Traveling to the best sporting events in the world is certainly one of the best ways to spend a vacation. Whether you are opting to go and watch the rugby world cup, a soccer final, the Augusta Golf Masters, Wimbledon, or indeed the Grand National, like I did, you are guaranteed to have a good time.
The world-renowned British Grand National Horserace is coming up once again. The atmosphere is always electric, the racing is hair-raising, and the betting action adds a large dollop of excitement. This is the mother of all horse races, with a mind-blowing number of fences, seemingly far too many horses and jockeys, an entirely unpredictable winner, and a whole load of fun and laughter.
Getting There
This year’s Grand National is held on the 8 April, and if you happen to be in the vicinity, you’d better hurry up and book some tickets. The course is located at Aintree, Liverpool, and you can bet your life, it will be packed. Hotels and guest houses book up very quickly, and you may be hard pressed to find accommodation close-by. The racecourse is located on the outskirts of Liverpool, a mere 20 minutes’ drive from Lennon Airport. There are several public transport options, so getting there is easy and convenient.
The Grand National – Much More Than Just One Famous Race
The Grand National is more than just one big race, in fact, it’s a festival, starting on Thursday 6 April. Friday is Ladies Day, when all female racegoers turn out in the latest style and dress to impress, and Saturday finally sees the main event, the ever-popular Grand National. In total, you can watch 22 horse races, eat, drink at some of the finest restaurants, enjoy corporate hospitality or simply immerse yourself in the excitement of the racing action. One thing is for sure, you will be swept away by the hustle and bustle of horse racing, the vibrancy of the crowd, and the overall electric atmosphere. This year, organizers expect 150’000 festival visitors and a whopping TV audience of 600 million.
Betting Action at Aintree
No doubt, you’ll have to have a flutter, just for the sheer fun of it. Lots of people bet online, while others prefer visiting on the many bookmakers at the race course. Naturally, you’ll have to do some pre-race research on the horses and jockeys and make sure you get good odds. Take a look at the William Hill Grand National Odds to get a good overview of the various races and all the runners. Listen out for insider tips,and you might just get lucky.
Everyone picks a winner for the Grand National, that’s just the tradition, even among non-racing enthusiasts. Moms, dads, kids, grannies and granddads, singletons, and couples and just about everyone else relishes the fun of trying to pick a winner and hoping that, by some random streak of luck, it might just turn out to be the winner. Visiting the Grand National Horse Racing Festival is probably one of the best ways to spend a few days.
