2018 Grand National Preview PT 1

Everybody is getting ready for the next major step in the National Hunt festival season as the 2018 Grand National is nearly upon us and the ante post markets are starting to heat up. There is plenty to like about this age-old contest and it really sets the standard as the biggest betting handicap of the entire year with a lot of popular sweepstakes wagers getting massive pools.

This year we have a number of familiar faces set to return and if it’s anything as open as the thrilling 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup that we just witnessed, then you can expect some of the betting fancies to emerge as the genuine standouts once we actually run the race.

There is a lot to like about Blaklion’s chances and he was right in the mix last year when it mattered most with a fourth place finish behind One For Arthur. He was a quality each-way selection for a number of punters and his great performance stands him in good stead for this iteration of the big contest at Aintree.

All the selections on the board are trading in the double digits so it’s clear that no genuine contender has really emerged as the stand-out favourite - which is sometimes the case in the race.

Total Recall looks like another really interesting selection and he’s nipping at the heels of Blaklion and will definitely be looking to improve on the disappointing effort he showcased in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last week when he fell at one of the first hurdles.