Irish Grand National Betting Guide

Betting is what horse racing is all about, especially when it comes to the Grand National at Aintree and, in Ireland, the Irish Grand National.

The Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National is due to be run on Monday, 22 March at the Fairyhouse Racecourse. Like the Grand National at Aintree, the Irish Grand National is a handicap race. Race officials attempt to level the field by weighting competing horses based on their recent form. This makes for more exciting, competitive racing in which all horses in the field - at least in theory - have a reasonable chance of winning.

Irish Grand National Tips

Many different factors come together when a racehorse wins a race. Good odds may be tempting, but it is also a good idea to keep a few other factors in mind when placing bets.

• Form Betting: With the variation in distances and courses in different races, horses may perform brilliantly in one distance and course and poorly in another. Any horse can have a bad day - recent form isn't always a reliable indication of real potential.

Punters look out for horses who underperform in races prior to the one on which they intend to bet. A horse with a string of bad results on courses to which it isn't suited may receive a low handicap in a race that suits all its strengths. This horse then has an advantage over the supposed form horses and is described as carrying 'favourable weight'.

• Minimum Weight: The minimum handicap for any horse is 10 stone. Although the handicappers' calculations may place a struggling horse below a 10-stone handicap, the horse will never be weighted beneath this level. This means that out-of-form horses are literally doubly handicapped, allowing punters to eliminate some horses in the field from their lists of possible winners.

• History on Track: When focusing on Irish Grand National betting, look out for horses who have a history of winning on the Fairyhouse Racecourse. Previous Irish Grand National winners are especially likely to be favourites.