There are many ways to pick your horse for the Grand National, some study the form while others go based off a horse's name and some will even bet based on which football team they support.
However, an equine behaviour expert has had his say on the race and has even offered a tip based on his knowledge. Mark Bowen is a world renowned horse whisperer and tips Any Second Now to win the Grand National.
He has said that the fact jockey Mark Walsh has ridden the 10-year-old 24 times for JP McManus means that he stands out as a top pick compared to other less established partnerships. He explained: "It’s almost certain that it’s an important factor for horses to have an experienced jockey that they have a relationship with in the Grand National as the bond that they form is really important.
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"The horse that knows their jockey and has built up a relationship will be in a better place and will be more attuned to what the jockey is trying to tell them. There's this idea that the jockeys are acting as the guardians and the horses will trust people known to them. The jockeys are very important and having that link and the ability to transmit information throughout is really important.
"The best jockeys can build these relationships quickly, which is what makes them outstanding horsemen."
Bowen also offered his view on what to look out for when the horses are in the parade ring at the start of the race, with body language a key factor in pre-race betting.
He said: In the parade ring, you're looking for a horse that is alert and not overly agitated. The atmosphere at Aintree is also so different to any other racecourse because it's all about one race, so there's so much hype around the Grand National.
"The crowds are a different type of crowd and often less experienced racegoers that are there for a social event, so it's important to be mindful of the animals' behaviour, which makes it slightly more difficult to read the behaviour of the horse because they are going to be experiencing different kinds of people at Aintree than perhaps they would do at somewhere like Cheltenham, so there's more opportunity for horses to be spooked by racegoers at Aintree.
"People should be mindful of making extra noise and opening umbrellas around them in the parade ring. The horses in the Grand National are the much more experienced horses and have all run in front of crowds before, so the effect of crowds on them is going to be much less than it will be on any slightly younger horses."
