For some people April may seem months away but for others it is just right around the corner. That is right. It is time to get ready for the 2012 Grand National. This horse race is a most exciting time for horse lovers and race fans both. There are three days of fun and exciting things to do. From women and children to the racers themselves there is something for everyone. It holds appeal too many people and now is the time to purchase your tickets for the anticipated three day event in April.

The first Grand National Championship was held in 1839. It was one by a horse named Lottery. It is now a three day event starting with Liverpool Day on April 12, Ladies Day on April 13, and Grand National Day on April 14. These three days are full of music, fashion, racing, and fun. The race itself is the highest quality of jump racing in the UK. Forty horses will line up and jump 30 fences in four and a half miles. This is a test of the toughest horses and jockeys in the world. You will find many people betting on their horses each year, whether they study the horses and jockeys and their abilities or whether they just pick names and place bets. It is a great tradition and race to watch and will leave you wanting more.

Liverpool Day is in its third year and provides entertainment off the track for this wonderful event. There are concerts held on this day, parades, and sporting legends have also been known to make an appearance. This year on April 12, 2012, Liverpool Day is supposed to be bigger and better than ever.

For the ladies of the races, Ladies Day will be held on April 13. This second day of the three day entertainment package is going to be more stylish than ever. A flourish of fashion shows, make up samplings and giveaways, and grab bag giveaways are going to make up the best Ladies Day ever held. There will be splashes of color in the Red Rum Garden that will be sure to spice up the excitement.

Last, but certainly not least, there is Grand National Day. It only happens once a year and only lasts approximately fifteen minutes. It is that fifteen minutes that will leave you coming back year after year. If you are simply watching the race on television with millions of other people, or if you are one of the lucky ones that can actually be at the Aintree Racecourse in person, it is an experience you are not likely to forget.

So, everyone mark your calendars. April is not too far away. The three day event is quickly approaching and it is time to prepare. The festivities, the entertainment, and the racing are definitely not something that you want to miss. Tickets for this festive three days went on sale in August. It will be a rush of fun and flash for these memorable few days. It is not something that you are going to want to miss.

The Grand National 2011 is already generating interest in the ante post betting market. Once again we’re being teased with the prospect of the mighty Denman running in the 2011 race. It was the same story last year (he didn’t run in the end ~ what a surprise!), if Denman is ever to feature in a National line-up then this year is likely to be the one.

Other notable names appearing in the Grand National Antepost odds are ‘Don’t Push It’ the 2010 winner and ‘Big Fella Thanks’.

You can check out the current best odds in the Ante Post market below. Please remember that Ante-Post rules apply to all bets made on the Grand National usually up to and including the day before the race. (check with your bookmaker for rules)

A Standard Example Of Ante Post Rules: All racing ante-post bets are accepted and settled on a Rules of Racing basis only. Ante-post bets are accepted at quoted prices, up to and including the day prior to the event, on the basis of all in, run or not, entered or not . Therefore selections not taking part in the race/event concerned are losers. Ante-post bets are those placed at our quoted prices on horses and prior to the race becoming classed as ‘Day of Event’ (Day of event is a term used to describe the time at which overnight declarations are made, usually 10am on the day preceding the race (or two days for certain Group 1 races) for horse racing and the day of the race for greyhounds). All bets placed after the overnight declaration stage are settled in accordance with our Early Prices/Day of Race Rules.

Please check before you bet ante post with your bookmaker regarding the ‘rules & clauses’ all bookmakers are different.

Niche Market’s chances at the Grand National are progressively improving and according to trainer Bob Buckler, he is a ‘model’ horse for the race. His running in the Newbury Aon Chase where he came second to Tricky Trickster has encouraged bookmakers to make him the obvious second favourite for the Aintree race, and at 16/1, is succeeded only by Tricky Trickster himself.

At eleven stone four, Niche Market also caused a huge commotion when having been one of four reserves for the 2009 Grand National he was denied a run when there were no non-runners. He then went on to win in the Irish National in April as a 33-1 shot, chased home by two horses that had started at 50-1. He was the third English-trained victor of the Irish National in the previous six years, and gave trainer Buckler a very welcome and very new taste of fame. He first took out a training licence fifteen years ago, and the reward money of €141,500 for the Irish National was more than he had won in the whole of the previous season. Buckler admitted that not getting to race in the Grand National may have been a ‘blessing in disguise’, as the Irish National was ‘much more suitable for him.’

Both owner and trainer have always been particularly optimistic about Niche Market’s chances, knowing what he is capable of from the offset – he had been entered in huge races early on including the Cheltenham National Hunt Chase, in which he came fourth in 2008 and eighth in 2009. He was already proving what he was made of when he won the BGC Silver Cup at Ascot from Monkerhostin in December 2008. However it wasn’t until he came third to the impressive Denman in the 2009 Hennessy Gold Cup that the steeple chase world really began to sit up and pay attention.

Regan, being an Irishman, would prefer if Niche Market was a Cheltenham Gold Cup than an Aintree horse, but that is not the way things have worked out for the horse, which at the end of the day may work out in his favour if he wins in April. The nine year old he has been steadily improving over the past few years and owner Regan expects his weight to go up 2lb or a bit more, which would take his official mark from 148 to 150 nearly for the 2010 National. As Regan says: ‘Niche Market jumps, he gallops and he stays, so in my view, he’s a model for the National.’

We are nowhere near finalising the final 40 horses that will line up for the 2010 Aintree Grand National but so much buzz already surrounds the entrants that we decided to take a closer look at Tricky Trickster, one of the ante-post favourites.

Tricky Trickster is the Irish 6 year old horse currently being trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies. Though his career to date is limited, he has been extremely successful with three wins from six starts as well as three second place finishes netting earnings of over £60,000. So on paper he’s looking like a great prospect for the Grand National but if all it took were youth and speed to win this race then we would probably have seen a lot more upsets over the last few years.

Age – generally we recommend horses who are 9 or 10 years old, possibly 8 if the horse is a real winner but never 7 or younger so on that basis Tricky Trickster may struggle as he will still only be six years old.

Stamina – it is rare to find very young horses running long distances and we always suggest that you back a horse with some history or running and completing a course similar in length to Aintree. Fortunately, Tricky Trickster has done this when he entered and won the 4m National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup at Cheltenham in March 09, proving he has the legs to go the distance.

Weight – I should mention that when winning at Cheltenham he carried a ferocious 11-11 which would be very very high if he were to be lumbered with that when the weights come out in Feb 2010. Ordinarily I would only recommend backing a horse carrying absolutely no more than 11-03 on the day.

Season – on the run-up to the Grand National, check out his form on the hurdles as opposed to the Chase events. If his trainer really does consider him a serious contender then he’ll probably reduce his steeple chase appearances in favour of smaller hurdle events in Ireland and England, thereby protecting his marks which should, in theory, get him a lower Grand National weight.

It really is too early to say whether or not Tricky trickster can win the 2010 Grand National, in fact, I can’t even be certain that he’s even going to be entered into the race as a lot can happen between now and then. I personally think he’s too young and with 39 other competitors lining up alongside him, he may lose his way in the crowd. Follow his progress, check the experience of the jockey, look at his weight and study his form and then when all else fails cross your fingers, because luck is as much a part of this race as anything else!

For Ante-Post odds on Tricky Trickster, check out Paddy Power and don’t forget your free bet!