RUBY WALSH TIPPED AS TOP JOCKEY AT 2009 GRAND NATIONAL

With the 2009 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree merely a week and a half away, we're starting to see punters piling onto certain horses (War of Attrition and My Will in particular), but there's a separate betting market at Betfair that could certainly offer up both value and hedging opportunities for anybody looking to strike it rich at the Grand National. Betfair has a special market on Top Jockey for Aintree. After piloting Kauto Star to a second Cheltenham Gold Cup victory, top jock Ruby Walsh is listed as the out and out favourite to win more races at the Grand National than anybody else. His current price sits at 2.22 and, at better than evens, you should jump all over this one. As usual, Walsh's counterpart A P McCoy isn't too far off. Currently listed at a price of 4.3, Tony McCoy is definitely the value bet here. There is talk that he will be on board My Will (the odds-on favourite) and that could certainly factor into the equation here. BJ Geraghty is the next most likely candidate and he brings odds of 7.6, but I just don't see him being able to match the form of Walsh or McCoy and he'll also be riding on a longer shot than the two favourites. Thornton and Johnson come in at 12.0 and 19.0, respectively while TJ Murphy takes us into the 20s with odds of 24.0. With things shaping up the way that they are and the certainty that Walsh and McCoy will engage in another epic duel over the four day period, you can easily back both of them and still be up money. Walsh is the logical bet, but the value is with McCoy, I say take 'em both and sit back and count your money.