Grand National

No on all sweepstake fronts.

I am against it - too many horse fatalities. It really upsets me.

I met H on Grand National day 6 years ago so i get a bit sentimental and usually, we will put a bet on and go out for a few drinks. Obviously I can't drink this year and H is out with his sons tomorrow so I will watch with my folks tomorrow!

x 2. I can't watch it, never have done. It's very distressing.

We never have it on as my daughter got very distressed when she watched it once and saw the horses being whipped etc. She can't understand why people would do that kind of thing and was very angry about it. Probably the angriest I've ever seen her.

Make mine a 3rd. I'm not for any kind of animal racing that could result in injury or death for financial gain or enjoyment for people.

I'm off work poorly so I've missed the sweepstake. I want to put a bet on though; anyone got any tips for me?

Saw this on the Popbitch email:

Get your bet on the Grand National early -
open an account with Coral and get a free bet
up to 50GBP free bet today or Friday (not
available on Saturday). We haven't backed a
winner since 2000 but going with Killyglen,
as we've been tipped it eight times this week.
Which means there's now only 39 sensible options
for you to go for...

A good few years ago, more than I care to remember, I used to work at a very male dominated cold store, in the days when the University Boat Race took place on the same day as the Grand National.

One of the guys in the cold store was (trying to put this kindly) a bit slow on the uptake, he missed out on the sweepstake for the Grand National but the guy running it told him 'I'm also running one for the Boat Race and still have 2 names left, if you're interested?!' He was interested, as it happened ?

We don't have a sweepstake, but I always pick a horse at random and put a fiver on.

We have a sweepstake at work and mine is Rare Bob, no idea if that's any good or not.

We have a sweepstake at work, I have got Shakalakaboomboom and Black Apalachi ! We always let the kids pick a horse as well at home and put £2 each on for them.

The favourite is Synchronised apparently Trickers

Really dislike the GN, feel so sorry for the horses and can't watch. Hate hearing how many fatalities there are after the race too.

But having said that, I work in a horsey environment (Stud farm) and my boss let me choose the first horse out of the hat for myself as I sorted the sweepstake out for everyone.. Didn't have the heart to say how I felt about it!

I have this one. I doubt he will win.

Number 29 Age 7 Weight 10-4

Trainer won the Grand National in 2007

Ive put bets on Shakalakakaboomboom, Synchronised and Killyglen.

My feelings are that its a PITA I live 2 minutes from the course and have therefore had no phone signal all day due to helicopters, my train station is closed (well entrance is moved to miles down the road and there is a radio city dj stand disco thing in it) our roads are closed off so my Mum cant come see me till Sunday and there will be general litter and loudness al weekend. Hmmmph.

The 5 year old I look after has this one too!

Ah you could have come and seen me OB, I've been in all day, I would have cheered you up! And I have cake!! Real gooey fudge cake from my nephews 18th. delish.

Horse racing upsets me, and the GN is the worst so many horses die.

I can't stand it when they whip and kick at the horses.

Oh hurrah, it's time for Annual Horse Torture Race, wonder how many of these graceful creatures will die or suffer career-ending injuries this time?

Last year, a jockey got seriously injured, and most of the focus afterwards seemed to be on that and not the two horses that died.

Not that I wish any harm to jockeys, but they choose to complete, the horses don't have the luxury of that choice.

Next time you are round these ways just give me a shout! Theres always cake here! ?

Same.

Two horses put down today and one more was still being treated on the race track!

[:'(] I hate seeing the curtains round them

It's so sad about the 2 horses that had to be put down

We do a sweepstake at work. Mine finished this year, unlike last year where the one I chose refused to race-just stood at the start & wouldn't budge.

I rarely watch though.

Very upset to hear about Synchronised.

Same here. We was laughing at his cheekiness at the start.

We was on a high after the race as we had the 1st 4 that come in and couldn't believe we had won so much. Then after hearing the news about both of the horses we came crashing back down.

Syncronised won us alot of money in the Gold Cup too. We only put bets on for the Gold Cup and The National, but after today, I don't think I want to anymore =/

Personally I find it cruel and brutal - two horses have died this year; and to me these deaths were absolutely needless. I struggle to separate this from fox hunting and bull fighting, both of which I am vehemently opposed to.

I've never actually watched it before but was at a rather lively baby shower yesterday and we had a sweepstake going with about 50 of us involved so we flicked the telly on.

OMG I had to watch most of it through my hands, it was horribly traumatic!! Especially when they go back round and you get the black tarpaulin ☹️ The horses that raced on without their jockeys as well was fairly strange to watch.

Feeling a little odd now about OH working at a racecourse ?

Totally agree about the jockeys having a choice about it and the horses not.

I had forgotten just how horrendous it was. I got really upset, it was like watching a gladiator movie.

Glad I'm not the only one. It's awful. Can't understand why nothing has been done about it. I feel the same way about other races where the poor things fall/die, not just the Grand National.

I won a life changing £2.50 on the GN.

I bet on Cappa Bleu. My logic being that it would be a double win for the blues on Saturday. It wasn't.

Sad to see two more horses died. Got really upset when the owner of According to Pete was interviewed and he said "we watched the loose runners finish and was just waiting for him, and he never came" ?

Since 1839, 48 horses have died as a result of the Grand National and 14 of those deaths were because of Becher's Brook. I have to say, although it's still too many, I thought that the number of deaths would have been higher.

What I don't understand is that over the years, the course has apparently been made safer, so why are more horses dying since the 70's (33 since 1973) than they did did before? Are they just keener to euthanise them these days?