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The Grand National: Make betting on the winner less of a gamble with these hints and tips

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Graham Cunningham runs you through the basics of finding the National winner...

Five rules to follow...

1 Sound jumping is obviously of paramount importance
2 Horses who are unproven beyond three miles seldom last home
3 Irish raiders have landed six of the last nine renewals
4 Experience of the National fences is by no means essential
5 Never dismiss horses who have been prepared over hurdles

...and five horses to keep an eye on in this year's ante-post market

1 Slim Pickings: Gallant third last year and being trained to peak for Aintree again
2 Mr Pointment: Stamina a slight concern, but jumped superbly to win the Becher
3 Simon: Travelling strongly when departing in 2007 and possibly unlucky
4 Snowy Morning: Chased home Denman at Cheltenham and already gambled on
5 Irish Raptor: Bold jumper who recorded a career best at Cheltenham recently

* * *

Grizzled old punters will tell you that backing a 16-1 winner is the same whether it comes in a Sedgefield seller or the Grand National. And if they do so then tell those soulless saps that they haven't a clue what they are talking about.

It hasn't happened very often in the four decades I have been attending the world's most famous steeplechase.

But, take it from me, there is no feeling in the world of sports betting like standing on the roof of Aintree's historic County Stand watching the horse who carries your money battling his way to National glory over four-and-a-half miles and 30 of the most fearsome fences ever built.

Of course, the National does have its detractors. Critics can rightly point out that it seldom falls to a truly great horse nowadays and, as ballast to their case, it has to be admitted that the last ten winners have managed just four wins from a combined total of 83 subsequent racecourse appearances.

Animal welfare supporters can also argue that the Aintree showpiece represents an unfair risk to horses in the safety conscious modern era, but for those who love jump racing and what it stands for the National remains the ultimate test of horse and rider.

So what does it take to win the National? In short, it takes years of careful planning and a horse with the agility of a cat and deep reserves of stamina and courage. Oh, and it also takes a large slice of luck to avoid the inevitable carnage that goes with spending nine frenetic minutes in a galloping traffic jam of 39 rivals who all want exactly the same thing as you do.

The National has never been a respecter of reputations. Great jockeys like John Francome, Peter Scudamore and Jonjo O'Neill never managed to win it, while the peerless AP McCoy has stated several times that his astonishing career in the saddle will end with one precious final piece of the puzzle still missing if he fails to break his run of ill luck in the race.

Top trainers like Paul Nicholls have also suffered similar frustrations in their quest to win the big one - and the latter had salt rubbed in the wound when his former inmate Silver Birch landed last year's race - but the fact that the National bends the knee to no-one is the essence of its attraction.

Like the Melbourne Cup, it has a ticking heart which resonates with a huge slice of the sporting public and well beyond. And the fact that its prize money has been boosted to the extent that there will be getting on for £1m in the pot this year means that the strength in depth of the race has improved massively over the last decade.

No longer can you look down a National field and dismiss around half the starters on the basis that they are either too slow or clumsy to stay competitive much beyond halfway.

Current trends dictate that all 40 runners have earned their place in the handicap and, with that in mind, sifting the wheat from the chaff is more complex and time consuming than ever before.

Naturally, with over two months to go the potential for rapid fluctuations in Betfair's ante-post market is high, but it certainly isn't too early to start assessing the strengths and weaknesses of some of the prime contenders.

Butler's Cabin has been trained with April 5th in mind ever since his thrilling win in last year's Irish National - and the fact that he is trained by Jonjo and ridden by AP will ensure he attracts massive popular support - but McCoy has reservations about his ability to defy a handicap mark of 149 and I share those concerns.

Slim Pickings is also being handled firmly with Aintree in mind after finishing an excellent third last year. Granted, there will be no 33-1 on offer this time around, but Tom Taaffe's gelding has been kept fresh over hurdles in the manner which has worked for so many Irish raiders recently and has to be high on any short list.

Now to Mr Pointment, who is owned by a pal of mine and has been described by Paul Nicholls as "the first proper National horse I've ever had." Cynics will rightly wonder what Silver Birch was if he wasn't a "proper National horse," but Mr Pointment took to the National fences like a duck to water in the Becher Chase last November and is highly likely to trade at shortish odds in-running if he gets into a similar rhythm on the day that matters most.

It isn't unheard of for National fallers to rectify matters on their return - witness Hedgehunter, for example - and Simon could be cut from the same cloth. Granted, he departed over a mile from home last year, but he was going very strongly at the time and has looked better than ever in a light campaign this season.

Irish Raptor failed to cut the mustard in the Topham over Aintree's big fences last year, but he is a stronger force nowadays and his fearless jumping will make him a bold sight for a long way if he does return for the National.

And last, but by no means least, there is Snowy Morning. Willie Mullins has also utilised the classic Irish method of preserving a potentially attractive handicap mark by running over hurdles for this gelding. The fancy prices have been snapped up now, and some will argue that he lacks seasoning for a National contender - but Snowy Morning is potentially a good bit better than his current rating and it would come as no surprise to see him have a major say come the first Saturday in April.