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Aintree Betting: 10 bets for National day including five for the big one

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Graham Cunningham marks your card for Aintree's big day

There is nothing, but nothing, like Grand National day at Aintree.

And yet the thrill of the world's greatest steeplechase isn't quite the same if you do your money in.

Punters the world over start the day with their own special battle plans. They might be based on names, numbers, form or the way the market is moving. But as long as the plan works, who cares?

Good luck with your own plans and here follows my ten-point plan for a successful raid on the Aintree prizes.

1. Lay Oh Crick in the 1.45. Granted, Alan King's gelding has thrived on racing. He's gutsy, too, but he's shot up the weights and I doubt this sharp track will suit him ideally.

2. Back Osana in the 2.50. Some will stray his stamina could be a concern, but the way he rallied in the Champion Hurdle was highly encouraging and his Cheltenham form is the best on offer.

3. Lay Al Eile in the 2.50. Yes, his record in this race is hard to fault, but he only beat Gaspara twelve months ago and this will surely be a stronger renewal.

4. Lay Lough Derg for a place in the 2.50. David Pipe's gelding will probably secure the £200,000 Order of Merit prize if he finishes fifth or better, but he had a hard race here on Thursday and will surely be outspeeded when it matters.

5. Lay Fresh Winter in the 3.25. John Mackie's gelding has had a lucrative season, but he's been hiked 12lb since his easy Bangor win last week and, nore importantly, he may need the mud to produce his very best.

6. Back Slim Pickings win and place in the National. No great story here, save that he ran a screamer for third last year and has been trained with this day in mind ever since.

7. Back King Johns Castle win and place in the National. Arthur Moore's gelding is an underachiever according to some, but he has a touch of class and jumps like a horse who might just enjoy the challenge of Aintree.

8 Lay Chelsea Harbour for a place. Yes, he stays extremely well, but you have to be upright to make stamina count and this gelding has looked dodgy in the jumping department.

9. Back Philson Run for a place. Fortune favoured him in sneaking in at the bottom of the weights and he finished a fine fourth last term despite being badly checked when Simon departed on the final circuit.

10. Lay McKelvey for a place. Peter Bowen's gelding ran the race of his life for second last season, but he sustained a serious injury in doing so and two hurdles spins have hardly suggested he is primed to repeat the feat.