Saturday 9th April will be one of the busiest days in the sporting calendar for bookmakers and British punters alike; at just after 16:00 on that afternoon the starter will lift the tape on the 2011 John Smith's Grand National. With millions of pounds expected to be wagered on the outcome of the race, it is imperative that punters, particularly those who may only make a bet once a year, get full value for their money. This is easily achieved simply by taking advantage of some of the outstanding Grand National free bets that are available.
Receiving a free bet from a top bookmaker could not be simpler. All you need to do is, rather than heading off to a local betting shop to place your bets, get online and log onto a reputable bookmaking site. Register with the bookmaker by entering your personal details, and then deposit some money into your account to bet with; for example, you could bet £10 on Tony McCoy and Don’t Push It to repeat their victory of 2010.
Simply make your selection on the online betting slip and click on the confirm button. Within seconds the bet is placed, with no need to queue in the betting shop or go out in the rain to make your selection!
Best of all, within a few minutes of placing your first bet the bookmaker, if they have a free bet offer in place, will often match your wager with the same amount (up to a stated limit) of money in free bets! This means, in this example, within a few minutes of wagering £10 on Don’t Push It to win, you will have £10 placed back into your account, free of charge.
The great thing about these offers is that you can choose how you wish to spend this money. You may decide to use it by backing a couple of horses at £2.50 each way. Alternatively, you may want to do five horses at £1 each way. How you choose to bet with your free bets is entirely up to you.
Anything that you win with your free bets is yours to keep, with nothing to pay back to the bookmaker. If you win, your winnings are credited automatically to your account; it is worth remembering that all Internet betting is tax-free. There are no queues and no need to crowd around the boards looking at the runners with lots of other punters. Everything is completed quickly and easily simply by the click of the mouse button.
So, even for the punter who only makes a bet once a year on the Grand National, it is well worth registering with a top bookmaker for a free bet account and making your selections for the big race on Saturday 9th April. This is because there are a few intriguing runners that are well worth considering wagering both your money and your free bet cash upon.
For an outright winner, several horses look likely to feature strongly in the betting over the next few weeks. Silver By Nature has come right in after an impressive victory at Haydock Park in February while long term ante-post favourite Ballabriggs is still a popular choice. Niche Market, Oscar Time and Big Fella Thanks, who has been sixth and fourth in the past two races, are all reckoned to be in with a good chance.
The housewives' favourite for this year, however, will undoubtedly be Don’t Push It. The Tony McCoy-ridden winner proved a huge hit last year for many of McCoy’s fans and at 20-1, the bookmakers feel that the odds of a rare back-to-back victory in the race, a feat not achieved since Red Rum completed it in 1973 and 1974, are strong this year.
Those looking for value with their free bets in the each way market also have plenty to choose from. A 33-1 shot, Midnight Chase, offers far better value than its odds suggest and can point to victory in a Grand National prequel at Cheltenham to back up its credentials. Ballytrim may be raw and a little temperamental at times, but there is no doubt that this Irish-trained horse has the quality to do well around Aintree. Elsewhere, 50-1 shot Snowy Morning has great form coming into this race, finishing third, ninth and sixth in the three races it has competed in.
Punters are always on the lookout for value with their betting selections and the best way to ensure great value is to take advantage of the free bets on offer for this year’s Grand National.
