Suspense builds as highly anticipated 2015 Grand National approaches [PROMOTION]

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Coming hot on the heels of a brilliant 2015 Cheltenham Festival, the Crabbie’s Grand National will take place on Saturday 11 April.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup race, won by Coneygree, was a thriller, setting the stage for what will surely be an outstanding meeting at Aintree. There are less than two weeks remaining until the flag drops for the Grand National, with more than 70 horses still vying for a place in the 40-horse starting line-up, so the days ahead will see the lowest-rated competitors scratching out.

Sponsored by Crabbie’s, this year’s Grand National will once again have a £1 million purse, making the four-and-half-mile chase as highly anticipated as always. The National course will be as demanding as ever with 30 challenging fences and two circuits standing in the way of victory. (The course has 16 fences, two of which, the water jump and The Chair, are bypassed on the second circuit.)

Betting on the Grand National is expected to break records this year — in the UK and around the world. Most of the £500 million that will be wagered will be done so online, as millions of punters around the world bet the Grand National with convenient and reputable gambling sites like the UK’s venerable bookmaker, William Hill. If you are interested in placing bets on the Grand National, make sure that you regularly check the latest 2015 Grand National odds.

An extreme challenge for both horse and jockey, the Grand National fences have historically been the undoing of many a contender. These obstacles include Becher’s Brook — with its landing side that is lower than the take-off side — and The Chair, with the opposite construction (a higher landing side).

Clearing the fences brings little relief, however, as the 494-yard homestretch, replete with the infamous “elbow,” remains before the winner passes the finish line.

Twists and turns abound at Aintree’s 2015 Grand National

Over the years, there have been numerous dramatic moments and unforgettable twists at the Grand National; given the unpredictable quality of the event, it is not surprising that legends are made at Aintree. Back in the 1970s Red Rum won the Grand National three times and came in second twice, an amazing achievement that has never been replicated.

Savvy bettors know that the demanding Aintree course throws the entire concept of “favourites” to the wind, as long shots like 2013 winner Auroras Encore, frequently come from behind to upset the favourites.

Grand National Day at Aintree Racecourse is the final — and hands-down the most exciting — day of the three-day Grand National Festival. While Grand Opening Day and Ladies Day are crowd pleasers, both for the races and the stellar atmosphere, the Grand National is the race that garners most of the well-deserved attention.

In a few weeks, the next Grand National champion will step into the winner’s enclosure and history will be made once again.

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