Ballabriggs heads National betting after weights are announced
Published:Ballabriggs has seen his position atop the Grand National betting strengthen after handicapper Phil Smith announced that the Donald McCain-trained ten-year-old will carry 11st in this year’s Grand National.
The ante-post favourite has been cut into 14/1 from 16/1 following the announcement of the Grand National weights earlier today, with Niche Market a solid second favourite at 16/1.
2010 Grand National winner Don’t Push It has been pushed out to 20/1 to win the Grand National following the announcement he will carry top weight – 11st 10lb – along with Neptunes Collonges (40/1), and no horse has won the National carrying more than 11st 8lb since Red Rum in 1977.
Don’t Push It won last year’s National carrying 11st 5lb and the Jonjo O’Neill-trained 11-year-old is really up against it if he is to win the Grand National for a second consecutive time.
The announcement of the weights has seen plenty of movement in the Grand National betting and canny ante-post punters should find plenty of value and can sign up here for a free Grand National bet worth £25.
80 horses will be whittled down to 40 come Saturday April 9th for the biggest race in the sporting calendar, and it’s likely to go down as the biggest betting event of 2011.
The one horse that catches the eye here at Ladbrokes news is State Of Play.
Having finished third and fourth in the last two runnings of the Grand National, the Evan Williams-trained 11-year-old is running off a mark of 10st 6lb, 5lb lower than last year and at 25/1, the star of Welsh racing offers plenty of value.
Since 1985, there have been six 11-year-olds that have won the Grand National – only nine-year-olds have won more – and State of Play is going for third time lucky at this year’s Grand National.
A £25 stake on State of Play winning the Grand National would return £650. New customers can sign up here for a free bet worth £25.
