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The Grand National stirs up nostalgic memories. As a child, my parents used to place a fifty pence bet (just under a dollar) on a Grand National runner for me. Like most youngsters, odds were ignored as the lure of the colourful jerseys and clever, pretty horse names were the basis of the wager. Needless to say, my fortunes were never made but the memories, well they remain priceless.

There is just something evocative about The Grand National. The most famous race with up to 40 runners never seems to fail to excite. Four and a half miles in length, 30 fences to overcome and a final 494-yard surge to the finish line has provided some of sports most endurable memories. And has prompted some of the world’s wackiest wagers.

But while the cynics sneer, it is the bold and naïve dreamers that have beaten the bookies and capitalised on some very enticing odds.

One Mike Fuller, a Bingo Club proprietor really put his money where his mouth was and placed the race’s biggest bet - £10,000 (just short of $20,000 / 14,844 Euros) – on his own horse, Monty’s Pass at 50/1. And when his noble steed kicked the rest of fields asses, Fuller walked away with a jackpot prize of £50,000.

Such a story is not alone. Back in 1971, Lord Poulett dreamt his horse, The Lamb, scooped The Grand National title with jockey Tommy Pickernell. Not an unusual vision but when Poulett quickly hired Pickernell, many joked about the Lord’s sanity.

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But they were laughing on the other side of their faces when The Lamb, starting second favourite, stormed the field to fulfil his owner’s dream with Pickernell at the helm.

While the novices of the betting world tend to follow the trend, backing the favourite, a true punter will know the obvious doesn’t often pay. In fact only four of the last 25 favourite have crossed that line first.

At the other end of the scale, there have been four race winners who have started at 100/1 and two placed runners with the same odds. So these whimsical wagers may not be so improbable.

Place yourself in Judy Higby’s shoes. Following a premonition, Judy tried to bet that the 1993 Grand National would not be run. A “kind hearted” bookmaker refused her bet, saying it couldn’t happen. So imagine her fury and dismay, as well as the bookies relief, when the race was cancelled after a false start fiasco.

 

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