Avoid Family Names in Grand National

0:00On April 9th, this Saturday's grand national has 8 million folks ready to bet on the four-mile steeple chase and experts warned against picking, horses named after yourself or family. Out of the 34 runners, tin-carry common first names like Johnny Hu or Gorgeous Tom, the most since the year 2000, history shows these name matches rarely pay off. Just three of the last 20 winners had human-style names like I Am Maximus or Nick Rocket. Since 2005, only 13 out of 98 such horses cracked the top five. Last year broke the pattern with those named horses taking first, second, and third, while the year before they grabbed first and fifth. But from 2018 to 2023, none even hit the top five spots. Bookies at William Hill say, familiar names sway punters big time, especially in this lottery of a race, leading to popular bets that often bust. They expect heavy action on these sentimental picks despite the odds. So play it smart this time, bet your head over your heart, and maybe dodge that family name long shot for a real shot at the win.