Irish Grand National

This year Easter falls on the 1st weekend of April and traditionally this is the busiest time of year for bookmakers across Ireland.

Having recently extended their Johnstown outlet we popped inside BoyleSport to get some tips in time for the forthcoming Horse Racing Festival at Fairyhouse Racecourse.

The BoyleSports Irish Grand National takes place

5pm Bank Holiday Monday, April 2nd.

With crowds in excess of 25,000 expected to attend the racecourse there will also be +300,000 TV viewers across Ireland alone.

If you're not familiar with the most famous Irish Horse Race then read last years article for some background information and the events and races which take place over the Easter Weekend. Read More Here.

2017 Race

Our Duke wins the Irish Grand National in styleThe 9/2 favourite trained by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Robbie Power

PRIZE DRAW

The Johnstown Times are offering a Prize Draw for 3 lucky readers to receive ONE free bet each on the Irish Grand National BUT there is a twist to make it more exciting:

The bet has been placed well in advance of the race day to gain significantly better odds than placing a bet at the last minute.
The 3 envelopes are sealed and we aren't going to tell you which horses, what odds, what type of bet or even the amount wagered.

To Enter the draw simply register in the form at the end of this article to win an envelope. Winners are announced over 3 dates starting on Good Friday.

Unless you are familiar with horse racing and know something about form, the jockey, the trainer, past races, ground condition….. so many variations you only need to consider this:

‘Can I afford to lose my bet’?

If you're like me and confused by the betting options available then read on for some guidance.

Placing a wager is as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. The more complicate the bet then the higher the pay-out simply because the likelihood of you being right gets less and less.

Lets start with the basics

How much can I win?

Betting Odds are given when you place the bet and are essentially a multiplier ratio of Winnings v's Wager. Therefore the higher the wager the higher the potential winnings.

To explain this if the odds given were :

10/1 odds then your return winnings are €10 for every €1 wagered Plus your original wager is returned.
1/10 odds then your return winnings are €1 for every €10 wagered Plus your original wager is returned.

One of the most popular wagers is €2 on one horse 'To Win' so here we've put together an idea of the potential Winnings:

100/1 pays back €202
10/1 pays back €22
7/1 pays back €16
6-1 pays back €14
1-1 pays back €4
1/2 pays back €3
1/5 pays back €2.40
2/5 pays back €2.80
3/5 pays back €3.20

See www.BoyleSport.com for their live Odds for the Irish Grand National.

Straight Bets

Essentially one horse bets.

'To Win'

As simple as it sounds, if you bet on that horse to come first and it does then you Win.

'Place'

If your horse finishes 1^st or 2^nd you’ll win but the odds and return is less than a Win bet.

'Each Way'

2 wagers at the same time for a single horse to Win and Place.

Exotic Bets

By taking more risk to bet on multiple horses you’ll gain profit if you win but there’s also a higher chance you’ll lose.

'Exacta'

Bet on 2 horses to finish 1^st and 2^nd in order. The bet cost is double since there are 2 horses involved.

'Combination Exacta'

Bet on 2 horses to finish 1^st and 2^nd in any order. Similar to the Exacta but the bet price doubles compared to specifying the finishing order since you're betting on 2 different finishing positions.

'Trifecta'

Pick 3 horses to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order.

These are the most common bets for a single race and there are multiple race bets such as Tote Placepot/Quadpot, Lucky 15/31/63, Patent and also Multi-Bet all of which the staff at BoyleSports or Ladbrokes will happily explain.

Picking a Winner for the 'Race of the People' is anyone’s guess.

Good Luck

Enter Prize Draw

ONLY open to those 18+, photo ID required to claim together with your mobile (which is your entry ticket number) so please ensure you have it with you to collect your prize.