The 2021 Grand National is set to take place in April. However, many famous bookmakers have already started offering betting odds.
With the famous event nearing, punters have also started their preparations, with who have the best odds enquiry everyone making now.
1- Charlotte Brew
It was a historic moment for female jockeys when Charlotte Brew took part in the prestigious Grand National in 1977. Women had been allowed to ride after the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, but Brew created history by becoming the first female rider to compete at Aintree.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t finish the race. Her horse Barony Fort, who was a 200/1 shot, fell at the 12th fence and so she was denied that honour.
2- Geraldine Rees
The Grand National has a reputation of being one of the hardest races, with horses having to cover a grueling distance of more than 4 miles and jump 30 fences over two laps. It is no surprise that many horses fall and hence become unable to complete the race.
Charlotte Brew, who became the first female rider at Aintree, returned to the Grand National in 1982 but still failed to finish. But that year, another female rider named Geraldine Rees was also competing. Rees completed the race on Cheers, grabbing the eighth position at Aintree. Thus, she entered the history books by becoming the first female jockey to finish the prestigious race.
3- Katie Walsh
Irish jockey Katie Walsh could draw inspiration for horse racing from her own family as her brother is the hugely famous jockey Ruby Walsh while her father Ted Walsh also has a big reputation as a jockey and trainer.
Beginning her career in 2003, Walsh went on to ride two winners at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival. She made her Grand National debut in 2012 on Seabass, who was trained by her father Ted Walsh. She performed incredibly well and finished third in the race, which made her the first female rider to crack the top three spots.
Walsh has now retired from horse racing but her successes will continue to inspire other women to take up this profession and prove that women can excel in riding just as well as men.
4- Nina Carberry
Nina Carberry also hails from a racing family as her father is the famous jockey Tommy Carberry. She landed her first notable victory in 2005 when she won at the Cheltenham Festival on Dabiroun.
Carberry went on to triumph in several other races and greatly enhanced her reputation by competing in several Grand Nationals. Her best performance in the prestigious competition came in 2010 when she finished seventh on Character Building.