The Grand National is one of the biggest betting events in the sporting calendar and this year’s race is proving to be no exception. If you’re tempted to have a punt on any of the runners, its well worth having a look at the spread betting markets that Sporting Index provide. They offer £100 cash to new account holders* and two Grand National promotions available to all clients** (detailed below). As well as being able to bet on an individual horse that you think will win, you can also bet on those which you think will lose. So, with plenty of strong competition in the field, we asked Sporting’s Senior Racing Market Maker for his thoughts on the leading contenders:

Hedge Your Bets

“Not surprisingly, horses with proven form over Aintree’s demanding fences figure prominently in the betting. This should be one of the most competitive renewals in years, and there are plenty of horses in with a shout. Hedgehunter, the bookies favourite, will be ridden by the fearless Ruby Walsh who was successful on Papillon in 2000. Although this horse fell at the last in 2004, he was a winner in Ireland last time and is a worthy favourite in my opinion.

“The main beneficiary of Hedgehunter’s fall last year was Amberleigh House; he’s been out of form this season and has plenty of weight, but Aintree brings out the best in this old boy. Strong Resolve is another genuine contender. Second in the Welsh equivalent to the useful Silver Birch, this improving chaser has been well supported in the past week and is a cracking each-way investment. Similarly, Forest Gunner (a dual course winner and bold jumper) has improved with age and won a valuable National trial at Haydock in February. He’s partnered by female jockey Carrie Ford who rode him to victory around here last April.

“Double Honour, trained by Philip Hobbs - who was second with What’s Up Boys in 2002 - is attractively priced and I think this grey could go one better. He had a look round the course in the Becher Chase in November and has been running well of late. All in all it’s difficult to call, especially with every horse likely to be running from within the handicap. However, if I was having a punt myself I’d favour Hedgehunter for the main bet with a saver on Strong Resolve and Double Honour.”

Hopefully that's given you something to think about. As an extra incentive, all clients (new and existing) can take advantage of a couple of nice offers:

Give the Wife One!

Buy (bet ‘high’ on) any horse in Sporting Index’s Grand National Index for £5 or more, and they’ll give you a free £1 buy of the same horse – for the wife obviously!

To qualify all bets must be placed before the Grand National starts on 9th April. All free bets will be booked at the price the horse starts the race at.

Given the Elbow!

Buy (bet ‘high’ on) any horse in Sporting Index’s Grand National Index, and if it’s leading the race at the elbow on the final run in but finishes 2nd , they’ll settle it as a winner.

The leading horse at the elbow will be seen on BBC coverage of the race. In the event of dispute the decision of Sporting Index is final and no correspondence shall be entered into. Maximum bonus pay out per client is £1000.

£100 Cash for New Clients**

If you haven’t got a Sporting Index spread betting account yet, it’s a good time to take advantage of the cashback on offer. Open an account* and place ten bets (risking £20 per bet) to claim a free £100 straight into your account**.

*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for full details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting is high risk and is not suitable for everyone. You can lose more than your original stake so make sure you understand the risks involved. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

For full details of this offer, and to open your account* click here

Premiership Spread Betting Preview

With just seven fixtures left this season for Premiership teams, we’ve turned our attention towards some of the clubs looking to beat the drop. Spread betting firm Sporting Index are offering all new clients a free football bet** that can be used on any live/televised Premiership or Championship match, so you could be sitting pretty come Sunday evening if you open an account* with them. To help you get started, we asked Sporting’s Senior Premiership Market Maker for his thoughts on some of the key fixtures:

Blackburn v Southampton

“Both sides are showing reasonable form with very contrasting styles. Although Blackburn find it difficult to score, their mean defence should be able to keep Crouch and Camara under control at Ewood Park. We’ve priced Rovers up to win by a margin of 0.2 to 0.4 goals; the Saints aren’t particularly strong at the back, particularly away from home, so one goal should settle this one.

Norwich v Man Utd

“United should be fired up as second place is very much up for grabs. After the draw with Blackburn, Ferguson is poised to make changes but introducing the likes of Smith or Saha obviously won’t give Norwich any encouragement. We’ve made United favourites by a margin of 1.4 to 1.6 goals, but I’d be tempted to bet ‘high’. The Canaries are fast becoming the Premiership’s whipping boys.

Aston Villa v WBA

“It’s a local derby, so I’d expect a few bookings. There were four yellow cards in the reverse fixture at the Hawthorns in August, but with Albion fighting for survival, and local pride all that Villa have left to play for, I think referee Rob Styles will be kept busy. Although the visitors have won three out of their last four games, Villa are favourites to win by 0.6 to 0.8 goals. With Angel, McCann and Solano fully fit they should have too much quality for their struggling neighbours.

Spurs v Newcastle

“Probably the most exciting fixture of the weekend for neutrals, but there is not much at stake here. Newcastle should be preoccupied with their UEFA Cup exploits and the loss of Bowyer and Dyer through suspension is a big blow. So, although Spurs have little to play for and continue to be inconsistent, we’ve made them favourites to win by 0.3 to 0.5 goals. It’s difficult to predict who will start up front for Spurs these days, but even so I’d expect to see a high scoring game which is reflected in our spread of 2.5 to 2.7 goals in the match. ”

Free £200 Football Bet**

Open a Sporting Index account* and place ten bets (risking £20 per bet) to claim a free £200 per goal football bet.**

If that doesn’t grab you, then you can always claim £100 cash (after 10 bets as above).**

*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for full details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting is high risk and is not suitable for everyone. You can lose more than your original stake so make sure you understand the risks involved. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.