The first thing that comes to mind when you speak of the Aintree Racecourse is, of course, the Grand National steeplechase. Located in the village of Aintree, just six miles northeast of the Liverpool city centre, Aintree Racecourse welcomed its first race on 7 July 1829.
The Aintree Racecourse hosts jump racing events. There are only a handful of meetings taking place throughout the year, but that makes each of them a memorable social event. The Grand National occupies three days in April on the calendar, and then there are meetings in May, October, November, and December.
The season at the Aintree starts in October, as it is customary for jump racing courses, and continues until April, when it closes with the Grand National race. Aside from the main event, the Grand National event hosts a number of Grade 1 races: Aintree Hurdle, Liverpool Hurdle, Bowl Chase, and Melling Chase.
Betting at Aintree races is part of the experience of spending your day at the course. In this article we will take a close look at most popular types of horse racing bets, find out what influences the formation of betting odds, and offer some tips for responsible and safe horse betting.
Types of Bets Available at Aintree
If you would like to place a bet at a horse racing event at Aintree, you can do so both online and at the venue. As it is one of the most well established racecourses in the country that hosts various significant meetings, you will notice that races at the Aintree Racecourse tend to be prominently featured on major bookmaking platforms that offer horse racing betting markets. Some of the most popular bets in horse racing include:
- Win: This is the most common betting market in horse racing. It is easy to understand even if you are new to horse racing betting, that is why it is also the most popular one. When you place your wager on the win, you try to predict the horse who will win a single race. If your prediction comes true and that horse does come first to the finish line, you get a payout on your stake.
- Place: Sometimes you want to safeguard your bet against unfavourable outcomes. If you think a horse has the potential to show good results but have doubts whether it will finish the race first, you can make a place wager. In this case, your bet wins if the horse of your choice finishes in any position between top two and top four. The winning top will depend on the number of runners participating in the race.
- First Two (or First Three): Instead of betting on only one winning horse, you can place your wager on the first two or three horses to reach the finish line (depending on the number of participating horses). Here you should remember that for your stake to win it is not enough to correctly name the horses who will achieve this result. You also need to predict the correct order in which they will come to the finish.
- Two From Three: This bet takes the previous one and makes it a little safer for you as a bettor. You are still to predict two out of the three horses to first reach the finish line, but all you have to do is to name them. They can take any of the first three places, and it will still count toward your wager as a win.
- Placepot: Most race days include several races, allowing you to place a placepot wager. For this bet, you select a horse in each of the first six races of the day. Each of your selections has to be placed (i.e. take a spot in the winning top) for your wager to stay in the placepot.
What Influences Betting Odds?
Horse racing odds are influenced by a number of factors. Some of them are specific to jump or flat races only, but others apply to any type of race. Knowing these factors and understanding how they work in general and in the setting of the Aintree Racecourse will help you become an informed punter and practice responsible betting. Here are some of the key aspects that influence how bookmakers form the odds.
- Form of the horse and jockey. Like in any other sport, the physical form of the competing athletes is one of the most important factors. The difference with horse racing is that you have to take into account both the horse and the jockey riding it. Find out if any of them is coming back on the tracks after an injury, how they have performed in the recent meetings, and how they tend to work when paired together. All of this will have a significant influence on what odds will be offered for them.
- Track conditions. One piece of information that every race card will offer is the track condition, frequently referred to as “going”. Track conditions can be standard, good, soft, hard, or mixed (in this case the race card will say something like “good to soft in places”). The condition of the terrain will determine the horse’s performance in many ways. As it is prone to changing before the start of the race, odds most probably will also change according to the track conditions.
- Draw bias. Before the race starts, each horse is placed in a stall. The position of the stall in regard to the track course is called draw bias. It can have a significant effect on the horse’s performance, especially on larger courses. Some stall positions will give a considerable advantage, while others are as likely to create some disadvantage for the horse. There is no universal definition as to which positions are considered advantageous or disadvantageous, as it largely depends on the racecourse layout and size.
- Trainer and owner history at Aintree. The horse trainer and owner are a very important part of the racing team. That is why the bookmakers will consider what results they have shown at Aintree in the past when they are trying to predict the outcome of the upcoming race and forming the odds. If these two members of the team are known for consistently showing good results at Aintree, their current charges are very likely to be considered as race favourites.
- Market sentiment and late changes in the odds. You may not have thought about it before, but the mood among the betting crowd and the bets they tend to place at the early stages can also affect later adjustments to the odds.
Where to Bet Online on Aintree Races
Since horse racing meetings at Aintree Racecourse are not simply races but cultural events of national importance, most bookmaking platforms that include horse racing into their betting markets will have Aintree betting odds on the menu. At 7bet, we offer a wide range of horse race betting markets and you are most welcome to check them out.
Horse betting odds at 7bet are published a few days prior to the event, so don’t forget to visit our horse betting page.
As the factors that participate in the formation of the betting odds are very dynamic, the odds are also subject to change an indefinite number of times before the race starts. If you are planning to place a wager, don’t forget to check the latest updates on the odds. This will help you make an informed decision and avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Betting at Racecourse
For those of you who decide to visit the Aintree Racecourse during one of the meeting days, betting on the racecourse can be an additional point of entertainment. While online betting still works, you will also find multiple opportunities to bet in person at the racecourse.
A lot of major bookmakers will have their betting facilities at the venue during the race day, especially those who sponsor the event. And if you want to try betting old school style as it was done decades ago, there are always a number of bookmaker stands in front of the racing tracks. You will recognise them by blackboards that display the odds.
Tote betting is another very popular form of betting in Britain. It has been around for a century and is available at most major horse racing events. This method is based on lottery principles. Instead of betting against the bookie, you place your wager in the pool and get a share of it if your stake wins. The size of your payout depends not as much on the odds but rather on the size of the pool and the number of people who betted on the same horse and now qualify for a payout too.
Check the Aintree Racecourse official website before you travel to know what specific betting options will be available on the day of the meeting.
Besides being a traditional form of entertainment during a race day, betting offers an additional thrill. Contrary to online betting, here the updates on the odds are constantly in front of you, so you don’t have to keep checking the betting platform every time. The best part is that there is no processing period for you to get your payout when you are betting at the racecourse. If your wager wins, you get your winnings almost immediately.
It is always advised to arrive at the racecourse earlier and take some time to check what your betting options for the day are. Of course, the odds will most probably change before the start of the race, but you will get a good understanding of what options the bookmakers present on the tracks can offer.
Before you start placing wagers, check if any of the bets have minimum stake requirements. All monetary transactions at the Aintree Racecourse happen on a cashless basis, including the hospitality facilities and concession stands. However, bookmakers are allowed to accept cash when present at the racecourse.
Aintree Betting Tips
At 7bet, we advocate for responsible gambling, and to help you create an unforgettable experience at the course we offer some tips for Aintree race betting that will enhance your overall experience and ensure safe gambling practice.
- Watch past races and trends at Aintree. It can’t be stressed enough that there are no foolproof guarantees in the betting world. However, watching past races and trends can provide you with sufficient information about what you can expect from the current race. You can get valuable insight and use it to make an informed decision and practice safe gambling.
- Use form guides and race previews. Before you decide to place a wager on any horse, make sure you check their current physical form as well as the physical form of the jockey who is riding it. You will find plenty of information online along with race reviews, expert opinions, and other valuable information that will help you form an informed decision. But always verify your sources to ensure they are trustworthy. If you are visiting the racecourse, go to the Parade Ring before the race to evaluate the horses and jockeys in person.
- Follow trainer/jockey records at the course. We said it before, we will say it again. Horses, jockeys, and trainers may show different performance on different racecourses. This by no means should be interpreted as a fact that racing team members who have previously displayed less than satisfactory results at Aintree will never win again. Yet, when making a betting decision, past performance is a significant factor for both bookmakers and punters. Novice bettors who still lack experience at assessing the horse and the jockey’s current form should pay special attention to this.
- Pay attention to draw bias and field size. As we discussed above, starting position can have an immense influence on the horse’s performance and final result. You should always take draw bias into consideration, but to include it into your betting decision, you have to understand the layout of the Aintree Racecourse and what advantages and disadvantages each stall might pose for the horses. Draw bias depends on several aspects: race distance, field size, condition of the track, as well as the track layout. That’s why it is different for every racecourse.
- Consider the timing of your bet. Market move is a universal phenomenon in every type of sports betting. It shows how the odds on a particular athlete change before the start of the sporting event. It is no different for horses. The betting market remains fluid until the start of the event. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell how the market will look at any given point in time, that is why the decision of when to place your wager is left to your discretion. However, you can still base your decision on such factors as track conditions, market percentage, and prices provided by reliable sources.
No tip or advice will give a foolproof guarantee of winning, but if you apply these tips to your betting process, they will help you have a better bankroll management as well as make informed decisions instead of placing wagers at random. This way you can practice responsible and safe gambling.
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org