Grand National Each-Way Tips: Three big priced picks who could make the frame

Every punter has a slightly different strategy when it comes to betting the Grand National. One of the more common plans of action is to aim for those priced wildly and hoping they can sneak into the frame. We've enlisted Billy Grimshaw to try and find us some with big place claims and an outside win chance from towards the bottom of the market...

Anibale Fly

No one backing this runner is under the illusion he has the profile of a usual Grand National winner. He is too old, his best form is years behind him and he was pulled up in last season's contest. Okay, that's the negatives out of the way. Now for some positives, namely his price. At 66/1 he is worth chancing to repeat more of his 2018 and 2019 form than his more recent efforts. He finished in fourth and fifth respectively behind Tiger Roll in those consecutive Tiger triumphs, and was well fancied for the race both years after a strong performance in the Cheltenham Gold Cups of each season, finishing a staying on third behind Native River in 2018 before again rallying to finish second behind Al Boum Photo in 2019.

Admittedly this was a long time ago but Tony Martin has been running the old boy in races so unsuited to him this campaign he must have had a prepping masterplan for this race and with his 2021 effort easily excused by the mistake he made at the first which he never recovered from, the 12 year old is worth a speculative punt to finish in the money for the third time in his career at massive odds..

Discorama

Ever since his 2019 photo finish defeat to Le Breuil in the National Hunt Chase, Discorama has been a horse I have been keen on to run well in some sort of National. His stamina is evident and although last season's seventh place behind Minella Times is somewhat disappointing on the face of it, Paul Nolan's charge has excuses for that run. He made a mistake at a crucial early part in the race, which is unlike this usually sound jumper, and was always playing catch up from this point on. He is best ridden with some restraint and because he was on the back foot after his eighth fence blunder he always seemed to be being bustled along which disrupted his usually good rhythm.

If he can avoid making jumping errors this time around and if the experience from last season has done him the good it should have, Discorama could be an enjoyable watch for backers as he quietly and calmly makes his way around the unique test that is the Grand National before being delivered late for a challenge. He was 16/1 last season yet with just five pounds more on his back this campaign and a year more experience under his belt he is priced up at an insultingly big 40/1.

Mighty Thunder

Seeing a Scottish Grand National winner from exactly twelve months ago priced at 40/1 and bigger for the Aintree event would raise eyebrows in most years. Mighty Thunder was a hugely popular winner of last year's Ayr showpiece for home team trainer Lucinda Russell, and a tilt at this race has been the plan ever since he crossed the winning line that day. Unfortunately, to say this campaign has not gone to plan would be an understatement.

His reappearance at Wetherby behind Fusil Raffles can easily be excused as it was over a trip too short and his odds on the day of 66/1 reflected that. However, if this were simply a pipe opener fans of the Scottish runner would have been hoping for better when he was next seen pulling up in the Welsh Grand National over Christmas at Chepstow. The ground was absolutely desperate that day and Russell's runner is known to want a sounder surface (as he relished so much at Ayr). He next appeared at Musselburgh and was once again pulled up, with connections blaming a respiratory issue. With both of these poor runs easily explainable, and the trainer happy she has got him back in rude health, a bold bid can be expected at Aintree and at his current odds he is the one on this list I believe has perhaps the biggest win chance, along with the risk of another blowout.