Tomorrow is the Grand National, and even though you might not have made it to Aintree this year (because the Grand National is held at Aintree. I know! I thought they were different things as well) you might still be planning to put a bet on tomorrow. Which is weird given that at any other time of the year betting just makes you think of old men called Baz, but I'll go with it.
But how the hell do you actually win something on the race? Sure, you can pick the jockey with the best jersey, that seems like a pretty solid tactic, but I reckon there might be a bit more to it. So I paid a visit to a few local betting shops to tap punters up for their best gambling tips. Have a read, put them into practice and hopefully you'll win something for once. You're welcome.
Pick the one whose name you like
It'd be fair to say, this tactic doesn't really have any statistical evidence to back it up, but it came up pretty regularly when I spoke to people. Michael, 67, was huddled over his betting sheets (is that what they're called?) when I approached him so I was 99% sure he was a betting pro who was going to have some advice that'd make me a millionaire tomorrow. 'Just pick the names you like, whichever ones you fancy. I've won 10 or 12 times before doing just that.' Right, not quite the wise gem I was hoping for but I trust you, Mike. Aneta, 29, said something similar; 'Pick the one with the nice name. It's such a big race, it's impossible to tell.' Fair play, Aneta, and as she was a member of staff, I sort of have to take it as gospel, right?
Go for the favourites
Maybe an obvious one, but it's worth mentioning - simply go for the ones that have been namechecked as the favourites to win. Victor, 51, said this was because 'the odds are more precise'. Now, I'm not entirely sure what this means guys, but I'm going to speculate and say that he probably means that they've been chosen as the favourites for a reason, so it's a safer bet. Maybe. However, I should disclose that he also said he was a 'nutcase gambler with too much money', so who knows.
Check out their 'form'
This basically means look into how they've been doing in their recent races so you'll need to do a bit of research. Judith, 41, told me what she looks out for, 'I check if they've been placing (coming 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in their recent races), if they've fallen (avoid this horse at all costs), look at who their trainer and parents are and who's riding it.' Sounds complicated but most of this information is in the paper or online, and putting in a bit of time seems like an all-right trade off for a some free cash. Hopefully.
Choose a '222'
This one is for sure the pièce de résistance and came from Roy, 93, which probably makes him older than the Grand National itself (I'm speculating). I'm pretty sure he might even be older than this because when I asked his age, he took a few minutes to answer and then said, '93. That'll do me.' However old he is, he's a great guy, with some solid gambling advice. His top tip? 'Bet on a '222', which is a horse that's come 2nd in its last three races. They invariably win.' Also, extra-tip, he said he's already found tomorrow's 222, so get searching!
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.