There R many ways to pick a winner

Danie Toerien

While three local race meetings are scheduled for this weekend in South Africa, one of the biggest and most iconic horse races on the international racing calendar, the Grand National, will be run on Saturday at Aintree in Liverpool, England.

The Grand National should see a full field of 40 runners going to post, where they will be tested over the 6,84-km course with a total of 30 fences to be jumped.

The most successful Grand National runner was undoubtedly Red Rum, who won this marathon event three times and finished runner-up twice from 1973-1977.

The race has been run 173 times and, according to a rather off-beat study published by The Mirror, horses whose names start with R and jockeys in green are the best bet.

A study of the 173 Grand National races so far found horses whose names start with R have won on 20 occasions. Runner-up on the alphabet are horses whose names start with M, accounting for 16 victories.

Jockeys wearing green silks have also been the most prolific, with over a quarter of the winning jockeys in the last 51 years having worn green. There have been 13, including last year’s winner Rachael Blackmore – and 11 in blue.

With the final field of 40 only to be confirmed on Friday afternoon, one horse entered starts with R – Run Wild Fred – quoted at 20-1.

It is estimated that the British public will wager some R2,9-billion on the race.

Superstitious bettors looking to roll with the letter R should consider Rimaah in the card opener at Turffontein tomorrow. But don't expect long odds. This filly will probably jump as tote favourite after two runner-up finishes.

With more than half the 40 declared Grand National runners hailing from Ireland, bettors looking for a winning link can also consider a wager on Irish Rain on Friday in the fourth at Fairview. At 5-1, this gelding not only meets all the naming requirements, but also looks to have the form to offer value.

Regardless of how you make your selections, make sure to place your bets with TAB to get the full payout!