2009 GRAND NATIONAL BETTING TIPS AND ANTE POST PICKS

Additionally, if you're boasting Irish allegiances and are still looking for a quality ante-post bet, try the aptly-titled Irish Invader. He's coming in off the back of three straight victories over the past three months at Thurles and Leopardstown. He hasn't finished outside the top 3 anytime since last July and is a really solid show bet even if you don't fancy him for the big prize. In a relatively mediocre field, he could be the surprise runner on April 4th. Darkness has also seen his odds cut sharply from 50/1 to 20/1 and is gaining some traction heading into the final few days of the ante-post market. He's still up in the air as to whether he'll run or not, but he's had plenty of success with A P McCoy several years ago and can be a handy steed if he's got a good pilot. Keep your eye on who will be on top (it surely won't be McCoy) but he could factor into the equation with some quality in the jockeys position. If you're looking for a real solid price on a very competent performer, take a gander at Out The Black- an 11-year-old Irish number coming out of P J Hobbs system. He scored at Doncaster in late February in the Coolfun Grimthorpe Chase and lost on the final gallop to Briery Fox in the Independent Newspaper Veterans Handicap Chase at Ascot last week and that performance seems to have convinced the punters that he may have a shot at this one. At a massive 50/1 he is worth a look or two. Kilbeggan Blade has been holding fast since taking a drop from his previous price of 33/1. Now available in the neighborhood of 20/1, he's in very solid form this season and has 3 wins out of his past 4 races (with the other a second-place finish at Warwick). He's a solid bet and is good over distance. Southern Vic is a bit of a different story, he'd been one of the early favourites and was initially available at 16/1 when the ante-post market opened up. He drifted up to 25/1 and then back down to 20/1 and is now available at his original price of 16/1. He's not won a race in a few years now, but could be worth a show bet.