Five ways to pick the Grand National winner – if you’re a novice. Lack the knowledge to make an informed punt? Don’t let that stop you from having a flutter

Think of the royals

With Prince William and Kate Middleton’s nuptials looming, omens suggest a horse with some connection to the royal wedding might prevail; Party Politics famously did for the bookies in 1992, the year of a General Election. Although Royal Rosa is the most regally monikered horse in the field, Oscar Time is the one the Union Jack-waving Middle Englanders should plump for. It’s the mount of Sam Waley-Cohen, the amateur jockey credited with getting William and Kate back together after their 2007 split by mischievously inviting both to a party at his family’s mansion, where they got their relationship back on track. Read more

In betting in horse races, ‘betting each way’ is possibly the best way to start punting on horses. It means you’re backing a horse to finish in the first three. The most important thing to remember is when you’re handing over your cash you’ll say, “five pound each way on Jonny’s Boy.” Read more

The video above will guide you through making a bet with a bookmaker, the example is a ‘Win Only’ bet. The ‘Win Only’ bet is the most common type of bet in horse racing. Read more