Despite the disappointment of Tiger Roll not having the chance to win the Grand National for the third time, the 2022 staging of the showpiece event at Aintree still promises to be another highlight of the sporting calendar. Last year's victor Minella Times, who won at 11/1 with Rachael Blackmore on board, is down the listings as an outsider, but who is to say that the first female jockey to win the race can not repeat her exploits from 12 months ago?
As you can see from assessing the Grand National 2022 favourites, there are plenty of reasons to take a liking to Any Second Now with the Ted Walsh trained horse claiming third position last time out. The then nine-year-old had gone off at 15/2 but achieving a podium finish in the four-mile-plus race was regarded as a huge plus given previous failed outings over the longer distances. The last big win for this horse came at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival but with a win over three miles coming over soft ground at Fairyhouse as recently as February 26, there is value in betting odds of 12/1.
Snow Leopardess is also sure to get plenty of attention having put together a three-race winning streak since November. One of those successes came in a 14-strong race over some of the Grand National fences at Aintree back in December, the 10-year-old just about doing enough to win as a 4/1 favourite. All things considered, there is little reason why punters should not favour the Charlie Longsdon trained horse, particularly at betting odds of between 14/1 and 16/1.
Betting odds could fluctuate during and after the Cheltenham Festival, and that leaves you with a decision to make regarding Galvin. The eight-year old is down to feature in the Gold Cup and a strong showing among high-level company will see odds of 20/1 drop like a stone. Of course, a poor outing could have the opposite effect, but this is a horse which has finished in the top two on their last nine appearances, and money will likely come in either way. Along with Snow Leopardess, these are your clear two each-way selections.
One to keep an eye on is Burrows Saint. Twelve months ago, he came home in fourth position at odds of 9/1, and is yet to show anything like that kind of form on his three appearances since. However, Burrows Saint jumped and travelled well behind the leaders during the 2021 event and the current price, at 20/1 or marginally above, feels too big for a horse which could surprise a few.
