Grand National Weather

Stamina and solid jumping are arguably the two biggest attributes required of a Grand National winner, with horses having to run for 4m4f and needing to successfully clear 30 challenging fences at Aintree. However, if the weather is miserable in the build up to the Grand National and on the day at Aintree, stamina could prove the most valuable asset of a horse in the Grand National odds.

Sun or rain could affect selections in Grand National odds

If the weather is largely sunny in the build up to the Grand National, then the ground at Aintree will be on the quicker side. This creates its own problems as the horses will tend to run at a faster pace, meaning that they are perhaps more likely to fall or unseat their riders. Therefore in sunny Grand National weather, it may prove prudent to pick a horse from the Grand National betting who is a safer jumper.

On the flip side, too much rain is likely to cause more horses to refuse to jump fences or be pulled up as their tanks empty well before the end of the race. The 2001 Grand National is especially remembered for its wet and muddy conditions, when only four horses finished. Red Marauder secured victory despite not being the best horse in among the Grand National runners on paper, but showing good stamina in his preliminary races.

Ballabriggs hoping for warmish Grand National weather

Ballabriggs currently heads the Grand National betting and will be hoping for bright Grand National weather as he looks to defend his crown. There were concerns after Ballabriggs’ victory that he was struggling to breathe after having his stamina pushed to the max and Jason Maguire was forced to quickly dismount after the line to reduce the weight on the horse’s back. Any rain would make stamina more of an issue and would significantly reduce the chances of a second successive Ballabriggs victory.