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It’s been a rather intense few days in the build-up to the 2023 Grand National. We’ve seen provisional contenders fall by the wayside, other horses surge to the top of the standings, and the odds have been a bit turbulent across the board. Then again, millions of pounds are being wagered on the Grand National, so all of this is somewhat inevitable, which brings me to the main angle here.
I’d like to introduce you to the Grand National favourite, Ain’t That A Shame, for starters. But I also want to discuss why this horse has jumped to the top spot in terms of the current odds, as reflected at a few major betting sites here:
- Ladbrokes – 8/1
- William Hill – 9/1
- Betfred – 8/1
These three betting sites all have competitive odds on Ain’t That A Shame. However, the best price from these three is found at William Hill. The current odds of 9/1 are the highest I’ve seen so far, yet this could all change as the day progresses. Therefore, it’s better to get your wagers down sooner rather than later if you want to lock in this price.
Anyway, that’s enough about the Grand National favourite in terms of where to find the best odds. So now, as promised above, I’d like to discuss the favourite in more detail.
Ain’t That a Shame – The Surprise Grand National Favourite
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Believe it or not, just a few days ago, Ain’t That A Shame was not the favourite to win the Grand National. In fact, the favourite was actually Corach Rambler, who still has the shortest price of all 40 horses from a historical perspective. For clarity, the odds on that horse have been down at 7/1. Even the current Grand National favourite hasn’t had odds as low as that, yet there is still time for movement in the markets.
So as things stand right now, Ain’t That A Shame is the official favourite, although a few horses are hot on his tail. And on that note, I wish to highlight a few points regarding why Ain’t That A Shame has become the number one contender for the 2023 Grand National.
Confirmed Jockey – Rachael Blackmore
Without question, the main reason that this horse has surged through the ranks is because of his confirmed jockey – Rachael Blackmore. There’s a fair old chance that you know exactly who this jockey is if you follow horse racing. She famously became the first female to achieve a victory in the Grand National, which occurred in 2021. Since then, she’s been a bit of a legend in the horse racing game, deservedly so.
Because she has snapped up a Grand National win in the past, punters have started backing Ain’t That A Shame since this partnership was confirmed. Furthermore, Blackmore won the 2021 Grand National on a horse trained by Henry de Bromhead. And yes, you guessed it – Ain’t That A Shame is also trained by de Bromhead.
Recent Form – Great Win at Gowran Park
As is the case in any sport, you have to look at the recent form to determine a team’s/individual’s chances in an upcoming event. Of course, form doesn’t provide a guarantee of success, but it does factor into the equation when placing bets. So in the case of the Grand National favourite, how does the form book look? Well, it looks pretty solid, to be perfectly honest.
Ain’t That A Shame has recently stepped up and won a mid/long-distance race at Gowran Park. He actually won the event by 6 lengths too, which shows that he’s running well at the moment. But as it happens, this is the only race he has been involved in for 2023. However, this victory did come with Blackmore in the saddle, which bodes well for the race today.
Success in Long-Distance Events
As I’m sure you might know already, the Grand National is over 4 miles long, with 30 fences that must be cleared en route to the finish. It’s an incredibly demanding race for both the horse and jockey, and proven success in longer events is always a good sign. And when you look at the track record for the Grand National favourite, it does look reasonable.
In races over 3 miles in length, Ain’t That A Shame has been very consistent. He’s competed in five races over 3 miles in the past, and he’s finished 2nd in three of them and 4th in one. Yet this is his first time running a race over 4 miles, which means it could be a very interesting race today.
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