BALTHAZAR KING*** Age 11; weight 11st 2lb; best odds: 10-1.

This admirably gutsy performer came 15th in 2013. But he was ridden with more restraint last year and ran a blinder to finish second. He’s got 3lb more to carry this time, but did bypass a good winning opportunity at the Cheltenham Festival to be fresh for this. The fact that he hasn’t run since November could count against. Even so, he has each-way possibilities.

7. SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR**** Age 8; weight 11st 2lb; best odds 15-2.

The mount of the soon-to-be retiring racing legend AP McCoy, and trained by Jonjo O’Neill, this eight-year-old would be a hugely popular winner. The case for backing him relies on form grounds and not just sentiment: he is an Irish National winner, who has won at Aintree before and has an April win to his name. The concerns are his relative lack of experience over fences (just six runs) and the fact that he hasn’t raced since November.

8.PINEAU DE RE*** Age 12; weight 11st; best odds: 25-1.

An impressive winner of last year’s Grand National, he faces a more difficult task this time as he has to race off an 8lb higher mark. While becoming the first repeat winner of the race since Red Rum in 1974 will probably be beyond him, don’t rule out his making the frame again.

9.BALLYCASEY** Age 8; weight 10st 13; best odds: 40-1.

The longest race he’s won over was 2m 6f, so there are real question marks over his stamina - and he ran poorly at Cheltenham last time out. A positive is the presence of Ruby Walsh, who has such a good record in the saddle at the National.

10. SPRING HEELED*** Age 8; weight 10st 12lb; best odds: 22-1.

The 2014 Cheltenham Festival winner bypassed this year’s Festival to wait for this. He has a nice weight and definite possibilities of getting involved. The poor form of his trainer, Jim Culloty, who hasn’t saddled a winner for over a year, is the main concern; that said, the 1992 National winner Party Politics was trainer Nick Gaselee’s first winner of that year.

11. REBEL REBELLION** Age 10; weight 10st 12lb; best odds: 50-1.

Has a good record at Aintree, including a win over the National fences, but in races over much shorter trips. And he has never won under Rules at a distance greater than 2m 5f 110yd. Likely to go well for a while, but with his stamina unproven, others look more solid.

12. DOLATULO** Age 8; weight 10st 11lb; best odds: 50-1.

Made mistakes when finishing eighth in a race over the National fences over a shorter distance in December; did win a Grade 3 chase at Wetherby in December so not without ability. A positive is that French-bred horses have won three of the last six Nationals.

13. MON PARRAIN**** Age 9; weight 10st 11lb; best odds: 50-1.

Finished second in a race over the National fences in 2011, and was staying on at the finish in the 3m 2f Becher Chase, also over the National fences, in December, indicating that a longer distance would suit. He’s a good age for a National winner and has won in April before: could be one of the better outsiders.

15. NIGHT IN MILAN*** Age 9; weight 10st 9lb; best odds: 28-1.

A solid handicapper who has finished in the first three in half his 18 chase starts. He was an eye-catching third over 3m 2f at Doncaster last time. That doesn’t prove he’ll stay the 4m 3.5f National distance, but if he does he’d be in with an each-way squeak.

16. RUBI LIGHT* Age 10; weight 10st 9lb; best odds: 100-1.

Has had 27 chase starts so plenty of experience. The big negative though is that the furthest he’s won over is 2m 4f so his stamina is unproven. Overnight rain will aid his cause as all his wins have come on soft or heavy, but even so others make more appeal.

17. THE DRUIDS NEPHEW *** Age 8; weight 10st 9lb; best odds 14-1.

Won impressively at the Cheltenham Festival and because the National weights were unveiled before that, he’s able to race off a mark 10lb lower than his current, revised rating. The downside though is that in the last 54 years only one Cheltenham Festival winner has followed up with a win in the National a few weeks later.

18. CAUSE OF CAUSES** Age 7; weight 10st 9lb; best odds 18-1.

Very useful performer in big handicaps who won the four-miler at the Cheltenham Festival last time. While his stamina looks strong, the big negative is his age: as no horse as young as seven has won since 1940.

19. GODSMEJUDGE**** Age 9; weight 10st 8lb; best odds 22-1.

Has finished first and second in the last two Scottish Nationals, so clearly has the stamina and is a horse who does well in the spring. Has never run at Aintree, but if he takes to the fences he looks set to run a big race off his current mark. One for the shortlist.

20. AL CO *** Age 10; weight 10st 8lb; best odds 25-1.

The positives are that he’s a Scottish National winner so stamina shouldn’t be an issue. The negatives are that he isn’t over-big and didn’t jump too well over the National fences in the Becher Chase in December. If he jumps better on Saturday, he’ll be a contender.

21. MONBEG DUDE*** Age 10; weight 10st 7lb; best odds: 40-1.

Was a quite well fancied 16-1 shot last year when he finished seventh, but has come in somewhat under the radar this year. With rain forecast for Friday night, his current odds could represent some each-way value when you consider he’s 2lb lower in the weights than 12 months ago and his CV includes a win and a fourth place in a Welsh National.

22. CORRIN WOOD** Age 8; weight 10st 7lb; best odds: 66-1.

Has some useful novice form in 2013/4 but hasn’t done so well this season. His lack of experience over fences - he’s only had seven chase starts - is another negative.

23. THE RAINBOW HUNTER** Age 11; weight 10st 7lb; best odds 66-1.

Has come in for market support in each of the last two Grand Nationals but came down both times on the first circuit. His supporters will hope it’s a case of “third time lucky” but while he does have ability the fact that he’s failed to complete in seven of his last 17 races doesn’t inspire confidence.

24. SAINT ARE*** Age 9; weight 10st 6lb; best odds: 33-1.

What makes this one interesting is his good record at Aintree, and his form in April. He won at the Aintree Festival in both 2011 and 2012 and wasn’t disgraced when finishing ninth in the Grand National of 2013 when only seven. He’s also got a third place in the Becher Chase to his name. Definite place possibilities if he sees out the trip.

25. ACROSS THE BAY*** Age 11; weight 10st 6lb; best odds: 50-1.

Really unlucky in last year’s race when his chances were ruined by a loose horse when he was going very well. He’s been in poor form this season; that said it’s always possible that a return to Aintree will spark a revival.

26. TRANQUIL SEA** Age 13; weight 10st 5lb; best odds: 100-1.

Ran well in two previous outings over the National fences, but they were over shorter trips. It’s not only stamina that’s an issue – there’s his advanced age, too. No teenager has won the Grand National since 1923.

27. OSCAR TIME*** Age 14; weight 10st 5lb; best odds: 50-1.

He’s got a tremendous record over these fences; he’s been placed in two Grand Nationals and last December won the Becher Chase. The only negative is his advanced age: you’ve got to go all the way back to 1853 to find a horse older than 13 winning this.

28. BOB FORD ** Age 8; weight 10st 4lb; best odds: 100-1.

Won the West Wales National in January but that was on very heavy ground and although any rain which falls overnight will aid his cause, conditions are unlikely to be testing enough for him to produce his best form. He may find things happening too quickly for him.

29. SUPER DUTY ** Age 9; weight 10st 4lb; best odds: 66-1.

The greatest distance he’s won over is 2m 5f and so his stamina must be taken on trust. He had some smart form as a novice and has run well at the Aintree festival before. But while he could out-run his odds, others look more solid.

30. WYCK HILL *** Age 11; weight 10st 4lb; best odds: 66-1.

He won the 2014 Eider Chase - so stamina is not a problem. The negative is his sometimes sketchy jumpin: he did fall early on in the Eider Chase this year. That said, the 2013 hero Aurora’s Encore fell in a chase two races before winning at Aintree. If he does manage to put in a clear round he could be dangerous.

31. GAS LINE BOY** Age 9; weight 10st 4lb, best odds: 100-1.

Finished fourth in the Grand National trial at Haydock - a race the 2012 winner Neptune Collonges used as a stepping stone for this. While he could outrun his odds, his overall form doesn’t look quite good enough.

32. CHANCE DU ROY*** Age 11; weight 10st 4lb; best odds: 40-1.

Has a very good record over the National fences, but his best form is over shorter distances. He finished sixth last year though off a 2lb higher mark. Could run into a place.

33. PORTRAIT KING *** Age 10; weight 10st 3lb; best odds: 66-1.

As an Eider Chase winner, stamina shouldn’t be a problem and after an injury-truncated two years, he’s been in some fair form this season. He’s another who could make the frame if all goes well.

34. OWEGA STAR * Age 8; weight 10st 3lb; best odds: 100-1.

The greatest distance he’s ever won over is 2m 6f so stamina has to be in doubt; his age is not ideal either and, all things considered, it’s hard to be enthusiastic about his chances.

35. RIVER CHOICE* Age 12; weight 10st 3lb; best odds 150-1.

French raider who has never won a race over more than 2m 5.5f. His only win this season has come in a claiming chase and he looks to be really up against it here.

36. COURT BY SURPRISE** Age 10; weight 10st 3lb; best odds: 50-1.

Has won both his starts this season, but his last outing was in November, a negative considering that the last 50 winners of the National had all run at least once since the turn of the year.

37. ALVARADO*** Age 10; weight 10st 3lb; best odds 20-1.

Fourth in this last year, when staying on at the finish, he’s only 1lb higher in the weights this time round and has had his entire campaign built round a repeat bid. His jockey Paul Moloney certainly knows what it takes to get a horse placed in the National as he’s chalked up an incredible six placed finishes in six years. All things considered, Fergal O’Brien’s charge has to be worth an each-way bet.

38. SOLL *** Age 10; weight 10st 2lb; best odds: 22-1.

Finished seventh in the 2013 National and has a 7lb higher mark to contend with this year. But he has been performing better since switching to the stable of David Pipe, who won the National in 2008. Likely to get round and could make a place, with overnight rain aiding his chances.

39. ELY BROWN * Age 10; weight 10st 2lb; best odds: 100-1.

The big concern is his lack of experience over fences: he’s only had four chase starts and that’s hardly ideal for a race of this nature.

40. ROYALE KNIGHT**** Age 9; weight 10st 2lb; best odds 33-1.

Represents last year’s winning trainer Dr Richard Newland and is no forlorn hope of following in the footsteps of Pineau De Re. He was an easy winner of the Durham National at Sedgefield in October and has been kept to hurdling since then to protect his mark. If he takes to the Aintree fences he could run a very big race.