Aintree - Day 3

                                                                Rhyme 'n' Reason - 1988


    Like most punters the Grand National was my first experience of betting/horse racing and whilst I still have a lot of time for the race it's way down my list of priorities from a punting standpoint and my usual policy is to pick a handful of horses and have small each ways on them. I've picked Godsmejudge, Rocky Creek and Cause of Causes this time around for reasons I've outlined in various ante-post entries in recent weeks.

    The first National I can recall is L'Escargot's in 1975 (I backed the second Red Rum both in that race and the following year when he was runner-up again to Rag Trade.) Rhyme 'n' Reason was the first horse I ever had as much as a tenner on and I only backed him because of a lyric from a Metallica song, form studying only started in 1989. It's the occasion and the buzz as much as the race itself that makes it for me and lets hope all horses and jockeys return home safe and sound.

Grand National:

Godsmejudge £10w @ 25/1 and £5ew @ 20/1 (pu)

Rocky Creek £10ew @ 10/1 (5pl) (lost)
Cause of Causes £10ew @ 20/1 (5pl) (lost)

(-84.25)